New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1867-06-02
THE TRIAL HY FIRE
BY EDWIN S. MACDONALD.

ID EDWIN ;. MACDONALD.
Over two centuries ago, a Young German
belonging to Il piOus and respectable family
entered Wurtzburg for the express purpose
of studying foreign languages, in which
branch of study he wished 10 perfect him.
sell, IN order, as he hoped, to be qualified at
some future day to fill a professors chair in
one of the colleges already established in
Germany. His name was Heinrich Won
Keeper. Tall, finely formed, and handsome,
Heinrich bore away the palm OF physical
| beauty, as he soon did that of intellectual
culture, from among his studious but heavy
countrymen; often exciting their envy for
one, and their unavailng efforts to rival him
in the other.
But while they smoked and drank beer
and pursued their misty spcculations in
philosophy and their visionary, dreamy
theology, Heinrich was advancing in bril-.
Iant and rapid progression, beyond them
| all; outstrlpping his teachers and exciting
wonder and admiration in those who looked
at him standing on a height which they
never hoped to reach.
His window, in the fourth story of Madam
| Wlsner's house, showed 81 bright light when
! people retired for the night, and the sane
oIIilahL name was visible long before dawn,
When some sleepy Waterman was inst poin9
home from his nights vigil. lie went sci.
dom into society, but his animated countc.
nance ana brilliant conversational powers
won Tor HIM troops OF friends whenever he
! was induced to make one of Il party
Many an anxious mother dwelling upon
! the rcputed wealth aud respeCtability fthc
| Won keplers would gladly have welcomed
the handsome and talented youth to a nearer
! relationship; and many Julia Caroline ar
Serena would have smiled a blushinr assent
to any important question he might have
asked respecting the state other affections.
But IN vain. Heinrich's heart had lop-
since made its election. 7
Bertha Wisner, the widows only child,
mad become strongly attached to the Young
| student who formed a part of her mothers
| household. She had never known a
| brothers love, but the gentleness and sweet
ness OF one who knew so much toward the
| simple and gulleless maiden, had made n
| deep Impression on her heart, and she
iancled she felt for him a sisters affection.
| Upright and honorable, Heinrich obtained
| her mothers consent, and then revealed his
| own love for Bertha.
80 much happiness the artless girl had
i not counted upon. She could not believe
that it would last. She remembered her
mothers transient dream of bliss, of
WI u she had often told her-thc
| terrible and sudden death to which
the husband Of few short months was
doomed; and Bertha's anxious heart and
tlmid spirit seemed to shadow forth her own
| destiny III dreary similitude to Madame
| Wlsners. To Heinrich and her mother
| there appeared something strange md nm.
natural IN this dread of the future. The
lover did not doubt that it was real: but he
earnestly entreated her to conquer SO fruit.
less an anxiety, and let time bring its
| shadows as it might.
1T is vain, dear Heinrich" she would
| say, ever since have begun to love you
TINS mortal dread has been upon me, turn.
ing my dearest joys into mOurnful spectres.
am continually haunted by images of un-
revealed horror. When part from you at
night ! feel dreary foreboding that the
morning Will lind our separation final; and
when wake | find my pillow wet with
tears which | have shed during the brief
season in which | Sleep
Imagining that their quiet and lonely life
had something to do with the state OF her
nerves, Heinrich bcsought Madame Wisner
| to send for some dear friend of her daugh.
ter; and, accordingly, without Bertha's
knowledge, she invited young and lively
| schoolmate whom her daughter dearly
| loved, to make her visit. Heinrich also
requested his young brother TO come TO
him; feeling that his gaiety of heart might
win Bertha from her sadness.
Wilhelm obeyed his summons, and Caro-.
line Hartz arrived at the same time. During
the day the party made frequent excur-
sions, and the change seemed beneficial TO
Bertha; but at night, when Heinrich went
to his room and sat down to his books,
Bertha sat at hcr window, from which the
busy student was visible; she watched the
dark shadows in the quadrangular court,
which even his bright light could not quite
dispel and fancied that foes were lurking
near her beloved.
fit be true, as the Scottish seer declared,
that looming events cast their shadows
BEFORE we must pity and not condemn the
loving little maiden; for late one evening,
when watching those dismal shadows made
by the projecting wall, and magnifying
their number to many more, she believed
that she saw tangible forms and heard audi.
Bile voices, belonging to human beings. 1t
did not alarm her so much as had the phan-
toms of her own imagination; but still she
was chained to the spot. Relying upon the
obscurity in which she sat, she gently
opened the lightly. framed window, and
heard some one say softly, There, that is
he no doubt he is at his Internal incanta-
tions now. Let us surround this part of the
house, and catch the wizard at his unhal.
lowed work.
Benumbed with terror as she was, Bertha
had yet presence of mind enough to leave
her room, cross that of her mother, and tap
at Heinrich's door. He opened 1t instantly,
and she told her erraDd. Feeling that her
old terrors had only reached a new point,
he tried TO induce her to attempt TO sleep
but her fears now were so genuine and so
different to her ordinary ones, that he was
more disposed to sympathize with her.
" Pray, pray extinguishiyour light, Helm
rich n she said. almost breathless with
emotion. sThey will see your shadow on
the ceiling. Come TO my room, for Gods
sake. Mother, awake Heinrich Is In
danger!" And, by Saatches, she repeated
what she had heard.
"A rude battering at the house door con-
yinced her auditors that this at least was
not phantom-and, notwithstanding her
frantic appeal, Heinrich insisted on answer.
ing In person. He descended, leaving her
almost lifeless or the foor By this time
his brother and Caroline Hartz were assem-
bied In Heinrichs room, and, by their exsr-
tons, Bertha was restored. She persisted,
after she had recovered, In going down TO
her lover, and they watched her as she stole
softly to the door, where he was still par
leying with the strangers, and stood by
his side. He felt her gentle touch upon his
arm, and said, Bertha, darling. these men
accuse me of--what do you think ,--of
WGtckcraf. Would you believe that a quiet,
orderly student like myself would be sus.
pected of nat ~
Pardon me, young gentleman, II Is
those very studies that have sealed your
doom. We have every reason 10 believe
that your constant and protracted night
studies have been with viewof obtaining