The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-03-12

"And you have killed our child, Pete
Althausen: you have given her life as tn
price of your blind selfshness," said th,
poor mother wildly.
She ran to Madelaine, and kneeIine be
side her, tried to call her back to life. A
she chafed her hands and called upon he
by name, the girl sighed family and liftet
her head Dame Althausen uttered or,
Of Joy, and the mother and child wer,
clasped in each others arms.
Peter looked at them without emotion
He was not even conscious of any regre
that he had not reserved 8 few drops O
the rare liquor for his wife and child. He
felt desire to escape from a scene In
which he hadsno' sympathy and turning
away he went into an adjoining room
which was the poor little sitting. room
where the dame and Msdelaine were &C
customed to sit at their work. There
was an sntiqEs mirror, with a quantity
carved frame, hanging on the wall. He
went eagerly to look in it, and on behold.
ing, recoiled in amszement.
The figure which he saw was tall and
elegant; the head was crowned with thick
curls OF black hair, the eyes glowed with
youthful FIRE, and the skin was un wrinkled
and fair, rosy with the flush of youth and
health The face and figurenf the old
! mlREgfn hs6 instantly been Changed into q
shspely, handsome youth Of twenty sum
mers. 9'T7 'fF+1-
The contrast between this young man
and the bowed, aged figure of the woman
whom he could still hear weeping over
ler child, filed him with repugnance. 81
viii fiy instantly" he said. My knowl.
edge Of science viii keep me from lacking
bread. will 60 to some strange city and
take another name. That withered gran.
| dame shall never call me husband"
And without glsncing back to where
the two women still remained, clsspine
each other fast, without regret for those
4 wao had been the victims of his selfish
devotion to his work, he went out and lef,
them forever.
Twenty years had gone by since the
! fire had died out in the Alchemist's. fur.
mace. The old house bad fallen into decay
and had nearly al disappeared Rising out
of the portion Of the ruins where the
laboratory had stood, was newer house,
with fresh brick walls and bright little
pointed windows looking out into the
street. The street itself was much bright
er and buster than Of old. There was
some sound Of traffic in the shops and
many noises which disturbed the stiffness
and quiet which had prevailed when Peter
! Althausen dwelt there.
| In The new house, which looked smiling
and homelke, lived Madslaine Althausen,
! now happy wife and mother. She was
no longer pale and thin, but had grown
plump and red'sheeked and eomely. A
tall youth called her mother, and goodly
array of girls and boys filed up the inter.
val between him and the toddling urchin
who cluDg TO her ample skirts as she
I moved about her household. Her hus-
band worked in famous workshop,
where they made wonderful clocks He
was very clever, and could make all sorts
of time pieces, with little birds flying in
and out of them at all-hours of the day,
and clocks with little men and women
who come out to ring bells or play on jing.
ling ismbourines, every time the hands
went round. Every room in the house
had such a strange time-keeper, and al
I every hour there was such q singing, and
striking, and "cuckooing." that with the
noise of them, and the shouts and laugh.
ter Of the children, one might almost lose
ms ps., ssnses; TsaI,.;1. ara her nd minded
it not. They were happy and contented,
and the roses bloomed on the danes
! checks as they had never bloomed there
when she was maiden, ..,...---s,.x
been wandering ever the earth. There
was restless spirit in him which did not
permit him to remain quietly in one place
He had great skill in medicine, and wher-
ever he stopped for any length Of time
was much esteemed IS q youth of great
knowledge, but he could never stop to
gain either money or reputation. He
could make no ties TO bind him, for his
heart seemed quite dead in his breast, and
he had no sympathy with the pursuits OF
his fellow-beings.
After twenty years, ON the anniversary
of the day on which he had drank the
youth,giying Elixir, he hsd returned to
his native town, led by vague curiosity
which ne could not understand, and
which was more like human emotion than
anything he had felt in all these years.
He sought out the house where his
daughter lived, and going softly up, he
looked in through the diamond -paned
. window which jutted out upon the street
1t was after dusk, and all the children
were in bed, except the tsll eldest. who
/ sat at the table fashioning some wonderful
! piece of mechanism out of bits OF steel
/ and wire, and wood Madelaine sat in hel
( low chair by the fire, which burned bright
/ ly on the hearth, holding her younges
/ baby to her breast. Her husband wa.
seated py her side, smoking his pipe ant
curling slow wreaths Of smoke up from
his mouth, as he looked thoughtfully II
/ the fire. All this Peter could see as h'
! looked through the window. BY and by
Madelaine spoke. He, could hear hel
voice.
at is Just twenty years ego to-day
she said, "since my father went away
never to be heard from any more; ant
two years later, on the same day wer'
we married, my Gottlieb."
yes" said Gottlieb, rousing himsel
from his reverie as he commenced speak
ing, "and thou hast been a good wife al
these years, Madelaine-"
"What became of my grandfather ?
asked the youth, looking up from hi
work.
"I cannot tell" answered his mothe
sadly. "My poor mother, who died short
ly after he disappeared, said the Elixir o
Life he had so long worked for, came q
last, and that she saw him changed into
youth of twenty summers. But her wit
wandered, poor soul, from the day he wen
away. only know he was gone one da.
and never returned again. l think he wa
crazed because his cauldron went to piece
,, and spilled the liquor for which he ha'
worked SO long, and he went away AM
! died in his grief and madness"
"How strange 1t would be-" sal
!, her husband, and how sad +
live always; to see all ou
friends die, and be left to live alone. Ho,
should l live without thee, dearest" b
!; added, taking her hand tenderly, while tn
head of the matron leaned over and reste
on his shoulder.
"Ah, yes" she sighed, "what woul
, life be worth if one lived without symps
! thy and without love? 1t pains me {
!, think of it." And two tears which ha
! stood in her eyes, fell over her cheek
, upon the shining head of the babe whic
: nestled N her fair, white bosom.
AL this Peter Althausen saw and hear
> A strange feeling stirred within him Is b
! looked on the peaceful group: a minglin
) of emotions which had slept~for man
. years, arose in his heart. When the teal
: fell on the golden hair of the bsbe the il
: about his heart seemed suddenly to /
broken up. A food of tears coursed ovt
his checks, and falling forward, he smo'
! upon the window.
!, In moment Gottlieb came out, folloy
J, ed by his wife. There lay Peter Altha
i, sen, fsinting and speechless, upon Il
v pavement, no longer q youth with rave
q curls, but an old man, wrinkled and whit
E haired. The spirit had told him trul
/ At the touch Of the tears upon his cheek
the power of the Elixir was forever d
4 stroyed.
: They placed him In the armchair
~ the fire, and he smiled family. He cou
not sneak. but placing one hand on 4