Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-09-12
MISCELLANY Y.
\ sroR4 OF THE NORTH os GERMANY

STORY OF TIE NORTH Of GERMANf.
Before the castle of Erungen, upon the
Rode. one cleae summer evening, the Bish-
op Henry of Halberstadt was seated with
foreign preate who had been his guest |
Tor month. The rossctt drink stood be-
fore them in two mighty fiagons. They |
had been discoursing from 10 O'Clock in the
morning, when they sat down to dinner,
about huge wine tun which bishop on
the Rhine had just constructed, and were
agreed in the opinion that it became every
ecclesiastical prince v ho would confer be-
coming splendor on his court, to possess a
similar tuu. The affair was quite settled
by both of them, except as TO its execution
and their conversation began to be inter-
rupted by yawns, and TO flag on in mono
sylabes.
1t Glanced, as good fortune would have
it, that the shepherd Conrad passed by
driving his well washed flock across the
castle yard, where bishop Henry used to
review them every evening. " ! salute you
my lord bishopl" "Good evening. Con-
rad but where is Harm 7" Conrad whis-
tied, and beautiful large ram bounded
first up to the shepherd and then to the
bishop. who caressed the animal and fed
him with some crumbs which he had kept
for him. The bishop exchanged few
words with the shepherd, and inquired If
his wedding day was at hand, Conrad
shrugged bis shoulders and passed on with
his flock.
Bishep Henry now extolled the beauti-
FIJI ram, which he declared he would not
part with for anything in the world, and
then he turned his eulogium on the good
Conrad, who, he said, was honesty himself
The foreign bishop laughed aloud, for trav-
el into distant countries, and a frequent
stay at foreign courts, had filed him with
universal distrust of man. He averred that
it was impossible to find a thoroughly hon
est servant, and least of all at the court OF
bishop. They were all, he said, COM
bined to cheat their masters, and all more
or less rogues. Bishop Henry eagerly dis
pufed The assertion; and extolled the vlr-
tues Of the good people over whom he
swayed the crosier, and above all his shep-
herd Conrad, who, as he said, had never
told lie or deceived any person in bis
whole lifetime. Never told ie New
er deceived his master!" repeated the
strange bishop in a tone of irony. No!
answered bishop Henry be never has; ano
never will /" IN N.verl" re-echoed thu
foreign ecclesiastic, g. what will you bet
After several propositions, the two bishop
agr eed on these conditions: first, that thu
stake should be an immense tun, capable
holding one hundred and fifty barrels o
wine. and, secondly, that Conrad, withou
4 l. q
put to trial within three days. The tw'
dignities then parted for the night, righ
glad TO hare found something TO anus
them for two or three days TO come.
The foreign bishop, before he went t
bed, held, as his custom was, a consultation
with his confdant Peter, who was nominal
Iy his servant, and occasionally his fool, bu
in fact possessed truer claim to the title 0
his privy councillor, than many others en-
ioying higher titles and places. Peter ha
always some shrewd advice to give in ever
emergency, whether temporal or spiritua
He was accustomed to hear, to see, an
sometimes even to think for his master with
out any one knowing it. He had done 5
on this occasion; but he seemed little dis
posed TO talk this evening, for the wor
/
during the conversation just narrated, ha
put him in bad humor, and it was only b
the promise of new scarlet cap, in til
event of the wager being won, that his mas
ter got him to open his lips. After som
satirical remarks on the enormous cost of
wine tun that would contain one hundre
and fifty barrels--ft to exhaust more tha
half the revenues of bishopric--he un
dertook to find out how a gin might be st
for the new phoenix of honesty, Conrad.
Peter commenced his operations with tn
rising SUM- and before dinner hour wa
able to report TO his master that Conra
was in love with the fair Elizabeth, an
that she would not listen to his proposal
till he should possess little cottage of hi
own, both being very poor. The activ
Peter had already spoken to the fair Eli'
abeth, and found her quite ready to ASST
in his enterprise he therefore only RI
quired handful of glittering silver piect
from his master TO gain the bet. The bisl
op gave him as much as he wished, and 81
down to diuner with good hopes of II
wine tun.
Meanwhile Peter had taken his wa
back to the fair Elizabeth; he shows h,
the shining coin, which almost covered he
little table, and bargain is quickly struc
ne between them; Peter agreeing to purchas
be her cottage, if she brought him what b
ly wanted.
r. The following morning, Elizabeth, 500
is after sunrise, went to cut grass in a plaC
re which she knew Conrad must pass with h
ed flock. As soon as the latter perceived he
he at distance, he flew, accompanied by Harl
el to meet her, sat down beside her, and n
sit peated all his former VOWS and protest;
en- tions of love. Elizabeth answered her lo'
is, er very coolly, remarking that she ha
ce heard that thousand times over. and if |
rs, had nothing TO tell her OF little cottage
en- his own he already knew her answer. Coz
nd rad was about to take his leave much d
,es iected, when half smiling glance fro
ed Elizabeth induced him 10 enquire why 81
re. was so cruel to him, and what she wishc
. him to do for her. "For the jokes SAX
of let Us see whether you are really as serioI
,rs in your love for me, said Elizabeth. III
,a- favorite ram of the bishop had meantin
ho passed between her aud Conrad, and no
we stood eating bread from their hands. "a
he | desire you to give me your ram that
Ter may sell him"
Conrad's heart sank within him. Sad
he replied " Anything in this world b