Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-05-31
From All the Year Round.
The Two Sisters of Cologne.

More than forty years ago / was a
poor art-student, journeying over
Europe, with knapsack on my back,
having resolved to visit, if possible,
every gallery worth painters study.
| started with but a few shillings in
my pocket; but l had colors and
brushes, strength of limb and deter
mination of heart. 1t was my prac-
tlce, on entering a town, to offer to
paint a portrait, in exchange for so
many days bed and board or, when
found no mans vanity to be thus
played upon, | applied at all the like
hest shops, and seldom failed of work.
Thus | was enabled to carry out my
scheme, while most of my FELLOWSHIP
dents were negotiating where l had
left them, with minds unenlarged by
contact with the men and the arts of
other countries. Though / left Eng
land with a heavy heart-for l was
leaving behind me the hope and prom
ise Of my life-and though l was
away on my walk through Europe
more than two years, Gin wearinesS I"
= and lin fastings of
ten" yet | never envied the unambi
tious routine, the inglorious repose, of
my less enterprising friends. l was
constantly obliged to 60 without my
dinner, when turn of ill-luck (some
temporary illness, or the artistic OBJ
tusnesS of whole city, had drained
my purse very low; but | seldom lost
courage-courage nd a confident
hope in the future.
| was nearly in this plight, howev-
er, when 1 entered Cologne late one
evening in September. | had been
laid up at Dusseldorf for many days,
with low fever, and the belt in which
| carried my thalers round my waist
had been much lightened in conse.
quence. My illness had left me weak !;
and | crawled into the town dusty and
footsore. Twilight was gathering
around the many spires and towers as
| crossed the bridge of boats; dark
ruddy light alone remained iD the calm
river, where purple shadows were
fast deepening into black and the re-
Election of candle here and there
f1ickered in long scales of gold upon
the water. 1t was very hot. | sat
down OIL a stone outside the cathedral,
tGo exhausted to 60 from pillar to
post, bargaining for bed as was my
wont. | pulled crust and bunch of
grapes from my wallet. Vespers were
going forward, as | knew by seeing a
few de7out old women hobbling up
the steps, and disappearing through
the heavy leathern door. In no like
spirit it occurred to me, after a while,
to follow them. 1t would be pleasant
er than outside; the soothing influence
Of music, the Whit of incense, the lux
ury of a straw-bottomed chair-these
were the attractions, ! fear, that drew
me in. Heaven knows | was proper
| ly punished, inaSmuch as | can never
hear Cologne Cathedral named with
out a shudder.
There were but few persons pres
ent, and those were huddled together
in one of the side-chapels, dimly light
ed by the flare of half-a-dozen candles
upon the altar where a priest was Of
fciating. The only light throughout
the great shadowy pile was given
forth by feeble lamp or votiye candle
here and there, burning its little life
away before the Mother of Seven
Sorrows, or the presiding saint of
some smaller betinselled shrine; and
struggling out in the great sea of dark
ness fast gathering over all. The
chairs were piled away in blocks, ex
cept a few left for the use of the de-
vout, near the altar, and preferred
Sinking away into confessional
against the wall, where no ray Oflight
penetrated. laid my head upon my
knapsack. | heard the priests mon
otonous drone, the tinkle of the little
bell, the low heavenly murmur of the
organ, and then-I fell asleep.
Did | dream what follows? AS
am telling you as simply and truth
fully as | can all that | know of the
matter, | begin by saying that have
7 been able to satisfy myself upon thi:
point. Assuredly, the strangeness il
in no way lessened, but rather increas
ed, as the sequel will show, if one Cal
believe that the strong and painful
impression left upon my brain wa
produced while | was asleep.
| woke-that is to say, my own dis
{ tinct impression is that | woke-jus
} as the service was finished. In hal
an hour the cathedral would be silen
and deserted then it would be locke
up for the night. Ifpossible, VIII
l. not pass the night here, instead o
seeking and paying for a bed else
= where? Ny legs felt mighty disir
clined to carry me mile further. A
E. dawn, when the doors were opened,
should rise up refreshed to seek fo
work. But, even while | revolve
these things in my mind, | saw ligf
y coming down the aisle where | was
nearer and nearer. | skunk back q
IS far as possible into the corner of til
confessional, hoping to escape dete
k, ton. But it was not to be. III
n sacristan was upon his rounds to sc
: that there were no loitcrers in the s
in cred building; his vigilant eye sple
p me. He laid a hand upon my shoul
nd er; he shook mel must move off,
y With heavy sigh Irose, and then, Il
the first time, perceived two your
: women standing behind the sacrista
their ewes were fixed upon me. \