Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-03-14

words which robbed him of his last
hopes, "Jew and Poet" "How dared a
Jew TO raise his eyes to the daughter of
a Christian merchant. 1t was arrogance
uubounded, 1t bordeed on madness to
say nothing worse, =" Jew aud Poet"
/ this was his crime this bis reproach. In
vain the daughter implored her parents
to revoke their sentence. in vain did she
swear never TO wed or love another, the
parents were inhexiblo as stone and
heard neither prayers nor Oaths. With
breaking hearts The lovers parted, torn
from each other by prejudice and separ-
ated by faith. Although Daniel Less
man, OF the same religion, viewed the
world and civilization from christian
stand point aad acknowledged the ad.
vancement of the world through the
doctrines and examples OF Christ yet
he could not shut his eyes to church
abuses. Perhaps a better christian than
many who bore the name he still could
not submit TO christian baptism, He
also regarded it as q cowardly act TO for
sake his faith at the moment that perse.
cutions gathered thickest around 1t, and
also it seemed dishonorable TO renounce
his belief for worldly advantage, on
these grounds he made to the faith oil his
father and his convictions the great sac
riflce, his love. He left Berlin, gave up
his hard earned position ana armed with
glowing recommendations repaired 10
Vienna, where he got situation as pri-
vate instructor OF the sons OF Count
0'DOnnel. His poetic talent here had
scope and met with appreCiativo notice.
His amiable manner and naive artless'
ness won him an entrance into the most
aristocratic circles, but society wss dis
tasteful to him. An ineradiCal image
was still impressed upon his heart and
none OF the charms OF the gay world
could dim it. Under the blue sky Of
Italy he sought comfort and relief for
his melancholy among the master works
of art and literature of his highly SEN
suous people. His own creative genius
was aroused and he sketched or wrote
out number OF novels, which ought
not to be forgotten, since they far sur
pass the romanCes of tAe present day in
depth Of feeling, keenness OF psychology
ical insight and poetry OF dcNon.
But Lessman was not to have repOse
in life or death. Absorbed in these con-
genial pursuits news came like lightning
from heaven, Maria the unforgotten
loved one Of his heart was sick, con-
sumed by q longing and grief for the alb
sent one. The Berlin physicians had
penetrated the cause of her decline and
informed the parents that the only pos
sible hope lay in speedy return of the
lover, the stern father wrote imploring
him to come back and snatch his dar-
ling from certain death, the mother en-
treated him to forget all and save the
wasted one, but both, obdurate still,
asked him to give up his faith and then
every obstacle to marriage would be
removed. Should he sunder the bands
which linked him to the faith of his
father and effaCe the remembrance OF
childhood and youth
To Lessman, forms iu religion were
wholly Indifferent; yet this, after all
that had passed, was hard alternative;
but the dying bride stretched out her
arms toward him and called him, and he
vacCill4ted no longer-Lessman became
a Christian. Not for worldly advau-
tage, but for an absorbing, heavenly love-
without stop hurried he to Berlin. Day
aud night, without rest or comfort,
Fastening onward, haunted by the form
of his sick bride, trembling between
hope and fear, at length he arrived
weary to death. With Quaking heart
and trembling knees he hurried to the
familiar house and sprang up the steps.
His heart seemed as If it would burst.
His limbs shook and he leaned against
the door post from agitation and ex~
haustiou. No one came TO meet him.
No one greeted the returning wanderer.
A fearful toreboding arose in his soul. If
he had come too late-if Maria. He dared
not carry out the frightful thought, and
struggled to suppress his fear. Now
he stood on the Intel, which he had no
courage to cross, to listen. All still,
deathlike stillness
with a powerful struggle he over.
came his weakness and opened the door.
His eyes fell upon & black coffin, and
with loud cry he sank at the feet of
his dead Maria, She had died the very
morning Of his arrival, her last word,
her last breath had been his name and
now she laid there in the white robe
pale, storm-plucked lily, with heavenly
features, her hands folded upon her
breast, her light hair dressed with the
maideu's myrtle wreath, both devoted to
untimely fading, a prey Of the tomb ere
they had blOomed for fruit. With hot
tears he believed her pallid cheeks and
kissed the mouth still in death sweGtly
smiling. AS thosgh ia a mist saw he
the parents aud heard their Iamenta.
tons. AS in dream he followed at
their side to the church yard, saw the
coffin with the loved form lowered into
the dark ground, saw the earth shoveled
in until the srohing mound proclaimed
the death Of his happiness, his life, his
all.
Daniel Lessmau lived many years
after the death of Maria, at Berlin. Nor
did he die Of broken heart, an occur
reCce o! far less frequency than some
sentimental people believe or fain would
believe. He mingled again with the
world, which regarded him as an oddly.
He visited society but soon wesried of
it. He wrote books which were read ia