Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-03-05
tones, like the distant roar Of a fierce

finished. In the bottom of this cauldrGn
are some precious drops of the Elixir OF
Life-enough to make thee and thine i'm
mortal. 1t is thine-the reward of thy
whole Iife's labor Drink, if thou wishest
it; but pause ere it is at thy lips. Once
having quaffed it, thy life is no longer
subject to the laws which govern the lives
of other men Thou art forever shut out
from sympathy with them. Thou canst
neveragain know any tender emotion, foI
if thou shouldst weep from any cause,
from love, pity, or sympathy, the spell is
broken, and thou art once more poor,
infirm old man with only few hours of
life remaining. Count the cost, then, be-
fore drinking the strange draught. :"
Peter Althausen heard as It he were in
a dream. The human shape turned back
to cloud again, the cloud melted into thin
vapor, rolled away from the cauldron, and
dissipated itself among the brown rafters
of the ceiling. Peter looked into the ves-
sell At the bottom were few drops, not
more than a small vial full. of a liquid as
clear as crystal and yellow as molten gold.
He dipped into it small ladle of silver,
and quickly collected every drop into a
crystal drinking glass which he had ready.
When he had taken up the last drop, the
huge cauldron, with loud crash, fell to
pieces, and its broken fragments fed the
! flames which had so long nourished it.
! Peter held up the glass and looked for a
moment at its bright Contents
~ will drink few drops" he said; a
drop will suffice to make me immortal.
| The rest I will share with Madelaine and
her mother" 40 TTTIfTT(5
Then he put the brim Of the tiny goblet
to his lips. AS he tasted the first drop,
the mixture seemed to circulate through
his withered frame like liquid fire. His
veins began to expand, as, If fresh
blood sWelled out the dried channels; his
nerves thrilled with the pain of sudden
Weakening to life; and the worn muscles
on his arms filled out into the firm, hard
| roundness Of youth Still Peter held the
glass to his lips The memory of his wife
and daughter faded from his mind. He
forgot that he was to share with them the
magic potion. When he turned the glass
over on the table, only one or two drops
triclzled. down its sides, and were lost in
the thick dust which covered everything.
/ AS he finished, q trembling fc OF was
heard on the threshold, and looking out,
Peter beheld his wife. She was feeble,
white-haired woman, with a worn,
wrinkled face, yet not SO old by many
years as her husband. A patient, loving
wife, in spite of many trials, had Dame
Althausen been al the days of their wed
ded life. II -
She paused at the door, but did not
come in.
"Is my husband not here. good youth?"
|, she asked, somew hat wonderinglyo1s u
I care you mad, or are you growing old
so fast, Bertha ?" he said, impatiently.
"Do you not see it is II"
AS he spoke he started in wonder. His
shrill, querulous voice had chang ged in a
moment into the deep, ringing tone OF
manhood. YEEI CFt )
at is true; must be much changed"
he said to himself. "She does not know
me. / have been at last successful, Ber
tha," he said aloud the Elixir is mine
I have drank of it."
AS he spoke the old dame saw Made
laine, where she had sunk into the chair,
her head bowed forward on her breast,
still unconscious.
"And you have killed our child, Peter
Althausen you have given her life as the
price of your blind selishness," said the
poor mother wildly .l1
She ran to Madelaine, and kneeling be-
side her, tried to call her back to life. AS
she chafed her hands and called upon her
by name, the girl sighed family and lifted
her head. Dame Althausen uttered a cry
of Joy, and the mother and child were
clasped in each others arms.
Peter looked at Them without emotion.
He was not even conscious of any regret
that he had not reserved few drops of
the rare liquor for his wife and child. He
felt a desire to escape from scene in
which he had no sympathy, and turning.
away he went into an adjoining room,
which was the poor little sitting-room
where the dame and Madelaine were ac-
\ customed to sit at their, work. There
wassan antique mirror, with a a1aintly
carved frame, hanging on the WALL He
went eagerly to look in it, and on!behold.
ing, recoiled in amazement.
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 unwrinkled
and fair, rosy with the flush of youth and
health. The face and figure of the old
man had instantly been changed into a
shapely, handsome youth of twenty sum-
mers. GC1i a. i 9 2'1kstS
The contrast between this young man,
and the bowed, aged figure of the woman
whom he could still hear weeping over
ler child, filled him with repugnance. 2"
will fly instantly" he said. X" My knowl-
edge of science will keep me from lacking
bread Twill go to some strange city and
take another name. That Withered gran
dame shall never call me husband"
And without glancing back to wheIa
the two women still remained, clasping
each other fast, without regret for those
who had been the victims of his selfish
devotion to his work he went out and left
them forever.
Twenty years had gone by since the
fire had died out in the Alchemist's fur.
mace. The old house had fallen into decay
and had nearly all disappeared. Rising out
OF the portion of the ruins where the
laboratory had stood, was a 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. oE iFiyr yrt
In the new house, which looked smiling
and homelike, lived Madelaine Althausen,
now happy wife and mother. She was
! plump and red. checked and comely. a
tall youth called her mother, and goodly
J array of girls and boys filed up the inter.
! val between him and the toddling urchin
who clung TO her ample skirts as she
, moved about her household. Her hus.
! band worked in famous workshop
, where they made wonderful clocks. He
. was very clever, and could make ali sorts
of time-pieces, with little birds f1y;no, II