Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-05-19

DrlgnIened when he said 1t, and felt the
color rush quickly to my brow,as 1 bow
%Franz, "tsaid my father, when we were
in the street, how OLD are you ?"
lofs just twenty-five, sir" I replied, sur
prised at the question. stH ,t-
G"You will not be dependent on your
brush, my boy" continued my father, as
he leaned upon my arm and looked back
at the lofty mansion we had just left. 81
have been neither wasteful nor unsuccess-
full, and it will be my pride to leave you a
respectable income at my death" 20
inclined my head in silence, and won
dered what would come next.
"Burgomeister Won Gael is one of my
Oldest friends" said my father. y
have often heard you speak of him,
sir" I replied. ~. "a s,-fa.a. ;.
And he is rich" 'rr frf
$50 should suppose" /, ,.-gi s-
"Gertrude viii have fine fortune,
said my father, as if thinking aloud.
l bowed once more, but this time rather
nervously.
Marry her, Franz .-
dropped his arm and started back.
"Sir /" I faltered, "I-L-marry the
Fraulein Won Gael ?' i -
'And pray, sir, why not ~ said my
father, curtly. He stopped short in his
walk and leaned both his hands upon the
top of his walking stick. af
made no reply.
aWhy not sir % repeated my father,
very theoretically. "What could you
wish for betterP The young lady is hand
some, good-tempered, educated, rich.
Now, Franz, if thought you had been
such fool as to. form any attachment
without" ,e II
"Oh, sir, you do me injustice I" / cried
Indeed, 1 have done nothing of the kind
But do you think-do you think that she
would have me2H s-ry b., -,.f-If1 &
"Try her, Franz" said my father, good
humoredly, as he resumed my arm. +" If
am not very much mistaken, the burgo
meister would be as well pleased as my
self AS for the fraulefn-women are
easily won" Tt y
We had by this time reached the door
of the inn where my father was to sleep
for the night. AS he left me his words
were flIsise II r
"Try her, Franz try her."
"From this hour I was constant visit
or at the house of the Burgomeister Won
Gael 1t was a large, old fashioned man
the famous line of houses known as the
Boompjes.
In front lay the broad river, crowded
with merchant vessels, from whose masts
fluttered the flags of all the trading nations
of the world. Tall trees, thick with foli-
age, lined the quays, and the sunlight
flickered through the leaves upon the spa
cious drawing-room of Gertrude's home.
Here, night after night, when the stud
les of the day were over, used to sit with
her beside the open window, watching
the busy crowd beneath, the Eippling riY-
er, and the rising moon that tipped the
masts and city spires with silver. Here
we read together from the pages of our ia
vorite poets, and counted the first pale
stars that trarohlpd fnfn 1irht d
1t was happy time. But there came
at last a'time still happier, when, one still
evening as we sat alone, eonversing in
unfrequent whispers and listening to the
beating of each others hearts, told Ger
trude that loved her, and she, in answer,
laid her fair head upon my shoulder, with
sweet confidence, as if content so to rest
forever.
Just as my father had predicted, the
burgomeister readily sanctioned our be.
trothal, specifying but one condition, and
this was that our marriage should not
take place till had attained my twenty
fifth birth day. It was long time to
wait, but should by that time perhaps
have made a name in my profession.
nual exhibition, and who could tell what
might not do in three years to show
Gertrude how dearly loved her?
And SO our happy youth rolled on, and
the quaint old dial in Messer Won GaePs
tulip garden told the passage of our gold
en- hours. ------B =.
In the meantime worked sedulously at
my picture. / labored upon it all the
winter, and when the spring came l sent
it in, with no small anxiety as to its prob
able position upon the walls of the gal
lery. 1t was view in one of the streets oi
Rotterdam. --f-
There were the high old houses, with
their gables and carved doorways, and the
red sunset glittering on the panes of the up
per windows, the canal flowing through the
centre of the street, the white draw bridge,
with barge passina beneath, the green
trees deep in the shadow, and the spire OF
the church of st. Lawrence rising beyond
in the clear sky. When it was quite fin
ished and about to be sent away, even
Hans Van Roos nodded cold encourage
ment, and said that it deserved good po-
sition. He had himself prepared paint
ing this year, on more ambitious scale
and larger canvas than usual
It was sacred subject, and represented
the Conversion of St Paul. His pupils
admired it warmly, and none more than
myself
We all pronounced it to be his master
piece, and the artist was evidently of our
opinion.
The day of exhibition came at last. ]
had scarcely slept the previous night, and
the early morning found me, with num-
Der of other students, waiting Impatient
ly before the yet unopened door. When
l arrived it wanted an hour to the time,
but half the day seemed to elapse before
we heard the heavy bolts give way inside,
and then forced our way through the mar
row barriers.
! had flown up the staircase and found
| myself in the first room, before 1 remem-
bered that should have purchased cat
alogue at the door. 1 had no patience
however, to go back for it, SO strobe
round and round the room, looking eager.
| ly for my picture 1t was nowhere to be
seen, and passed on to the next. Here
nv search was equally unsuccessful.
"It must be IN the third room," said
to myself, "where all the best works are
| hung. Well, if it be hung ever so high
| in ever SO dark corner, it is, at all events
an honor to have picture in the thirt
room"
But though spoke so bravely, it wa
with sinking heart 1 ventured in.
could not really hope for a good plac'
among the magnates of the art, while il
either of the other rooms there had beer
a possibility that it might receive ia
vorable position.
| The house had formerly been the man
sion of merchant of enormous wealth
who had left it, with his valuable collec
ton of paintings, to the State.
| The third room had been his reCeDtiOI