The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-07-23
The story of Ludxgig BRernllardi.

From hinbalPs "Nomance OF students Llle AoIoaH.'
| first came to Paris four years ago to at
.tend medical lectures The revolution which
made Louis Philippe king Of the French had
subsidized. The city was quiet, except when
disturbed by occasional plots against the kings
life manifested by the letting off OF pistols,
| bluuderbusses and ''infernal machines, IN
way that none but Frenchmen know how to
appreciate
There was'a at that time in Paris an unusual
number Of students-I suppose between TWEEN
ty and twenty-five thousand. These We're
made up, as you very we'll know, from almost
every country upon the face of the globe
Nearly all OF them had apartments ''Sur PGN-
rs cole da Ssine," in that part denominated
| ''The Students Quarter" quite as you now
see them. By the way, although we form
here in o measure community Of our own,
still you must not suppose it is similar to q
community of German students-far from it.
For while the size and immense resources Of
| Paris present continued and varied tWnpta
tons for the idIer and the pleasure seeker, and
the excitement Of politics (your student is al
ways u true republican, gives q Zest to the
life even Of the most studious, they serve at
1.-The same time to break down that barrier
which always stands, as an absolute division,
between the students III German universities
and the outside world. Therefore in Paris
there is more of refined debauchery; in the
universities, more Out-and-out, daredevil dis
lsipation and hardihood; in Paris, numerous
intrigues, an occasional assassination, and o
few dueis in the universities, less intrigue,
no assassinations, and half-a-dOzen duels per
diem. need not tell you who are now llv-
ling on the spot that the morals of the stu
dents generally We're -deplorably bad
With comparatively few exceptions, each
student lived with his mGihcsSc, who, besides
being his faithful and attached ''friend" &
use the parlancc Of the town. performed the
part of his housekeeper, saw 50 the prepare
ton Of his cate, and looked kindly after his
wardrobe. These alliances, you know, some
times coetinue for years, with fidelity upon
both sides. But it is not my purpose TO go
into any detail Of what has so often been spo-
ken Of only alIude to it now, to make my
story ineligible.
| My lodgings were here in the PRE- d'E4tsr,
at the spot pointed out to you: several ac-
lquaintances had apartments in the same place.
Most Of us attended upon the same lecturers
and walked the same hospitals
! Directly across the street stood an antigua
ted -eyen for the RE d'LRfer-stono house, on
which had never seen placarded 'Aporte-
meas q ioa.cT, but where lived-a pale, slender,
sad-looking, Hght-haired young man, who
came fourth daily and proceeded othe lecture
room OF to the hospital. AS he happened to
make similar rounds with myself, | soon got
acquainted with him; that is, we spoke when
we met, walked along together if we fell in
company, and conversed, though sparingly,
on ordinary topics further than this, how
ever, found it hard to push my new acquain-
lance He was native Of Wntemberg, and
his name was Ludwig Bernhard. There was
o mystery about him which could not faith
ON. His manner was neither cold nor dis.
tali, but beyond certain point no one could
get with him lie declined every invitation
to visit, and never invited any one to visit
him.. He kept very quiet, went to no place
OF amusement, and never mingled among the
students.
There was large garden attached to the
old stone house whereBernhardi lodged, and
a lively young Frenchman, OF our company,
one day ran through this hall and looked out
into this garden where he saw, as he decar
ed the pale student walking with a beautiful
young girl. After this announcement the
mystery for a time was cleared up; Lem
hardi was so engrossed with his 'cbere amI
that, for the present. he cared for nothing
better; = "Ihe Wirtelnberger was no fool, at
ter all J" 'f'he German was silent and shrewd; y
and so forth. For myself | did not fall
in with these generally received explanations.
There WAS something about that pale and
saddencd face, that suffering and subdued air,
which was inconsistent with any of them: at
least they did not satisfy me. No one had
as yet got glimpse of the fair maiden, except
the young Frenchman, and hemade his CON-
Ipanions half crazy by his descriptions Of her
beauty. After while curiosity began to
prevail again. Singular to say, the girl was
never seen To come to the street. either by
herself or in company with her lover Now,
Bernhard might have lodged a dozen nymphs
in the old stone house, and not a soui would
have taken notice of it so long as things had
gone on after natural way ; but when the
student never walked out with his sweetheart
never took her to the 'fheatre," nor to the
gardens" nor to a, 'spectacle; when the
maid never appeared at the window, nor i'll
the hall, Or at the little fruit-narkct, where
ripe cherries and Strawberries the usual ac-
compartments of students breakfast, were
procured by the devoted ''friend :" when, to
crown the mystery, the young girl was OBJ
served one day to come to the street door and
was about passing out, while Bernhard hur-
ried after her, and, partly by force, partly by
entreaty urged her away-the curiosity of
every one was excited, and the matter became
d topic of general conversation and remark.
! Notwithstanding all this, no person, that [
am aware Of, said aught to the student on the
subject lie was an individual that nobody
would care to take such liberty with One
could not but entertain a vague apprehension
that by so doing one might rouse sleeping
devil which should not be so easy to lay.
About that time a newcomer took pos
session OF an apartment in our house which
had been vacated few days previous lie
was from Marseilles; tall, swaTthy, black
looking creature, brawny and muscular, a
savage i'll appearance, with reckless, swag
gering gait, bullying air, fierce, impudent
uein. lie was Just the sort of fellow to DOM
iueer over the timid and the yielding, and to
hide his crest i'll the presence of true courage
anu resolution. To persons of such descrip-
ton l generally give wide berth > would
rather avoid than quarrel with them. There
are no iaurels to be gained in silencipg a
barking dog; aud there is something humili-
ating II a conquest over a paltroon and
coward.
For this reason, made a point to have as
little to do with Balaiguer Chat was the name
of the Marsaillese) as possible. Some of my
comrades were particularly taken by his bold
front and egregious pretensions; and with
certain class he got to be both leader and Or
acIe. soon discovered him to be an infa-
nous creature. He was, besides, misera-
bic debauchee, and was actually doing serious
injury to habits and morals among class
where in all conscience habits and morals were
lax enough
| Balaiguer was not long in getting hold Of
the story of Dernhardi. Then he swore
vulgar oath that she would unearth this sly
! fellow; he would see whether man had
right TO keep his pretty mistress shut up in
cage like bird. lie would pay the mink a
visit, and, what was more, by! he would
o,-.r- L.. h..