The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-02-05


torn from me by the pride of her parents,
and welded to o rich Polish nobleman.
1t was our first love-to both bordering
on mutual idolatry and distraction. AT
the moment Of separation, we had sworn
eternal love, and kisses and tears had
sealed the oath. But all the world
knows how it goes with such things.
She became the Countess st. -, and /
saw Fanny. My love for Fanny was
holier, ripper, more tender. Julia was
once the idol of imagination, but Fan
ny was now the adored Of my heart.
The clock Of our little town struck
one as we drove into the sleeping streets
l got out at the pest-house, and leaving
my servant behind me with my trunk,
az intended, in case all were asleep at
home, to return and pass the night
there walked out to the suburb, where
the windows of my dear home, under
the high nut-trees, glimmered in. the
moonlight.
HATEFUL VISIT.
AND all slept oh, Fanny, Fanny,
had you only been awake, how much
grief and terror you would have saved
me They slept-my wife, my chill
dren, the domestics; nowhere any light!
A dozen times did walk around the
house-all was fast; I would not dis
turb any one. Better the rapture. of
meeting in the morning hour, when
one Is refreshed by sleep, than in the
fevorish midnight.
Fortunately, I found my beautiful
new summer house open. entered.
There stood my Fanpy's work basket
on q. little table; and ] saw, by the
moonlight, on the table and seats the
drums and whips of my children. They
had probably spent the afternoon there.
These trifles made me feel almost as If
/ wero with my loved ones. stretched
myself upon the sofa, and determined
to pass the night there. The night was
mild and balmy, and the fragrance Of
flowers and garden-plants filed my
apartment.
One who has not slept for forty hours
finds every bed soft. In my WEAKNESS
l soon fell asleep. But l had hardly
closed my eyes, when the creaking of
the summer'house door awakened me.
l sprang up; l saw man entcr, 1
thought it was thief, But imagi ne
my astonishment it was friend Re d.
coat!
where do you come from p said l.
"TroIn Prague. In half an hour l
must set out again. was determined
to keep my word, and TO see you and
your Fanny as I passed through.
heard from your servant that you had
gone on before, and l expected to find
ali awake at your house. You do not
mean to pass the night here in the cold,
damp air, and get Bick?"
l went out into the garden with him
and quaked in every limb. In my Sc
cret heart indeed, laughed at this su-
perstitious fear, and yet l could not rid
myself of 1t. Such is human nature.
Tho hard features of my Prague friend
appeared by the pale moonlight even
more terrible, and his eyes glittered
oven more brightly.
"You have really frightened me like
ghost" said 81 tremble all over.
How came you to seek me in my sum-
mer-house? You seem to know every
thing
lie smiled maliclously, and said
Don't you now know me, and what
want with you:"
~ don't know you now any better
than did at Prague. But just for the
joke, will tell you how you appeared
to me,-you will not take it amiss i
thought that if you were not wizard
you must be Satan himself"
He grinned again, and replied
"What if were Satan, would you
make bargain with me?"
"You will have to offer me much be-
fore should give you my hand upon
it. For truly, Mr.. Satan-permit me
to call you so in joke-my happiness
is complete"
"Oho!"I shall offer you nothing,
give you nothing. That was the Gus
tom in old times, when people believed
in the devil, and so were on the guard
against him; then one of them
had to bribe them. But nowadays
when no 'one believes in the
devil and every thing is carrie /
on by reason, the children of men are
as cheap as dirt"
81 hope 1t otherwise with me, al
though do not believe in Beelzebub. A
drachm of reason is worth more to me
than bushel of faith in the devil"
"Just so o!--Your proud security, ye
mortals-permit me to speak in the
character you have assigned me-your
proud security supplies me with more
recruits than legion of recruiting OFF,
GERS in Satans uniform. Since you
have begun to consider eternity as a
problem, and hell as an Eastern fable
since honesty and stupidity have come
to be considered as virtues Of equal val
ue since RIGHTEOUSNESS is held to be an
amiable weakness, selhshness magnan-
unity, public spirit a folly, and mere
trickery prudence--you give the devil
no trouble to catch you. You come to
me OF your own accord. You have rea-
sou upon your lips, and the might of
hundred passions ia your hearts. The
best among you, corrupted creatures, is
he who has the least opportunity to
SIM"
"This is talking like the devil In
deed" cried l. .....
"Certainly!" cried the red gentleman
and grinned. "But speak the truth
because you people do not any longer
believe it. So long as the truth was yet
sacred among men, Satan must needs
be the father of lies. Bat now the case
is reversed. We poor devils are always
the antipodes of mankind"