The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1866-11-08

eyed Swedish maldeDs, on whose ruby
lips he was sod, Franz Leinhardt'
while his cheek was yet decked- with
the silken down of early manhood; but,
alas! Franz cared as little for their
frown or favor as for the linnets that
his ringing ak scared from their aceus-
toned perch. Gold was the idol of his
worship. Even in the little world in
which he lived he saw that poverty was
a reproach no virtue or sense could quite
wipe away, and that wealth conferred a
dignity that mere good qualities could
not command. What wonder, then,
that he longed to close his grasp on the
weird necromancer that can make men
bow humbly down, calling deformity
beauty, vice virtue, faulty intelligence.
Fifty times day the eager, envious
wish, SIT | were as rich as Hans An
dersen," swelled his heart or found ut
terance at his lips. He knew the wish
was wild, and unattainable as the cry Of
a babe forsstar Working from earliest
dawn to latest twilight, spending but
what bare necessity required, ne needs
must know, count as he would, that a
patriarch's life would not suffice to gain
wealth at that poor plodding rate; but
he thirsted for gain, and laid coin to
coin. The demons Envy and Love Of
Gold, which he strove not against,
hardened his heart and held it closely
barred, lest Pity, Love, or Joy, should
enter; and, as the years rolled on, his
life grew barren of kind words or gen.
erous deeds, andin his. eyes misfortune
seemed crime. Yet he was sober,
honest, and industrious; none went
more regularly to the church or bent
with deeper reverence in prayer, and
tbs he deemed religion, forgetting, as
too many Of us do, that "He prayeth.
well who loveth well both man, and
bird, and beast" - .......-.
His brother Flemming, handsome,
generous, and good natured, with a
ready laugh and reader jest, was of
different spirit; and wherever fun, or
good fellowship, brought the neighbors
together, there was Flemming. Envy
was unknownto to him. Little cared he
how much the heavy-headed harvests
of Hans Andersen's fields waved their
golden treasures before his eyes, so long
as Christmas ringlets of brighter gold
shone in the sunlight or were tossed
against his cheek by wanton breezes.
Hans Andersen's herds might have
lowed themselves hoarse without win
ming a thought, when, with her hand
in his, they skinned over the frozen
lake, the rattle of the skates and voices
of the skaters making merry music
under the laughing stars, while the
bright Anrora painted the dark vault of
heaven with gold and crimson till the
snow-clad earth grew rosy. Perhaps
as they gathered fir in the sombre forest
to strew upon the floors, end Christina
stood holding her apron to receive the
fragrant tips, her innocent eyes cast
upwards, pure and blue as dew-moisten-
cd field flowers, he may have wished
for wealth to deck her with crimson
bodice and silken kirtle, and put ring
of gold upon her dimpled hand but
avarice had no place in his heart A
penniless orphan was the tair-haired
Christina, and maid of the village inn
but when the weary working days was
over, and Flemming received from her
hands his mug of home-brewed ale and
oaten cake, what prince so blest! Love
breathed upon themi the humble cot
became an elysium, and each with
ecstacy ruled supreme overthat bound
less empire-a loving heart. Why are
ye 80 fleeing, oh happy days of warm
young love when look or word has
power to swell the heart with JOY un-
speakable, and tinge lifes weary, rug
ged road with all Hopes rainbow hues !!
II is needless to say that Franz looked
on this wooing with no favoring eyes,
and when in due course Of time the
young people changed courtship's fairy
land for the sober realities OF matrimony,
he heaped many bitter, angry reproaches
on his brother Forgetting that He
who said "Thou shalt not STEAL" said
also, "EIe that loveth not his brother
abideth in DEATH" Franz thought him
self blameless because he made just
division of his boarded gains, though
he robbed the young couple of what
God had made their due-a brothers
love and sympathyi and Flemming,
his heart wounded and estranged, went
with his bride to the neighboring city
to push his fortunes mid its crowd and
hustle. .uI4r.H..
Very soon after, Hans Andersen-the
rich uans Andersen-died in a fit;
just as any poor man might, 1t had
seemed to the simple folks, that even
death, "the mighty leveler" must re-
spoct so great mani and a sort OF
wonder mingled with their lamentations.
Many relations whom he had neither
known nor loved came mourning to his
funeral but when his will was read, it
was found he had bequeathed his whole
possessions and effects to his good
neighbor Franz, as one who would not
squander or abuse riches, "As rich as
Hans Andersen" Yes, every rood
and herd that once was his, now called
Franz Leinhardt master He had reach.
ed the highest pnacle of his ambition,