The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-03-12
THE ALCHEMIST.
By ABBY SAGE.

! H.
eusty, that it looked as il ares bsd nassef
since the pondereus brown rafters In m,
Seulng were first fixed in their nlsces. ,
noge nre rosred with hollow sound in !
9Iick furnace. Over this furnace sat :
ueep orazen cauldron, filed with hoiline
liquor, which looked like molten eold. on
whose surface and brim danced bluish
iamoent names. An old man. with stream
ing white hairs, bent over the cauldron
nis ngure was crooked and deformed with
age and continued STOPPING, and his hail
anc long. silvery beard were dry and
Slsp, as II they were singed in the fierce
neat Ia which he worked. This old mar
ess reter Aithausen, who was workin.
nien. and day, and had been working
p,gnt and day for fifty years, to find the
1n1I OF Life, fe,-that wonderful Honor
nnicn would make youth immortal an6
ss sssP tne body always vigorous and
on this DAY the old Alchemist was
e.ousiy fappy. Never had the FIRE in
= lnace rsared so deeply. Never had
q sure n the cauldron borne suoh
tsfss huh hSles on -, -,
Peter watched Il with the fierce glow
from the fire reflected in his eyes At
length he cried, -.ls-F
"There is ONLY one thing wanting
now. The Elixir is nearly perfect. 1t
needs only a portion of life blood from
young veines"
As he said this he looked wistfully at his
barred arms, but the sight of the faccid
flesh and wasted veins made him shake
bis head despondingly. Alter moments
pause, he went to Q staircase which as
cended from one corner of the room, and
called In q shrill, tremulous voice, Made
laine Msdelaine
A light foot was heard upon the stairs In
answer 10 his call, and Peter Althausen's
youngest daughter. the only remaining
child Of his old age, came slowly down into
the laboratory.
"Didst cail me, fsthers" she asked
softly.
An Peter Althausen's family wore the
traces of subdued grief on their faces.
They had waited 50 long for the liquid
which was to give them immortal youth
that their youth and prime had wasted In
the slow fever of anxious expectancy
Their voices were low and mournful, they
stepped slowly and irresolutely, a. IL all
the freshness and buoyancy oflife were de-
ferred for them, and they were waiting in
patient quiet till 1t came. - -
MsdelAine paused and repeated, Didst
thou call me, fasher!'
"Ay, my child" said the old man, look
ing mp from his task of stirring the mix
ture In the cauliron; "the potent liquor
ID nearly completed. 1t lacks only little
life blood from younger and fresher veins
than mine. Hast courage to bare thine
arm to me- Think. child, the Elixir that
is to make us all immortal"
The young girl smiled q little-a sort of
sad. weary smile, and asked, ais it well
to live always, fstherf I feel sometimes
tired-so tired! Perhaps we might some
times be glad to die" N -
sa.Nonsense, child p said he, impatiently.
al am fourscore and five years, and am
most eager to live. To the young death is
far of they do not fesr it But decide
quickly. Seel the liquor foams higher
and higher"
The girl barred her white, thin arm, and
Peter pierced vein with sharp lancet.
The blood trickled in q tiny stream into q
silver bowl which ne held close to the
wound. When it was half full he bound
her arm up hurriedly, and did not notice
that she had tainted in the chair where she
had seated herself
rr5sssd air Els. senses. Il was grow
ing more and more brilliant, and the glow
ing bubbles rose higher and higher,
till they overhowed the csuldron's brim
and were devoured by the leaping flames
beneath. Peter emptied slowly, drop after
drop, the contents of the bowl in the boil
ing mass.
Then, from out the cauldron aud en-
- To
which grew larger and denser, till at
length it touched the ceiling like fame
colored cloud. The cloud began gradually
to change in form and shape itself, till,
while the old man looked, the cloudy mass
put on the semblapce of a gigantic human
form. Though it was like the figure Of
MAJ, it was still the color of fire. The
streaming hair and beard were like lick
ing tongues of fame. The eyes were
glowing Goals, and the robe which swept
about this wondrous image from the head,
and throat, and shoulders, to the cauldron's
brim whereon its feet were set, fell in
quivering folds like sheets of glittering,
yellow fame. -l -rss nc
Peter covered before the presence, but
| did not speak. The spirit did not wait
for him, but spoke in deep, muttering
tones, like the distant roar of fierce
| fire:
aPeter Althsusen, thy life-work is
! finished. In the bottom of this cauldron
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 life's labor. Drink, if thou wishest
it; but pause ere it is at thy lips. Once
having auafed 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
never again know any tender emotion, fol
if thou shouldst weep from any cause
from love, pity, or sympathy, the spell il
broken, and thou art once more poor
infirm old man with only few hours o.
life remaining. Count the cost, then, be
fore drinking the strange draught"
Peter Althausen heard as If he were II
a dream. The human shape turned bach
TO cloud again, the cloud melted into thir
yapor, rolled away from the cauldron, snC
dissipatsd itself among the brown rafterl
of the ceiling. Peter looked into the yes
sci. At the bottom were few droDs. no
more than a small vial full, of liquid a.
clear as crystal and yellow as molten gold
He dipred into 1t small idle of silver
and suickly collected every drop into |
crystal drinking glass which he had ready
When he had taken up the last drop, tn
huge cspldron, with a. loud crash, fell Z
! pieces, and its broken fragments fed tn
names which, hsd 80 1oas nourished IL
Peter held up the glass and looked for
moment at its bright contents. m
at will drink a few drops" he said |"
drop will sufice to make me immortal
The rest win share with Madelaine an
her mother" a.
Then he put the brim of the tiny geble
TO his lips As he tasted the first DROP
the mixture seemed to circulate throug
bis withered frame Ike liquid fire. III
veins began TO expand. as II fes
blood swelled out the dried channels; hi
nerves thrilled with the pain Of q sudde
vakening to life; and the worn muscle
on his arms filed out into the firm, har
roundness of youth. Still Peter held tn
glass to his lips The memory Of his wit
and daughter faded frCm his mind. II
, forgot that he was to share with them th
magic potion. When he turned the glss
over on the table, only one or two drop
. trickled down its sides, and were lost !
the thick dust which covered everything
: As he finished, trembling foot wa
heard on the threshold, and locking on
: Peter beheld his wife. She was feebl'
: white haired woman, with wor1
wrinkled face, yet not 90 old by man
D years as her husband. 4 patient, lovin
wife, in spite of many trials, had Dam
) Althausen been ell the days Of their wet
E ded life.
She paused at the door, but did M
: come In. Il 49,
: ais my husband not here. good youth
!. she asked, somewhat wonderingly.
"Are you mad, or are you growing o.
: 80 fast, Berthaf" he said, Impatient.
j, "DS you not see II IL II"
As he spoke he started in wonder. d
shrill, queruious voice had changed In
| mnmeuf into the deem ringing tone