Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-14
[From the Philadelphia Press
THE OWL.
By HENRY B. HIR
Author of &C Endvmion ~

Author OF " Endymlon'
The day him 55IiHdst6, faIl Wei thoy see night:
And of the o,sIs with mournful song complained.
From the house-tnp, drawing long, dolefni tones.
Srrrey.
The funeraIl OrI. thrice rent
The ayre with ominous shneks; Jet on she went.
God Teld yOu!, They say the owl was a bakers
daughter. Lord, we know what we are, but know not
what we may e.-Ophslis.-Shakspsare.
1 was just entering on my sixth lustrum,
when / visited Germany. Palestine had been
vanquished. The creations of Egypt had been
explored. had gazed with wonder on the in
scriptions ON the tombs of her ancient kings at
Luxor; visited the august Pyramids; recalled
the riddle of the Sphynx at the base of the huge
mass where ii stood, imbedded in the ever
shifting, oceanic sands of the desert. Rome
was a great corpse. Greece had nothing but
her classical memories to recommend her; and
now, urged by undying love of adventure, /
was driven. like a leaf in the wind, toward
Germany from whence intended to hasten to
Iceland and the Polar Seas. / had mounted
Etna and Vesuvius My next destination was
Hecla and the Geysers.
Well, was at last in Germany, and there,
profoundly superstitious as was, determined
TO elucidate the myths of the Harz-and to un-
rsvel the mysteries Of the Broken.
/ was, however. an unbeliever. The falsities
of the legends of other lands had made me
skeptical here. Had Wehr-wolf rushed on
my path, and addressed me in chosen German,
or Languedoc French, would scarcely have
believed either eyes or ears.
Early in the afternoon, when the winds,
rushing through massive oaks, and shrieking
through vast forests Of pine, foretold the coming
storm, refined my steed before chateau, or,
rather, castle, situated on an eminence over
looking the rOad-One Of those massive build
ings which, a century or two before, had no
doubt served as the hold OF some robber baron.
Around the edifce ran a wide, dry ditch,
trayersed In front Of the great gates by a capa-
cious drawbridge. One huge tower, half way
between the towers that fanked the gates and
the others that completed the points of the
square, particularly struck me. II was the
wonder Of the edifce
was about raising my horn to my lips when
the gates creaked on their hinges, unfurled
their ponderous valves, and an aged serneschal,
followed by several servants, came forward and
gave me welcome.
glanced hastily behind me.
Your servants, Herr, will be cared for: 1
shall station guard on the road to prevent
their going astrsy. But your Eminence must
be weary. Will your Excellency refresh your
sef while acquaint the Countess of your ar
rival? You have long been expected
Long been expected this fow of compliment
to one certainly unknown gave me room for
thought. was, in reality, in the land of Ro-
nance!
Requesting him to inform me when the
Countess would be ready to receive me, as
cended to my chamber. A brief interval and
my valet entered the apartment, followed by
servants bearing my entire luggage. Ny
guides, with their mules, he said. had been dis
missed by the Countess orders. This struck
me as Odd-excessively odd; L sought shelter
for the night, and it was evidently prearranged
that was to remain for length Of time. For
the present had to submit
In due time / was summoned TO attend my
hostess. / foun1 her in a large Gothic apart
ment Of the same grand old tower of which I
have spoken. She arose as entered, and as I
kissed her hand, told me that everything in
the castle was mine-tO use no restraint on my
self at BrockendOrf
Brocksndorf. 1 Was then in the region of
the HarI.
At the evening meal examined her closely.
She was scarcely of the medium height. Her
brow was low, retreating, and her ears rather
transcended the classic size. Perhaps it was
from the fact that she wore her hair drawn
smoothly back, and without ornament, that
they assumed this-tO me-unnatura projec-
ton. Her hair was faxen, inclining toward
brown. Her nose massstrongly aquiline. Her
mouth thin and firmly set.
She was dressed ON this occasion in bodice
and robe Of dark brown, over a tunic Of fawn
and chemise Of white. She wore no Jewels
Another Of her peculiarities that noticed that
night, was, that in walking she made no sound
not even the rustic Of dress. Another, that
woman 1 had ever heard. Tho remarkable
brllllancy Of her eyes almost appalled, me. 1t
might have been fancy-1 thought il was at the
tme-but they seemed to me to possess to a re-
markable degree the faculty Of dilation and
compression Of the pupils.
We became acquainted-friends-lo
With the vanity Of first affection I sought to
Impress her with the extent Of my travelled cru
dllOn, and was frequently annoyed to find a
hne smile stealing around the corners of her
mouth. Her knowledge was extensive, far be-
yond the usual powers Of women; but she was
proyerbialiy silent, especially in the day time;
but with twilight she assumed a restless, Joy
BUSINESS that almost amounted to wantonness
How her eyes sparkled She never went
abroad. Her seclusion was intolerable Sha-
dow seemed her element. She was an unae-
countable mystery.
The chamber allotted 10 me on nv arrival M
the castle was, as found subsequently,, imme-
dlately over that Of the Countess. From the
ground up to the easement Of my hostess and
still higher, to that Of my chamber crept dense
masses Ut ivy, 50 thick that they might have
been used as means Of eScaiade On the night
In question, nervous with the excitement of
travel, and the novelty Of this meeting l threw
open the window, and gazed out. The storm
which had continued during the early part of
the night, now broke way, and the moon came
out in all her glory.
- 'Tu-whit, tu-whoo tu-yhit tuvbit tn
whOO, tu-whoo-o-on
The sound was almost in nv ears. Twas
startled; but even more 20, when | saw a oi
gantic, speetral-looking owl fit upward from
beneath NE, and eircling thrice around the tur-
ret, noat away in the moon toward the distant
Broken.
| alluded TO the incident tho nav, roo,u; -.
breakfast -
These old German castles said she. are
full Of them; our forests abound with them ss
well as with vast multitudes Of game. By the
way, Herr Sigismund, do me the favor to helm
me TO the breast OF that partridge"
We were breakfSsting en- faHliHe.
Tell me, inquired the Countess, &" do Won
ever hunt2r
Sometimes" returned, " am an uner
nng shot; but my game at present is a search
aiter the mysteries OF the Broken. I should
IKE 70 attend q witeh-meeting, and join in the
mad reyelry"
And you believe in such follies 80 said she;
well, there stands the Harz, not very far dis