The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-05-19
ELISE,S VANITY.


The vanity of the fair sex, it is said,
is of the same age as the sex itself. A
clever writer, in defending this trait of
the feminine character, said that it con-
stitutes its greatest charm; that without
it the sex loses half its attraction and
in support of this theory there is the old
quaint story of the German maiden-a
history which is so tender and pretty
that it is worth rescuing from the for
gotten legends of the fatherland
A maiden lived on the banks Of the
Rhine with her father, the miller. Now,
the maiden, whose name was Elise, was
not pretty, for she was cross and fret
full she grieved for her own lack Of
beauty, and thought that none would
ever care for her on account of the few
graces nature had given her so she did
not try to please, and yet her heart was
very large and very kindly. She spent
half her time in front of her looking
glass lamenting her plainness and
thinking how impossible it was that Carl
would ever learn to love her, while
Gretchen, who was so fair and pretty
that she was called "The Daughter of
Spring" dwelt near her.
Elise was not loved, for she had
never tried to gain love. She always
fancied that it would be in vain to
endeavor to please, in vain to be kind,
and thoughtful, and loving. When ma
ture had so sighted her. who could care
for her or think of her, or be interested
in her?
"Ah y she sighed, one day, 81 if
could but have Gretchen's beauty, |
should be the happiest girl in the father
land, for then | should not fear my III
val and Carl, sunny-haired Carl, might
love me"
But Carl never came near her now,
and only thought Of her as cross and
fretful Elise, and wished Gretchen
had had less vanity with her pretty
face, and a rather large heart in her slim
body.
One day-it was in the time of the
vintage-Elise went down to the Rhine
to bring up water, and as she dipped
her pals in the clear nipples she saw her
own face reflected, and turned away dis
contented.
She sat down on a rocky stone and
watched the sunlight playing on the
castle-crowned hills and listened to the
far-off song Of the workers in the vine
yards and she thought of Carl, who was
there, and Of Gretchen, who was there
also. "Ah, me y she sighed, what q
gift is beauty ~
- Elise" said a voice, and looking up,
she saw an old woman-a very old, de-
formed Notwithstanding near to her.
Elise" she said, Il will tell you the
secret of beauty, and you shall obtain
oil no q, Co
and never look in gass-never see the
reflection of your own face in the water;
never once again gaze on your own
features, and you will grow pretty-so
pretty that all will wonder at the
change, and Carl-Carl will learn to
love YOU"
''Oh, will never see my face again
as long as | live-never, neverr'
said Elise. But you are sure, quite
sure p
"Quite sure replied the dame
"but, remember, if you once see your
own face, your ugliness will return.
Now, 90 home and be light of heart,
and every day your lack of beauty will
grow less, and every day more love will
hover around YOU"
- But how shall | know how it is
true if may not see my face p asked
Elise.
Can you not tell by the altered
manner of those around you p said the
dame
"Oh, yes said Elise how | will
watch them y
Elise went home with new and
strange happiness at her heart-a hap
piness that changed her nature and in
fluenced every day of her life, and made
her amiable, and soft, and loving, and
kind and considerate, and anxious to
please, and ready to serve and help
others.
Presently people began to remark the
alteration in the miller's daughter, and
TO tell her how different she was from
formerly; and the maidens sought her
out and talked to her about their low
ers and the youths declared that Elise,
the miller's daughter, was the incest
girl that side OF the Rhine, and Carl
learned to think how different she was
from Gretchen, and he learned to love
her, and through the Fatherland there
was not so happy a girl as Elise. And
all this time she never once saw
her own face, but turned away her
head when she dipped her pail in the
stream, and through all the miller
house there was not to be found look.
ing-glass.