The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-12-10
aG. Pa, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1869.


they inspired men with the idea of
hanging themselves; that contagion of
suicides, of robberies, of murders, at
certain epochs, by desperate means;
that strange and subtle enticement of
example, which makes you yawn be.
cause another yawns, suffer because you
see another suffer, kill yourself because
you see others kill themselves-and my
hair stood up with horror.
How could this Fledermausse, this
base, sordid creature, have derived so
profound law or human nature? how
had she found the means to use this
law to the profit or indulgence of her
sanguinary instincts? This / could not
comprehend it surpassed my widest
imaginations.
But rejecting longer upon this mex
plicable mystery, 1 resolved TO turn the
fatal law against her, and to draw the
old murderess into her own net.
So many innocent victims called for
vengeance.
felt myself to be on the right path.
l went to all the old clothes sellers in
Nuremberg, and returned in the after
noon to the Inn Br9uf.Gras, with an
enormous packet under my arm.
Nickel Schmidt had known me for a
long time; his wife was fat and good
looking had painted her portrait.
"Ah, Master Christian" said he,
squeezing my hand, "what happy cir
cumstance brings you here? What pro.
cures me the pleasure of seeing you ?"
"My dear Monsieur Schmidt, / feel a
vehement, Unsuitable desire to sleep in
| the Green ROOM"
We were standing on the threshold
of the inn, and pointed to the room.
The good man looked at me dstrust-
fully.
"F Fear nothing" said; "I have no
desire to hang myself"
" A Ia 6onne he,re q la 6onne he,re !
For frankly that would give me pain /;
an artist of such merit When do you
wish the room, Master Christian ?"
"This evening""
Impossible it is occupied!"
" Monsieur can enter Immediately"
said voice just behind me, 81 will not
be in the way"
We turned around in great surprise;
the peasant of Nassau stood before us,
with his three cornered hat, and his
packet at the end of his walking-stick
He had just learned the history of his
three predecessors in the Green Room
and was trembling with rage.
"Rooms, like yours !" cried he, slut
tering "but it is murderous to put peo
pie there-it is assassination! You de
serve to be sent to the galleys immedi
ately~
"Go- go-calm yourself" said tht
inn-keeper "that did not prevent yo,
from sleeping WE'LL"
"Happily,I said my prayers at night,
said the peasant; "without that, wher
G would / be?" and he withdrew, wit
a his hands raised to heaven.
"Well," said Michel Schmidt, stupe
fed, "the room is vacant, but entrea
you do not serve me a bad trick"
at would he a worst trick for mysel
than for you, monsieur"
l gave my packet to the servants
and installed myself for the time will
the drinkers. For a long time hat
not felt SO calm and so happy. After x
many doubts and disquietudes touch
ed the goal The horizon. seemed tt
clear up, and it appeared that some in
visible power gave me the hand.
lighted my pipe, placed my elbow OF
the table, my wine before me, and list
: ened to the chorus in "F'reischutZ,
3 played by troupe of gypsies from th
Black Forest. The trumpets, the hu
4 and cry of the chase, the hautboys
plunged me into vague reverie, and
D at times rousing up to look at the hour
asked myself gravely if all which hd
happened to me was not q dream. Blu
: the watchman came to ask us to leave
the sdlle, and soon other and more sol
and in deep meditation followed little
Charlotte, who preceded me with a can
die to my room.
We mounted the stairs to the thirl
story. Charlotte gave me the candle
, and pointed to the door.
"There," she said, and descended
rapidly.
j. opened the door. The Green Room
was like any other inn-rOom. TIL
ceiling was very low, the bed yer.
| high. With one glance l explored tn
. interior, and then glided to the window
| Nothing was to be seen in the hous
e of Fledermausse only, in some distan
room, an obscure light was burning
4 Some one was on the watch. "That
+ WE'LL" said l, closing the curtain; :"
+ have all necessary time"
r l opened my packet, | put on wo
t mans bonnet, with hanging lace; thel
r placing myself before mirror, tool
L brush and painted wrinkles in m.
face. This took me nearly an houi
G Then / put on the dress and larg
i shawl, and | was actually afraid of my
}. self Fledermausse seemed to me +
4 look mt me from the mirror.
At this moment, the watchman erie,
L out, "Eleven O'Clock |" / seized tn
/. manikin which / had brought in m
!, packet, and mufiled it in costum
= precisely similar to that worn by tn
: old wretch. l then opened the curtain
d Certainly, after all that had seen {
the Fledermausse, of her internal cur
4
vt could not In any way surprise me; an
e yet was afraid. The light which
e had remarked in the chamber was sti
J. immovable, and now cast its yello'
l. rays on the manikin of the peasant {
d Nassau which was crouched on tn
II corner of the bed, with the head hans
d ing on the breast, the three-cornere