The Portland daily press., 1871-09-30
SELECTED STORY.
Caught in his own Trap.

Bpon when YOU need pay uu'y ~ -, ~ ,i"i -
living, and within the compass VI "niIi,
you be a scholar, no one ean p"sue you 49,
shc Iate of The Hegla, or exact political sig
add nj me Liclnian Rooations; nor
am shocIy tall upon you, if you be man Vi
Np.ines. from Alarming kilograms respectl.S
the tall of Utnpian COnS0lS, or the "unheatny
ospression" of Tue ClOudand-A tianIs "ldnu
Central Railway, Surely there - no 9 oi'
los who does not appreciate sucn ,ot
FROM the toUrth-torm boy VINO o'oie as nun, ,
set at Warwick or KeDllWoith on Tue naii-
yearly holiday, damped only by the holrid
reeoiectjon that work begins again next day,
nj 10 The wearied melcbant-plnce who fol-
lows ont his doctors prescription of ''com-
. ele change OF scene" by making Rome or
Switzerland as like London as possible for
two months every year.
Somewhat after this fashion (had l felt in
cinedl | might have sooquized. as | sat
looking down upon the good town of Hei.
HeibttS rom the terrace OF the "Nolken-
huh "a Httie wooden aubergp. perched upon
:" Pt,iecllh@ oluu IN which few soidisaat in
Nallus pay at curing themselves by eating the
sletlssI possible amount OF curds and whey.
AHV' cSl'd'nig, The scene before me deserved
more IMAM passing glance. Above rose The
gu op'ng crest of the Konigstuhl, with
al ''s waving woods, upon which the fading
sunshine fingered lovingly; all around lay
Tue lealy hlllsl0es, between which, like a
Unread OF gold, glittered the winding
stream of the Neckar; immediately below
me lay the narrow streets and tall, grim
houses OF me quaint little town, above which
Tue vast red towers OF the castle stood out
10 The glow of sunset like pillars OF fire; and
lar out 10 the plain beyond, breaking with
ts SHINING curves the monotony of the vast
green level could just descry the broad,
smooth How OF the parent RHINE.
hlS a
nroAen IN sufficiently unromautic way by
the conclusion OF huge, steeple-crowred
nat' Whlch, driven by the wind, ricochets off
my shoulder, aud is Just rolling over the
brow OF the hill, when l spring forward and
clulch 1t. Turning TO look for the owner. |
mud myself face to face with quiet, pleasant
LOOKING old gentleman in frlIed shirt and
black silk stockings. the very image of the
Class Dwarf in ilhelm Haufi's "Kaltes
Herr" evidently man of some note by the
respect with which the .habitues make way
for him.
"Mauy thanks, mein Herr" says the old
man, as restored his Grant head gear. ''l'm
not quite so supple now as was when took
the prize at the Fryeburg Vokest, forty years
ago, before | even thou2ht of becoming a
professor. It's Only you English who can
keep up your training forever"
"How did you guess that l was an English
man?' asked l, somewhat surprised; for, in
deed, with a beard like a pacha's, and face
bronzed by the sun of Egypt and Syria, my
appearance is anything but Anolo-Saxon
mo one but an Englishman would have
caught that hat as you did," answered the
professor, with little chuckling laugh: "It's
just in their nature to jump up and run after
anyth ng that passes. All! if you English
would only employ your irrepressible energies
in the cause of science, what might YOU not
achieve! but no; you do not care to learn"
"Do us he justice to believe, Herr PROBES
SCR, that the nation which produced Bacon
and Newton has still some re .erence for sci
ence."
They were mighty men," replies the old
gentleman with a reverential berd of his grey
head; but am speaking of the nation at
large, not OF few exceptional celeb tiles.
Ach Himme! what IA set they are, those
English! a fine life they led me when first
began TO practice medicine down yonder in
SaXonV. The first thing in the morning
king! king! at my door, What is t?' AN
En9ushman, who has broken his leg in trying
to c limb the 'ufels horn, which no one ever
assembled yeti L set the Herr Englander's
ley, and leave him pretty comfortable! Not
hat an hour later, king king again. 'Wha
now? An Englishman, who has been hal
drowned in swimming across the Elbe agains
the current for a wager | roll the Her
En9iander IN warm blankets and bring hin
round. Before have well settled in nay chail
again, king! king! once more Mel. Colt
what's the matter" An Engshman, who
has tried to run twelve miles within the hour
because some ore SAID he couldn't. and has
broken down under the ST. aim Mein Herr
l am sorry to have to say it--but your coun.
trymen are equally devoid of fear and OF
reason! There is but one man in England
whom l can truly reverence, and his name is
Herr CariyIew
"Mr. Carlyle, why, he's an Old friend of
mine! saw him the last time I was in Eng
land. Pun gad you admire him."
Did you, mein Herr? dld you really %
says The Old man, With unIhistakable interest
Tell me all about him, | beseech you: he
is great man-worthy to have been born a
Genmanp
And Tor nearly twenty minutes we sit il
judgment upon the bioorapher of Frederick
the Great, till the strokes Of seven, boomin!
from the town below, warn the professor that
1t is time TO be going home.
You must come with me, mein Herr
says he, rising from his seat; mo excuses
bee OF YOU. 1t shall never be said that Justus
Weissenbart met with friend of the Herr
Carlyle without making him welcome; and
besides, | We cot something to show you, which
think will interest you"
The old mans hearty manner was not tc
be resisted; and quarter of an hour later
S'ObN pSiOlC Iuc HOOI vi Il ltlI, SF1lll- lOOklDs
stone house at the corner of the Markt-P Iatz
the curiously carvei front OF which showed
tbat II had seen more than one century. Bu
II its outside was stern and unpromisino il:
inside was comfortable in the highest degree
and SO | thought when found myself seated
over substantial German supper in the pro
lessons little snuggeIy, and heard the Odd gen
tleman's CHEEKY voice bidding me 'lal to and
spare nothing
while aafiuu I fni1n1 tip1a 10 o1o 4
the room, which (save for its antique furniture
and heavy cross beams of dark oak) differed
but httIe from the countless other laboratories
that had seen in various towns of Southern
Germany; bnt one object arrested my atten-
tIon-a human skeleton planted upright in
corner, presenting pistol menacingly with
us heshleSs hand. The professor noticed the
direction Of my eyes, and smiled significantly.
That's the curiosity | was speaking Of"
said be; lit has history OF its own, which is
worth bearing. When We have finished sup
per III tell 1t you"
And accordingly, as soon as our meal was
ended, Herr Wessenbart settled himself
Comfortably in his great easy-chair, lighted an
enormous German pipe, which the most sea-
sohed 'lox" IN the University would have
found It hard to smoke out, and began as fol-
lows: IVA
''Al the time that l bought this house.
mem Herr, had just entered upon the hap
piest period OF my whoe life. | had at
length attained the modest competence for
which had long labored in vain, and could
say to myself, when | sat down in my easy
chalr in the evening and lit my pipe, Now,
Justus Weissenbart, thou hast done all that
the earthly and corporeal part of thee demands
for its sustenance; henceforth thou art free to
serve the cause OF science, and, it may be,
even 10 ADD little grain OF knowledge TO the
sun OF human leaning | went to Wolk
with all earnestness. L filled my house with
rare plants, iafe fossils, rare minerals. | paid
h'9h Tor curosities of every kind. Once |
gave handful of thalers Tor the carease of a
donkey which exhibited a singular malforma
tlOn OF the spinal column. Its dissection led
me to one OF the most interesting discoveries
which have ever made. All. mein HERR
You who are man of amusement and aG
venture, cannot tathOm the deligh. | folt in
cutting up that glorious donkey! But once
before IN my whole life did | experience the
same pleasure, and that was when | was
called IN, little while after first cane here
10 treat patient whose case exhibited some |
10y Unusual ana perpleXing symptoms [ |
upon NE. L flung my hat OF the ground and
embracing the sick man with RAPTURE criad
ou', congratulate you, nv friendt Won ba1a
l,ed disease which has been nnknou,n
Tor the last six centaresp"
Inc idea OF such consolation administered |
20 al Invalid was too much for nv gravity
: ..-.Igned till | was fairly exhausted: and
Herr Weisseubart very good-humoredy Joined
In Inc merrment though evidently withou.
the least suspicion OF having given any cause
for it.
"WelI, mem lieber Herr" he continued.
"you viii doubtless have remarked it as a sin
Al. l1rr hat ruln