The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-01-15

as ever. He handed me a
glass of punch, and cried, "Long live
the beans and, nota bone! whatever
they signify" We drank together.
Life camo back into me.
"And 80 you are Mr.. Won Walter"
said he, after pause.
"Only Walter, no IOn."
"And you were in Vienna a year
ago?"
"Ycs indeed !" answered /, and felt
as If were all on fire.
$50, sol" said he. "My sister-in-law
has told me good deal about you.
You resided in the same hotel. You
paid much attention to the good lady,
and she will thank you for it In person."
The conversation now became more
general until the company broke up.
The lieutenant-coloncl went homo with
me, and conducted him Immediately
to his room.
And now" said he, al have thus far
been obedient. What have you so very
important to tell me ?"
/ began about Vienna, about the aunt,
about Josephine.
~ know all about thatw cried he,
"but tho ID what has that to do with
the bean you showcdlnc?
! now laid aside all mannuvering.
He learned all
81 know all that, too! cried he again.
"But the bean, the bean ~
I then told him Of my second journey
to Vienna.
He burst out into laugh, and shook
me cordially by the Nothing
more now ! we will talk more to-mor-
row. For you see have nothing to say
about 1t. What do you want of me p
Tomorrow we will ride out to my
house. There you will SEQ Josephine,
and become acquainted with my Sophia,
that's clear; people must get acquainted
with one another"
We separated l went to bed, but
could not sleep without feverish dreems.
" ome, Mr.. Walter, out with the
truth!' said the old gentleman to me
the following morning at breakfast; 81
know you are rich man !, l sec you
are young one, from whom the girls
will not run away into II nun merry; l
hear you are an honest man, whom all
the world respects; and | now learn
from yourself that you are IA man in
love; but ali this together is not enough
without"
"My family is not noblc!" interrupt
ed |.
"That's not it, Sir, where mind and
heart have diploma of nobility from
heaven, mans diploma may be dis
penecd with. was no nobleman, and
yet the countess Sophia loved me-"
"What then is wanting 2" asked /.
"That / will tell you now, because
nota bene! it Is morning. In the even
ing, when one i. oppressed with the toi
and care OF tho whole day, and the
strong man becomes weak, and the
greatest man somewhat less, one ough'
not to lay the least straw upon hi.
shoulder, so out with the truth. With
your bean there ii is very different
thing from mine. Mine was tho work
Of providence; first, a stumbling-block
then, a cornerstone and main pillar "a
true love; fnally, world, which flung
itself between two long-united hearts
and at last the magnet that drew us to-
gether again. Your love is mere freak
OF imagination. | lived for Sophif
rom the ve"y first moment | saw her
but it was not until II good year after
you first became acquainted with Jose
prime that you fell in love with her.
Understand me. l mean no insinua.
tions. You will awake from youl
dream, when yousce my daughter again,
and the heavenly creation of your in-
agination is changed into quite human
maiden. Finally, and, nota brnc! let
Us take the bull by the horns, Josephine
loves you not"
THAT is hard" sighed "but are
you sure of it?"
"We will go out to-day to my coun-
try seat, and you can convince yourself.
What know of your stay in Vienna,
l have learned from my sster-in law,
not from my daughter, who, perhaps,
hardly remembers your name. Besides
we have dangerous neighbor, the
young count Won HOlten. lie visits
us often. Josephine is always glad to
see him. | have often caught her look
ing at him for some moments with evil
dent pleasure, and when she found me
observing her, she would blush tire.red
and skip laughing and singing away"
"If that is the case, colonel" said |,
after a long pause, in which | sought
to collect myself, ~ will not go with
you. 1t is best for me never to see your
daughter again"
There you are mistaken. l lam anX-
ious for your peace Of mind. You must
see her to correct your Imagination,
and recover yourself completely"
After many pros and cons l took my
seat beside him in the carriage; indeed
l began to perceive that my imagina-
tion might have been playing me Il
trick. AS long as lived alone in my
love-dreams, became Sd intimate with
my ideal, l adorned Josephine with
such unearthly charms, | painted her
for that my enthusiasm could easily
do-so gentle, 80 tender, so true, and so
silent an object of love, that the very
first moment exchanged a word upon
the state OF my heart with third per-
son, / instantly perceived that one
half of my story was an invention Of my
own. So long as thought or feeling
remains uneXpressed, we know not its
form. 1t is the garnentof the thought,
the word, that first gives it defniteness,
and separates the dream from the re
ality, and puts the mind in situation