The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-06-28

made her amiable, and soft, and low
ing. and kind, and considcrate, and
anxious to please, and ready to serve
and help others.
Presently people began to remark the
alteration i'll the millcr's daughter, and
| to tell her how different she was from
formerly; and the maidens sought her
| and talked to her about their lovers;
and youths declared that Elise, the
! miller's daughter, was the incest girl
that side of the Rhine, and Carl learn
ed 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's house, there
was not to be found a looking glass.
She longed-ah, how much to see
herself in her new garb of beauty; but
she remembered the old woman's warn
ing, and conquered her desire.
In the spring time came her wedding
day, and early in the sweet fresh morn
ing she was married to Carl, and the
young flowers peeped ont to see her
face as she passed by, and the tender
! grass kissed ilcr 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
shadowdy hand 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. l used to pass without even
looking back to gaze on thee; but to.
day in thy bridal veil, thou art very
sweet picture, which memory will
paint on my heart forever!"
Elise felt herself thrilled with hap
piness, but never once told the secret
of that change, though she herself die
not know that the real change lay i,
her own changed nature.
Now, presently they were all feast
ing; and Elise, longing to be alone TO
a few minutes with her wonderful hap
piness, crept down to edge of the Rim
and thought over the past.
!. "Ab, and he said l am so altered
too. Happy Elise, thou art indeed al
tered! And he said how pretty look
ed in my bridal veil. Do I, l wonder
What would l not give to see myself!
Elise was forgetting, as she longe,
to sec, how strict had been the old wo
mans warning. She stood on the edg,
of the water, with her face turned away
but her vanity kept saying to her
"Look once, for single moment, Ellis,
aud see :hysclf on thy bridal days" bu
she hesitated and longed, and wonder
ed if punishment would really follow
if she looked.
w cannot make any difference" sh,
thought, and she moved her head lit
tie way around-till she could just SCI
the shape of head reflected in the wa
ter, and it seemed quite strange to her
for she had not seen it in so long.
~ must, oh, must see the face m,
Carl loves" she said; and, forgettin!
the happiness she might lose in thi
offering to her vanity, she turned ant
looked at her reflection in the water
and she saw-what? the same plail
face she remembered long ago; tn
same, the very same; without one fea
} ture altered.
With scream of despair she totter
ed forward step too far, and befor
she could recover herself, she fell int
the water which had shown her tn
dreadful truth. The tide bore her OF
and never again was seen the miller
!, daughter-Carl's young bride. Alas
, for vanity.