Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1869-11-25
CHRISTINE ERCKHART,
Aged %,
Died 23d OF October, 1868.
HOME AT LAST.

What does "TIome ut Last" mean:
All! there is the mystery. And from
these three words grows this story:
Twenty-six years ago Herman
Erekhart, German musician, land
ed in New York, and made his way
to the far West. After following the
life of farmer for some years, he
removed with his wife and family,
three boys and two girls, to New
Orleans. Christine Erckhart, the
girl who sleeps beneath the marble
monument in the cemetery before
mentioned, was the youngest Of his
children. Herman returned to his
old love-musical art-and COM
menced teaching in the Crescent
City.
Christine was then seven years old,
and a beautiful child. When she
went out with her father her beauty
astonished the fashionable residents
of New Orleans; and Herman Erck-
hart, it is said, obtained many pupils
by the attractiveness of his daugh-
ter's face. She grew up thorough
musician, and being possessed OF a
splendid voice, soon became aconcert
singer. Better had she been reared
a dairy-maid; for here she found the
dark shadow of her life.
At a concert, one evening, she met
a young German who had just made
his debut as tenor singer. This
man was destined to be the curse Of
her existence. He sang with her,
played with her, and soon became
her intimate friend. Years passed
away; he became a great singer, was
at the head Of his profession, and
only visited New Orleans once or
twice during the year. And during
those visits he was constantly at the
house Of Herman Erckhart, and
somehow, when he did come a deep
er blush tinged the check of Chris
tine, then young woman. And he
sang to her the songs of Schubertand
Abt, Mendelssohn and Handel, of all
those who by their talent have made
their names famous in German mu-
steal art. And as he sang those
Iieders with his magnificent voice,
she often gazed into his face in admi-
ration of his beauty, for he was hand
some. And he, observing her, bent
down and whispered soft nothings in
her ear; and she blushed, but said
nothing. He played chess and
smoked withher brothers, gave pres
ents to her sisters, and chatted with
her father about grand old Sebastian
Bach and his glorious fugues. And
he became one OF the Eckharts, if not
in name, in reality; for Herman
Eckhart loved him as his son.
Butill he requited the artists trust,
for he stole from him that which was
valued more than his life, his daugh-
ter's honor. Christine loved this
serpent on her fathers hearth, and
believed in him implicitly. Her
confidence was betrayed, and she
fell. Away from her home, in the
dead of the night, she left for New
York with her seducer. The night
express ratified and rushed; towns,
hamlets and villages few by; cities
were left behind; and she chung to,
him trustingly, fondiy, confidingly.
Her Utmost soul was laid bare to
him; and he promised she should be
his wife, his cherished wife, when
they reached this City. go
It is unnecessary to say that the
promise was never fulfilled. The
freshness of the toy faded away; and
Christine found herself the inmate OF
q bagnio in Twenty-seventh street.
There deserted by her betrayer,
and left to die, ehe had 30 other al