Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-03-22
Tales aud Sketehes.
ELSIE'S VANITY.
A GERMAN LEGEND.

The vanity of the fair sex, it is said, is
of the same age as the sex itself. clever
writer in defending this trait of the feminine
character, has said that it constitutes its great
est charm; that without it the sex would lose
half its attraction; and in support of this the
ory there is the old quaint story of the Ger
man maiden; history which is so tender and
pretty that it is worth rescuing from forgotten
legends of the fatherland
\ maiden lived on the banks of the Rhine
with her father, the miller. Now the maiden,
whose name was Elise, was not pretty, and
she was cross and fretful, for 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 to her; so she did
not even try to please, and yet her heart was
very large and very kindly. She spent half
her time in front Of her glass, lamenting her
plainness and thinking how impossible il 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 fancied that it
would be in vain to endeavor to please, in
vain to be kind, and thoughtful and loving
When Nature had so sighted her, who could
care for her or think of her, or be interested
in her? "Ah.' she sighed one dav, ''if
could but have Gretchen's beauty, | should
be the happiest girl in the Fatherland, for
then should not fear any rival; 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 rather larger heart in her slim
body.
One day-it was the time of the vintage
Elsie went down to the Rhine to bring water,
and as she dipped her pals in the clear rip
piles she saw her own face reflected, and turn
ed away wretched and discontented. She sat
down on rocky stone and watched the sun
light playing on the castle-crowned hills and
listened to the far-off song of the workers in
the vineyards; and she thought of Carl, who
was there, and of Gretchen, who was there,
also. "Ah, me - she sighed, ''what gift is
beauty"
elise" said a voice, and looking up she
saw an old woman-a very old, deformed wo-
Misunderstanding near to her. ''Elsie," she said
Il will tell you the secret of beauty, and you
shall obtain all that you long for SO much
Go home and never look in the glass, never
see the reflection of your own face in the wa
ter, never once again gaze on your own fea-
lures 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-neyer, never!" said Elise ''But
are you sure, quite sure!'
Quite sure" replied the dame; ''but re-
member, if you once see your own face your
ugliness will return. Now, go 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 that it is true if |
may not see my face" asked Elise.
Can you not tell by the altered manner OF
those around you?" said the dame.
"Oh, yes" said Elise; how ! will watch
them
Elise went home with new and strange
happiness at her heart-a happiness that
changed her nature and Influenced every day
of her life. and made her amiable and soft,
and loving, and kind and considerate, and
anxious to please, andready to serve andhelp
others.
Presently people began to remark the alter
alton in the miller's daughter, and to tell how
different she was from formerly, and the mai
dens sought her out and talked to her about
their lovers, and the youths declared that
Elise. the miler'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
Fatherand there was not so happy girl as
Elise And all this time she never saw her
own face, but turned away her head when she
dipped her pals in the stream, and through
all the miler's house there was not to be
found a looking glass She longed (ah, how
mnch y to see herself in her new garb of
beauty; but she remembered the old woman's
warning, and conquered her desire.
In the spring time came her wedding day,
and early in the sweet, fresh morning she was
married to Carl, and the young flowers peeped
out to see her face as she passed by, and the
tender grass kissed her feet as she went along,
and the birds sang out a greeting, and even
the light feathery clouds seemed to stoop over
her head, as if with their shadowy hands they
blessed her on her bridal day. All, happy
Elise
Thou art SO changed" said Carl. Thy
face is so different from what it formerly was.
1t does not seem to me that it is possible thou
art the same Elise. | used to pass without
even looking back to gaze on thee; but to-day
in thy bridal veil thou art sweet picture,
which memory will paint on my heart torev-
err"
Elise felt herself thrilled with happiness,
but never once told the secret of that change,
though she herself did not know that the se-
cret lay in her own changed nature.
Now, presently they were all feasting; and
Elise, longing to be alone for few minutes
with her wonderful happiness, crept down to
the side of the Rhine, and thought over the
past.
"Ah, and he said am so altered, too Hap
py Elise, though art indeed altered. And he
said how pretty looked in my bridal veil
DO l, wonder? What would not give to
see myself
Elise was forgetting, as she longed to see
herself, how strict had been the old womans
warning. She stood on the edge of the wa
ter with her face turned away; but her vanity
kept saying to her, "Look once, for a single
moment, Elise, and see thyself on thy bridal
days" but she hesitated and longed, and won.
dered if punishment would really follow il
she looked. sit cannot make any difference,
she thought, and she moved her head littl,
way--a very little way round-till she coulC
Just see the shape of her head reflected in tn,
water, and it seemed quite strange to her, fo
she had not seen it for so long.
Il must, OH l must see the face my Car
loves" she said and forgetting the happines
she might loose in this offering to her vanity
she turned and looked at her reflection in tn
water, and saw-What? the same plan fac
she remembered long ago. not one feature al