The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-10-03
My GERMAN TUTOR.

timely. was s,',,as ss ~ solve that most per-
nlexinv problem show TO make W.. 'h.s,,
when a letter was put INTO my n s,. ~.
threw q brilliant and "heApe0Neu - w
path. u,,a,, Tho en.ire CHARGE
,ta ,.ideIy. scattered flock IN rurai PARISH In
Enslaud The care of q young and Increasing
fo,n,ly with a delicate, tenderly mother, who's"
s.anSsaion, rs the youngest chiiu OF Weattny
,area,s had but i'll prepared her tor the daily
struggle with petty cares and anxieties when
bs ssr,ve 10 hear so cheerfuily and, above all,
the training and tuition or four riotous young
rascais Of from ten 10 twelve, whose MINDS and
morals / was endeayorfng 10 improve pre-
paratory to their entering life At u pubic
school would be a severe ordeal TO the stoatest
heath and strongest nerves; and 1 possessed
neither.
Bug what could do. The result of all my
calculations weat TO prove that i could not
afford 10 give such a salary to a tutor as would
secure the services OF a scholar and a gentle
man, and to snch only could aeiega'e aie
trust committed 10 me.
Before speaking of the con ten Is of the import
ant letter that proved so welcome an Interrupt
ton 10 my perplexed musings. 1 must give
slight sketch of my yicarage, rs some hotioh OF
fts outward anpearance and internal arrange
ment will be necessary To make my story COM
preaensible. II consists chiefly Ola 81 uare mass
OF red brick building, IN the styie prssalent
in the tiPys of the earlier Georges ana. with
its ruddy hue unsubdued by the lapse OF
eautury seems to blush for its own extreme
hideousness Connected with inns, nj the time
of which write, about two years ago, was a
fragment ola building of much earlier date,
composed of lath aud plaster, with strong
transverse beams OF oak, on one OF when was
carved a date considerably anterior TO the Re
formation This ancient structure contained
the room dign;fied by the name OF the library,
with the kitchen and other domestic offices on
the ground -noor, and above Were several beds
and chambers. occupied by servants, with the
exception of the library, which was Kept vacant
for the use ola guest. IL was in the old library,
my haven of refuge, where rotemy sermons,
HAY tn
vice or assistance, read, unused, and prehaps
occasionally dozed, that was sitting. when
old Nanny, the village post-woman, who was
familiar with the ways of the house, Knocked
unceremoniously at the window, and handed
me tAe letter.
1t was from a yonng German, whose acquaint-
ance formed during the time of the Great
EXHIBITION in 1851 He had been sent from
Berlin, in charge of some scientific instru-
Inents aud my good friend Dr. ----, the astrono-
mer at whose house ne met, was warm in
praise of Hermann Schwarz, whose extremely
prepossessing manner and appearance were OF
themselves a recommendation. In short,
mutual liking sprang up between us and
when parted, IL was win a coroIal WISH on
both sides 10 meet again.
l heard from him occasionally during the
years which followed. lie was engaged on n
translation into German of some of the works
OF the earlier Latin fathers, in which 1 took
great interest. and he wrote now and then 10
report progress. But the letter l new held in
my ha4id was in very different strain. It
contained an earnest, almost passionate appeal
me, to help the writer IN finding any employ
ment, any honest means of earning bread
which would enable him to leave Berlin, and
come 10 England. "Gou know something of
me-" it concluded; dear and respected friend
you know have some talent, some energy; l
RAY be of some use in the world! Well, l VIII
do anything; | will work with my hands. my
head, my heart, SO that / may earn n mou thful
of bread in England, and leave forever my
Germany that once dear fatherland, where to
remain I0hger VIII be madness for me. DO not
pXnlllu this change feelings
suffice il that assure you have done nothing
To forfeit your good opinion There was much
more to- the effect; and the whole letter
was SO inc0herent, and differed so widely from
the usua! calm sententiousness of the writer
that felt sure the mystery was to be
solved with the universal key and was per-
suaded that Il woman was at the bottom of it,
This in way interfered, however. with
the idea that at once suggested itself to my
mind. Sehwarz was the very man L wanted
1 could trust him perfectly; his slngularly
accurate noWledge of English would enable
him 10 carry on the studies Of my pupils. and
his companionship would be- very agreeable TO
myself; while the great work of translation in
which he was engaged would progress rapidly
nnder our united auspices. l wrote to him at
once. ana received joyful acceptance of my
proposals; and At the end of a fortnight he
was an inmate of the vicarage ms allied in the
vacant chaInber above the library, and enter
ing heart and soul into his new duties /
found him greatly changed, however. His in
teiiect had ripened; his moral and religious
principles were perhaps even deeper and more
earnest; but there was cloud of profound
melancholy a dark despairing hopelessness in
his views life, which seemed to approach the
verge OF insanity. | soon perceived, however,
that any aliusion to his state Of mind aggraya-
ted all its symptoms and only made him
shrink from me; so, as he performed all his
allotted duties with zeal and energy, / was
content to let matters take their course, and
refrained from all allusion TO a secret which
III no way concerned our mutual relation.
Some months passed thus, and Hermann |
Sehwarz was fully established in his position !
as member ofo family, and winning more |
OF my eS TEEN and confidence when another |
guest arrived a the yicarage.
EIs{hWaite, the village in which l live. is |
situated on an extensive property belonging to
the Duke Of -, vino resides III a stant
coanty; and. as the yicarage is the only place
on the estate oihlgher pretensions than farm
house. his ii races steward is in the habit of
coming here twice in the year, TO collect the
rents, aud settle any business that requires
attention. He came on this erraud ut Michael
mas last, when SchwarZ had been nearly Il
year in my family, and, as usual, the library
was given up TO him business-room.-
When the greater part of the rents had been
collected Mr.. - received a summons To
distant part of the property, which would
detaiu him till the next day and as this had
happened more than once before, undertook
the charge OF the money till his return. We
counted 1T together. and took the number of
the notes, which amounted to upwards OF
f 1000 besides about t200 in gold and silver
It was deposited in Il drawer of the library
table of which Mr.-- took the key when he
went away. He had not been gone more than
an hour or two. when l received telegram
from my wife's father announcing the danger
Gus Illness Of her mother, and requiring
immediate presence. Town that this sudden
Intelligence, and the distress of my dear Wife
drove all thoughts of the dukes rem from my
mind but remembered them while giving
some parting directions to SchwarZ, and added:
'When Mr., - returns, Hermann tell him [
was sorry 10 desert my post in his absence but
that left you i'll charge as my substitute,
we had Il long and anxious journey; but
better news awaited 1T the end OF it. and
alter the fatigue OF the day. slept soundly-
Early on the following morning | received
another telegram, containing these startling
words Your house has been burned: come
at once" The terrible laconism of this mes
sage, leaving ne in doubt as to the safety of
almost all that WAS dear to me in the world
hiied ME with sickening dread; but resolved
10 learn the truth at once, and unwilling to
leave such a fearful weight of suspense on
the mind Of my wife, simply told her that
finding our fears 10 her mo theirs state re-
lieved for the time, thought ii better 10 re-
turn home ut once, us several matters req uired
my attentt which had been neglec ted in our
hurried departure.
found Schwarz waiting ut the station and
in reply 10 the questions had scarcely power
10 utter, he fastened to assure me that the
chiidren and all the inmates of the vicarage
were safe, and that the damage was confined
10 the old portion of the house.
THE library and my roomIare burned" he
said, and the rest more or less injured but
the fire was soon got under, and the people
from the village worked like gian Is; You should
have seen h0n they worked for love of YOU
He was Very pale and excited, and his right
hand was bound up while he confessed 10
many other burns and bruises, though he
made. light OF 1t all. l saw he was feyerish
and suffering, and insisted on his going 10
take some rest as soon as we arrived.
The FIRST sight of the charred and defaced
appearance OF my happy, peaceful home, at
iecied me powerfully; and escaping from the