The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-09-23
The Flower of the Lake.

- q s. ~
The Flower of the Lake.
U@s3 atl eae 4, 1
Translated from the German of Hildebrand
Bodemyer. 7asi l1ol ff t huIGJ
tteWhore in the world is Beppo? Where
can the boy be ?" asked an old fisherwo-
man. I" He never comes home so late, for
he knows am afraid to stay here alone
evenings, In the hut" The old woman
was pacing impatiently up and down
the room, every now and then setting
chairs for herself and her only son, Bep-
pc, then opened the window and looked
out into the night, to see if he. were not
coming An in vain The old fsherwog
man kept growing more and more uneasy;
she made the little lamp burn brighter,
fer once or twice she had been so fright
ened by her shadow, that She trembled
like an aspen leaf. After the room grew
brighter, she became more tranquil. She
brought out the great prayer book; put
her spectacles On her nose and began to
read. As She turned the guided leaves
she found dried up flower between them.
The old woman stopped reading and
looked earnestly at the withertd flower
Her face gradually softened and bright
tears streamed down over her borrowed,
cheeks, She was so lost in thought that
she did not perceive that her son had
come into the room and seated himself
opposite her at the table, As she looked
up she was frightened, for a deathly pale
ness had spread over his face. His eyes
stared widely at his mother, his breast
heayed visibly. - IN +. pho" 2dl
= g What is the matter, my son, my Bep-
po?" said the old woman /" What has
happ ened 70 you ?" She. said, while she
laid her boys head upon her breast.
"Speak, Beppo speak," she said in the
greatest anxiety
mother" replied the young man, " I
have seen such a strange apparition-give
me something to drink, that may have
strength enough to tell you" Il The old
woman took the mug and gave it to her
son to drink, r The wine strengthened
him, and, after short pause, he began
as follows - - 80 49,
had just drawn my, net, and was
starting to return home, when I saw in
the distance, lowering, over; tue. water, a
white figure approaching my boat. Sur
sprised, | awaited the result. After short
time, / recognized in the, figure a maiden
Of wonderful beauty, but deathlY pale, as
if she had risen. from her grave. Her
black, waving hair hung free and careless
over her slender neck. She wore on her
head wreath of white flowers, such as /
had never seen before. She fastened
with Light steps over the water, without
sinking. 1t seemed that some. one must
be following her, for she often looked
round with frightened glances, and every
time, her face grew paler. She stretched
out her hand, as if she wished to protect
herself from an enemy Her form was as
airy and luminous as if the moonlight
passed through her. As.she came nearer
my boat, saw the cause of her flight. A
great fish was following her; its CLASSY
eyes were fixed eagerly upon the fleeing
maiden its scales, purple as the evening
sky when the. sun has just sunk into the
sea, she'd magic light far around, SO that
1 could look down almost to the bottom
OF the lake; yet the crown which the fish
wore on his head beamed even more bril-
hantly than the scales. l was. paralyzed
with establishment. Then came GOOD
thought to me that could save the maid
en- from the monster. I took the picture
OF the Holy Virgin which I wore on nv
breast, and threw it between the maiden
and her pursuer. Saved cried She
loyfully and disap peared; on the wave
no ated the crown she wore on her hair
: Ihe tlsh swan round my boat, drawing
nearer and nearer his monstrous bodv
cleaning. blood red in the deep blue
waters, his mouth seemed to breathe forth
fire. Fright siezed me, yet when I saw
: that the 6sh could not come nearer the boat
becuse the sign of the holy cross was en-.
PgraYed on the PROV, / gained courage; /
took the oar and FASTENED to the land
When was about to fasten the boat, the
lake began to rage so violently that the
waves carried the boat away with them,
ana soon saw its fragments floating in
IN; ;ne o az .n Can you tell me the mean
ing OF this vision, mothers" asked the
"a young fisherman, looking enouirinoly at
" Yes, can she replied. "Tbis ma.
rlt1on has closer relation to us than T p,r
may first imagine; listen to me: on f6e
other shore of the lake, under ero1n of IF
high shady chestnut trees, stood nv mar r.
9ents' hut, 1.-THE Lord bless the them tbev
have been dead many years. +. NV father
died shortly before my birth. .SThe cause
OF his death, as they told me afterwards
was that he had wounded mermaid with
ms oar, who had maliciously torn his nets.
My birth cost my mother her life, she