Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-11-19
oTrILIA,s PnGRIMAGE.
By JUSTIN n'CABrHT.


Ottilia Westfeldt vas q Swedish girl
who might, indeed, have been fairly
taken as feminine symbol of Sweden
and the fair-haired North. I think Il
an artist were to seek for a type and
emblem of Swedish WomanhOod, he
could hardly and 3 purer and more
charming representative Of it than this
handsome girl. She had smooth gold.
en- hair, not Of the tawny tow which
has grown to be so great favorite lust
now; but so smooth and yellow that
it really looked like dead gOld-Ieaf on
each side Of her white forehead. Her
face had clear. deeided outline, with
features regular, buf somewhat large
and her eyes were dBeply blue, a gen
uine and unmistakable blue. One
finds it hard to think Of a Madonna in
northern climate but if there could
be such a thing conceivable, OttiHa
might have passed as q fair embOdi-
ment of ScandinaViGB Madonna. She
lived in Stockholm with her father, and
had now no mother brother or sister.
Her father had married very young,
and was still 50 far removed from any
appearance Of age, and was so con-
stant q companion ct his daughter, that
people said he might Rave passed for
her elder brother and he was always
pleased to hear this said, and rather
proud Of it.
OttiIia's father had one or two mark
ed peculiarities. He was, for one
thing, an ardent republican. Not that
he had any objection to the govern
ment of Sweden or to the descendant
of BernadOtte-Oscar the First-who
sat on the throne during the early
manhood Of Christian Westfeldt or
to Charles the Fifteenth, who succeed
ed him; but that he was q sincere and
impassiOned votary Of republicanism.
Being votary OF republicanism, he
was naturally a devoted admirer of
the United States. At all times and in
every civilized country, since the days
when Washington, Lafayette and
Koseiusko fought side by side, there
can be found a group, or groups, or
masses Of thinking men, to whom the
republic of America has always shone
like the polar star OF freedom. For
there are two distinct classes Of repub-
licans in monarchial. and more partic-
ularly in despotic, countries. The one
class have always been captivated by
the glitter, the lyrical splendor, the
lofty, vague aspirations, the majestic,
pageant of human
brotherhood, which belong to what I
may call, for want oe 8 better phrase,
French rspub1icanism. The other
have always found their ideal in the
simple, solid, unpreteBding, almost
prosaic truth and realitH of the Amer
ican republic. ] wonder u. all Amer
leans are aware of the fact that in ev-
cry European state, however small,
there are, and for generations always
have been, men bound 60gether, often
unconscious1y, in the bonds OF a
almost like that of free
masonary-the brotherhood of devo-
ton to the American republic.
Christian Westfeldt was one of these,
and his daughter Ottilia imbibed all
his sentiments, and reproduced them
with even a more passionate and ro-
mantle tinge around them. More
over, her father and herself were inti-
mate friends of the good and true
Fredrika Bremen, that symbol in lit
erature and life ofthe simple, ,benefcent
WOmanf BOD of the North; and Otilia,
brought up almost at the feet of Miss
Bremen, had learned from her to love
many places and people in America as
if she had seen and known them.
Ottilia led a singularly calm and
happy life up to her eighteenth year.
Indeed, existence seem to lie before
her smooth and calm as quiet inland
lake, Her fathers modest means suf-
feed to keep them becomingly in the
intelligent, cultured,
social circle to which they belonged
She was soon to be married to one
whom she dearly loved-a gallant,
ucated in one of the military acad-
emies, and was to have been an officer
of engineers, but had given up a mill
itary career at the express desire of
Ottilia and her father, and was now
becoming a successful man in railway
and other engineering Of civil kind.
Nothing whatever occurred which
even threatened a danger to the hap
piness of these tranquil lovers until
the early part of the year 1861.
Do YOU remember that fine passage
in one of Macaulay's essays in which
he illustrates the widespread, almost
universal discord and slaughter caused
by the reckless ambition of Frederick
the Great, and declares that red men
on the shores of Ontario, who had
never heard of Frederick's name,
scalped and tortured each other be-
cause of his quarrel Not quite so
remarkable, yet still remarkable, is
the fact that the political ambition of
Jefferson Davis and his colleagues
shattered in a moment the whole
earthly scheme of a happy, tranquil
little group living in a picturesque
suburb of the capital Of Sweden.
The secession war blaZed out, and
Ottilia and her father saw their long
cherished idol apparently about to be
broken. They felt the news as they
might have felt Russian or French
invasion of Sweden. 1t was an even
ing of early spring that Eric Swenson,
the lover, stood with Ottilia and West
feldt in room as yet only lighted by
the moon and the glittering stars, and
spoke of the reasonable conspiracy
against the American Union and
in the breast of all. Yet a very few
months, and Ottilia and Eric were to
be married. Eric looked at her-was
about to speak out his thoughts, then
hesitated and shrank from 1t. Their
ewes met. Then it was Ottilia who
ts'Can we do nothing, any of U.S." she
said, impetuously, "for the great re-
IT can do something" cried Eric.
until you spoke, 1 hardly dared to
"T can do something" the elder man
broke in. ''I have honored and loved
the republic all my life. Thank
Heaven am not too old or too weak
to fight in her cause to-day. She has
given home to many of OuFa z9hHdi-
navians. It is right we should al try
and do something for her. Ottilia, you
shall marry Eric at once he will take
care OF YOU; and I will go out to
America and fight for the Union"
UNever - cried Eric. ~ will CO.
You must stay and take care Of Ottilia.
1 could do some good there. / could
turn my training as military engin
eer to some account, for the first time.
1 will do something worth doing, and
make Ottilia proud of me-"
tsYOu foolish boy, don't you think
Ottilia would rather have you with
her than in danger 2"
'tI,et us ask her. Let Ottilia decide -
agreed, my boy. ottilia shall de-
eide"
'iOh no, dear father; no, dear Eric.
Don't ask me to decide Oh, wish
I had not spoken ! am afraid now
of what have done How could I
possibly par, with either Of you p
broken upP It is a great cause. I
wish / could give myself up to it -
but how could give up my father and
my Eric 2"
indeed, Ottilia's sudden burst of.