St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-05-29
co., MINNESOTA, THURSDAY, MAY 49, 1862

the chamber Of my. pour friend, and an
nounced that would wait the issue what
ever it might be Messieurs. II is u try
I,ag thing to stand beside one whom you
last saw in health and strength .uf mind
and body. aud 10 witness a, poor shattered
beirg. with tlns he'd face, burnirg hip,
and a glaze,! eye, tossing aad ra.iug J;
whose hasd does not return your clasp,
whose ear does not reco.nixec Your words
Of hve, '"hc.c eye hoks vaeant,y upen YOU.
] sat down overwhelmed with emotion -:
Z, ON time so tl,ne through, his Id raw
+, luz, could distinguish words which told
how the bew.Id,rcd snir,t wrcstled, as il
were, with the horrible p .untums 1t his
disordcre,' brain; with what appalling in.
eongruity did he uainglc the scenes Of the
charnel vault and the bridal chan,bcr, now
calling on his bride t" wrap her grave
clothes aruund her, and in moment after,
with avid laugh, bidding the sexton 10
pledge him in q skull OF wine. But
ma MT dwell on this painful subject
When returned t. the small apartment
| had first entered I found all necessary
arrangements made TOR NY comfort, but |
determined to watch through the night
which was to decide all. l felt, however,
too nervous and a.itated To- re "ain alone,
so entreate.l the old butler to bear HE
company. BY degrees We became quite
familiar. The doctor had returned and
sat by the bedside Of his patient, who was
gradually growing tranquil and le.haryic
1t wanted now more than all hour Uf mid
"iEat; old Klaus threw fresh log on
the fire. and filed my glass from the
fash Of Hun: :;ari.u wine that he had plac-
ed beside NE. could dv no less than re-
turn the compliment anu us the good
old soul drank it sorrwtully to the rccov-
cry Of his master the tear stood in his eye,
and he fairly srbbel aloud ! spoke
word Of comfort to the poor fellow
"'Alas Herr Kaur rtmaun,' said lie,
my mind misyives me sadly. am afraid
every moment that shall hear the G.is-
tcrtodcn: locke God protect US y
''Thc Gtistcrtole 'glocke?' l asked,
| what is that, Klaus = &. ,,.-., ".
Zach! Herr kauptmann. what an old
fool am | forgot you could know moth,
ing about it
"a little pressing got it all out; for
grief With men nt his class is talkative.
III suppose, Sir said he, beginning
his story, that you have observed the old
monastery near the castle as you came up
this e.enl":.
81 did, Klaus, fiue olI ruin, with the
bcljtowcr.
"Ay, a ruin now, Sir; but it was once
a 1rard and holy place, with its lord, ab.
bot. AID monks, aud broad, rich lands -
| Well, Sir.'a long time ag,-I don't know
how many hundred years sincc--thc Bar-
on Stcinyraf Of that day-he lived then
in the old castle higher up the hills above
the kro'en>ec-had quarrel with the ab-
bot. The Baron was fe c. and hau:,h-
! ty man, It at cared l;t1le about church or
priest, aud the abbot was as hau ghty in
his ow" way, 50 the fvnd grew dcadlcr
every day. At last the aIb,t sworc on
.tne holy relics of ST. Wolfyau that he
would excomElunlcatc the Baron aud the
Baron >wole u on tie cross of his sword
hiI' that he would tear the frock IF the
abbot's back, and drive him AID his monks
out of the monastery The abbot was as
good as his word and 81, upon the feast
Of the blessed st. WolfyauS, he and sll
his monks walked in proce sion through
the church up to the high altar, aud the
great book was opened and the anathemas
read, and then the bell was tollcd, and
the priests were IN their Way back down
the aisle when the shouts of tn, Baron and
! his wild men-at-alm$, and jagers, and holz-
kncchts ,ang at the walls, and sledyes and
great pine beam. were battcring ut the
gate Short work they made Of it. One
mad fellow seized a splinter Of pine wool,
and he lit it at the altar, aul then he Gr-
ed the panels and the roof, and the dry
wood was all soon in blaze. The Baron
! as it possessed by an evil spirit, seized tie
bell-ropc aud rung out a wild peal Of tri-
umph; but the abbo: walked up to him.
dressed in all his robes, and hul,ling up
his hands. cursed him in the name of the
Blessed Trinity, and he said-"As the
! xpirtto' tie E0X one peals that bell now
by your hands, so shall he peul it when tie
soul p ,sses from the badly Of .you: and "f
yos'r son, um'cf your son's son, IN secul'1
soeculorum, Ame~ :" So saying. the ab-
bot called all his monks, and they went
their Way down t. the lake of Aher; and
they built new monastery where the
church of st. WolfSang now stands The
Baron seized the monastery lands and
he'll them too, for might was right ia
those days. and built the present castle
hard by the ruins Of the monastery, lest
the abbot and his retainers should rally
and seek to regain .heir oll possessions. II
But they never did, for the abbot was not
overloved in the country, besides the Bar.