Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-09-07
SeIflte0 iillstelIang.
ROMANCE OF AN OLD BUREAU.
Ernm l.hanbers's journal.


From Chanbers's Journal.
In the sumLlAs Of 1867, after prolong-
cd course of Russian steppes, Crimean hill
siaes, Moscow churches, St. Petersburg
Douleyards, Finnish lakes, and Swedish
forests, | found myself at Berlin, and dur
ing the first week of my stay was busy from
dawn to dusk in ezhausting, with the N.Y.
Atematic industry of the genius British
tourist, the various sights of that method
ical city, which Mr.. Murray's Koran, in
red binding, politely defines as AN oasis of
brick amid "a Sahara of dust and in
studying AL the minutim of that pipe-clay-
ed ciyiiiZation, which appears to advance,
like the national army, III time to the mu-
sic of the Pas de Charge had lounged
beneath the shade of the broad-leaved
lime-trees which have stood godiathers to
the famous sUnterden Linden Strasse;' |
strolled along the front of the palace, and
taken off my hat 10 the noble statue of Fa-
ther Fritz. In the shady galleries of the
royal museum, l had day-dreamed for
hours amid quaint antiquities and splen-
did pictures, and had fingered in the in
most room of all for a last look at the face
OF Frederick the Great-not as he was after
the iron of the Seven Years War had en-
tered into his soul, but as be may have
fore years of crafty diplomacy and merci-
less bloodshed had distorted him into the
knave and tyrant that he afterwards be-
chme; q work still fresh from the hand OF
God Hope like fiery pillar before him,
the dark side not yet turnedP
Just as my ionizlng fever was beginning
to abate, slight service, rendered on
pouring wet day in the Park, brought me
INTO closer relations with pleasant-look-
ing elderly German, WHO had frequently
crossed my rambles, and more than once
halted to exchange few words with me,
in the frank, open-hearted fashion of the
hospitable Teutonic race. Gun acquaint-
ance, however, was stilt IN embryo, when,
on the day of which ! am speaking, the old
man, having taken shelter under thinly
foiiaged tree, was in fair way to be thor
oughly drenehed, when l came to the res
cue with my umbrella. Observing that he
had got wet through before gaining his i'm
promptu rei,ge [ insisted upon taking
him to my lodgings (Which were close at
handl, and drying him thoroughly before
let him go: his own residence, as found
on inquiry, being at considerable distance.
The old mans gratitude knew no bounds;
and next morning he reappeared with q
hospitable smile upon his broad face, an
nouncing that he had told his folks of my
kindness to him, that his 'Hausfrau' aud
his 'kleme Gretchen wished to thank me
themselves that in short, | must come
and eat fea-cakes with them that very
evening, and smoke German pipe after
wards, which Herr Holzmann, in common
with the majority of his countrymen. re-
garded as the acme of human felicity. In
order to secure himself against any eva
sion. Ee added. with o resolute air, that Gas
| might possibly lose my Way he would
come and fetch me himself
PupctIlal as death or collector of water
rates, Herr Heinrich Holzmann presented
himself at the time appointed, and march
ed me off in triumph to neat, comfortable
looking little house on the southern side
of the town, with small garden III front
of it, The garden was of the lnvarlable
German type; the same trim little flower
beds, accurate as regiments on parade; the
same broad gravel-walk, laid out with ma
tbematical regularity, the same trellis-w0rk
summer-house, festooned with creepers,
Mt the farther end. and the same small ta-
ble in the centre Oft, surmounted by
corpulent teapot of truly domestic proper
tions presidedover, in this case, by two
female figures, who, on our approach, come
forward to greet us, and are introduced to
ane by my host SIS his wife and daughter.
Frau Holzmann Tor, rs her husband calls
her. .Iieschen') is buxom, motherly,
active.looking woman, appareh, y about
1ifty wears OF age, with that snug, tireside
axpression Ssugqestive of hot tea cakes and
wcli-aired sheets,} characteristic of the
weIl-to-do German matrons but close OBJ
server may detect on that bread, smooth
forehead, on those round, rosy cheeks, the
faint but indelible impress of former trials
and sufferings; and through thering other
II l,l>-~ 4, u, 20,
.n1aSes- tone of melancholy, that would
seem TO tell Of time in the far distantpsst
when such sadness was only too habitual.
The daughter, Margarethe {or Gretchen,
~ her parents call her, who msy be about
eighteen, is one of those plump, melting
dansels. with china-blue eyes and treaeie-
coiDred hair, who never appear without q
miniature Of Schiller on their neck, and q
paper OF pyunes az their pocket, and who,
after flowing on for whole evening in a
slew. steady, canal-like curxent of senti-
emit viii sup upon sucking-pig and april
tot lam with an appetite of which Dando
she oyster-eater might have been justly
proud Both welcome me with true Ger
man cordiality, and overwhelm me with
thanks for my courtesy to the head OF the
family, reproaching him at the same time
for bringing me in before they haye COM
ching comfortable for me; to give time for
which operation. Herr Heinrich marches
rne into trim little dining-roona opening
upon the garden, and thrusts me simuit6n-
eousiy into an easy-chair and a pair of easy
slippers, while take hRsty survey of the
chamber into which l have been thus sud
denly uShered,
II is one or those snug, cosy little rooms,
spotless In cleanliness, and fauItless, In
comfort, immortalized by Washington Ir-
wing in his description of the Dutch set
Elements in North America. The floor is
polished like q mirrer; the tasteful green
and white paper (Which looks delightfully."-
fresh this sultry weather) seems as fresh as
the day it was put on; while the broad,
well stuffed sofa, which takes up nearly
one whole side of the room, seems just
snaas for the brawny beam-ends of some
portsy German burgher, or the restless
roly-posS limbs of his half dozen big ba-
bies. Above the ehimney-piece (along
which stand the usual china shepherdesses,
.k>resents from Dresden, and busts of
Goethe and Schiller) hangs 2 staring, high.
,y coIoYed medley of fire, smoke, blue and
white uniforms, rearing horses, and over
trrued cannon, which some grabbed Teu-
;,sne letters beneath it proclaim to be Die
se}.:aeh. bel Koniccratz, juh, lS66:wblle
facing it from above the sofa is rather
neatly done s,eter-eolor likeness of a chub-
by, fair-haired lGd, in an iniantry uniform,
whom l rightly guess 10 be my hosts SOL
dier-soa, Wilhelm (a household word IN
his fathers mouth), now on garrison duty
nj Spandau.
But the object which specially attracts
my attention Is tall, grim bureau of dark
oak II the farther corner beyond the fire.
place, decorated with those quaint old
German carvings Nhich carry one back to
The streets of Nuremberg and the house
OF Albrecht Durer. There stand Adam
and Eve in all their untrammeled freedom,
shoulder to shoulder, like officers in the
centre Of a hollow square, with all the