Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-03-05

+ e
striking, and cuckooing,a that with the
| noise of them, and the shouts and laugh
ter of the children, one might almost lose
| his senses.
But Madeiaine and her husband minded
| it not They were happy and contented
and the roses bloomed on the DANES
| cheeks as they had never bloomed there
when she was maiden.
All these years Peter Althausen had
been wandering over the earth-There
was restless, spirit in him which did not
| rermit him to remain quietly in oneplace.
He had great skill in medicine, and wher-
ever he stopped for ,ary length OF time
| was much esteemed as a youth OF great
knowledge, but he could never stop to
gain either money or reputation. lie
could make NOTES to, bind him, for his
heart seemed quite dead in his breast, and
he had no sympathy with the pursuits OF
his low-beings.
After twenty years, on the anniversary
of the day on which he had drank the
t youth giving Elixir, he, had returned to
| his native town, led by a avague curiosity
which he could not understand, and
which was more like human emotion than
anything he had felt in all these years.
He sought out the house where his
daughter lived, and going softly up, he
looked in through the diamond-paned
window which jutted out upon the street.
1t was after dusk, and all the children
were in bed except the tall eldest, who
sat at the table fashioning some wonderful
piece of mechanism out of bits of steel,
and wire, and wood Madelaine sat in her
low chair by the fire, which burned bright
ly on the hearth, holding her youngest
baby to her breast. Her husband was
seated by her side, smoking his pipe and
curling slow wreaths of smoke up from
his mouth, as he looked thoughtfully in
the fire. All this Peter could see as he
looked through the. window BY and by.
Madelaine spoke. He could hear her
voice. ~> - &c
"It is just twenty years ago to-day"
she said, "since my father went away,
never to be heard from any more; and
two years later, on the same day were
we married, my Gottlieb."
I: r" Yes" said Gottlieb, rousing himself
from his reverie as he commenced speak
ing, "and thou hast been a good wife all
these years, Madelaine"
"What became of my grandfather.?"
asked the youth, looking up from his
work. t Z q
az cannot tell" answered his mother
sadly. MY poor mother, who died short
ly after he disappeared, said the Elixir Of
Life he had so long worked for, came at
last, and that she saw him changed intoIa
youth of twenty summers. But her wits
wandered, poor soul, from the day he went
away. I only know he was gone one day
and meyer returned again. Il think he was
crazed because his cauldron went to pieces
and spilled the liquor for which he had
worked SO long, and he went away and
died in his grief and Madness"
"How strange it would beg said
live always to see all our
friends die, and be left to live alone. How
should I live without, thee, dearest 2" he
added, taking her hand tenderly, while the
head of the matron leaned over and rested
on his shoulder I
"Ah, yes, ,fshe sighed, "what would
life be worth if one lived without sympa-
thy and without love? 1t pains me to
think of it." And two tears which had
stood in her eyes, fell over her cheeks
upon the shining head of the babe which
nestled in her fair, white bosom. 4
All this Peter Althausen saw and heard
A strange feeling stirred within him as he.
looked on the peaceful group: minglings
Of emotions which had slept for many
years, arose in his heart. When the tears
fell on the golden hair of the babe, the ice
about his heart seemed suddenly to be-
broken up. A flood Of tears coursed over
his cheeks, and falling forward, he smote
upon the window.
In moment Gottlieb came out, follow
ed by his wife. There lay Peter Althau-,
sen, fainting and speechlesf, upon the
pavement, no longer youth with raven
curls, but an old man, wrinkled and white.
haired The spirit had told him truly,
At the touch of the tears upon his checks,
the power Of the Elixir was forever de-
streyed.
They placed him in the armchair by
the fire, and he smiled family. Heeould
not speak, but placing one hand on the
head of his daughter, he pointed upward
with the other, and raised his eyes as if in
prayer Then his head dropped forward,
and raising him, they saw that the last
spark of life was quite out.
The old Alchemist was dead.7-Ri0erside
Magazine for March. @ f~s IS9l1