National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-12-08
tFrom the whitestone Il. T. Herald
GRETCHEN.

UhLI HEN.
Trsn.stod rom the French Of Erokmann- C chatrienA
II wa. about ten o'clock in the evening
when the dr'nker. came out from the
brewery of 4" The Swan" Theodore with
the Others walked down the silent village
Windows were being shut in the distance,
and the voices Of the women could be heard
in the night air as they closed their shut
ters. Good night, Orchel!" Good night,
Gredc Sleep well "
Then all was silent, and Theodore was
alone IN the quiet street; the innumerable
stars over his head, the gently moving
trees a each side all along the way-look-
ing, listening, and dreaming. What fugi-
tive things the night reveals 20 US Listen
to the vague murmur-the rustling of the
trees, the birds that chirp so low-so low
that tbe cat always ON the watch is scarcely
able t. hear them. Theodore liked the
night; he took few steps, stopped, turned
around listened. When he looked up to
the SKI the words Of Conrad, the weaver,
came e. his memory; guard thy soul
guard thy soul " But when he looked on
the en- b, when he breathed the sweet
Perfume Of the sutumn-the breath of the
new hay, the faint odor Of the dying leaves
then he dreamed Of Gretchen, TIE pretty
Gretchen so fresh. so beautiful with lips
SO sweet and red, with great blue eyes so
merry and clear, with laughter so frank
and childike. How beautiful she seemed
to him then, and how his heart bounded
He could almost see her move from table
to table, pouring the beer into the shining
measuryS-hcr arms lifted up, as white as
IVORY, her form slightly bent; the two
braids Of her blond hair almost touching
the bottom of her pretty red dress her
teeth dazzling as crystal. Gretchen laughed
with every body except Monsieur Theodore
As soon as she saw him enter the room
she became grave; but at the same tine
her great blue eyes were filled with an
expression so tender that the heart Of the
poor fellow melted with love- He would
lose his breath and stammer uninteligable
words. Theodore dreamed Of all these
things. He saw also old Reebstock,
Gretch,n's father, with his great grey
peruke, and his candid look, full of be
nevolence; he saw the tavern, with its
low, smoky beams the clock. with its
white dial the lamp suspended from the
wine e-drcssels. who had their caps pulled
over their eyes, and little tin cups in their
hard, rough hands.
Life Is in the world, not in the sky"
he said. "'rhis fresh lite-this life OF love, /
OF sentiment, OF prosperity; the wine the
fruits, the perfumes and Gretchen all this |
life is on the earth ~ He trembled in
thinking of the young girl. She seemed
so near TO him that he counted every thread
IN her dress, every stitch in her collar |
every line OF her rosy dimpled smile, Not /.
shadow escaped INN. He looked at the .
stars and saw Gretchen: he listened to (
the Lreeze and heard the voice of Gretchen; /
he thought of the world, and Gretchen |
was there, always there, listening to his .
thought, replying 10 1t. o love! love
What art thou Whence contest thou
Theodore wandered thus in the luminous |
night behind the village, along the bushes, |
walking in the little paths bordered with .
fences, and in the fields freshly moved +;
looking at the lrregularly constructed little
houses, with Their outside stains, ther
worm eaten railings, their farm-yards,
their great spreading roefs, all bordered
with dark, mysterious shadows At the
end o. his long, winding way, be found
himself again before tho house Of Reeb
stock He stepped under Gretcben's win
dow, and locking at the shutter, with the
round hole in the top that gave light to
the interior of the little room, he said to
himself, "she is there And thinking
that she was there, his gaze .ecamc SO
fixed so absorbed, that to see him YOU
would have supposed be saw something
strange, something curious. But he saw
nothing. He thought, she is there !"
And from high up in heaven the moon
whtened his forehead, shone on his eyes,
silvered ms light beard, and streamed over
his artistic costume, which was loose and
flowing. full of free and pctuI esquc ele-
gance. In his left hand he held his large
grey hat whose plume swept the ground,
and, with his right he sent his love to
Gretchen in kiss.
At the end OF quarter Of an hour oil
that silent contemplation, he climbed over
the low fence of the garden, and entering Z
the yard, saw at the right, through the
open door of the brewery, the large tub
with its great brown hoops, seeming larger
still in the halt light; at its foot was
carpenters bench short handled Ratchet
which threw a blue light in the shadow,
plane, the pincers-all the utensils OF
cooper-and farther off. behind all, the
press. on which the rays OF the moon fell
obliquely. He advanced slowly breathing
The odor Of the fermenting hops and grapes
Beside this, not sound. not breath;
from the little skylight IN the roof came a
calm, sweet light. lie sat down on a
barrel and said to himself "Ah, this is
pleasant placem
lie saw the arbor festooned with ivy,
The little basins in the yard where the
hens ate. and the door of the washroom on
the left. And all this, because Gretchen
walked there often, seemed to him to have
strong significance, an inexpreseible