Smyrna times., 1872-07-24
MiSceIIU 10 e D IL S .
Gretehen's Window.
A LOVE STORY.

1t was about ten clock in the evening when
the drinkers came out from the brewery OF 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 shutters. Good night, Orchel!"
" Good night Gretchen u " Sleep we'll ~
Then all was silent, and Theodore was alone
in the quiet street, the innumerabse stars over
his head, the gently moving trees at each side
all along he way, looking, listening aud dream
ing. What fugitive things the night reveals to
u. Listen to the vague murmur-the rustling
of the trees, the hirds that chirp 80 lOw-so low
that the cat, always on the watch, is scarcely
able to hear them. Theodore liked night he
took few steps, he stopped, turned around, lis
ten't. When he looked up to the ky the words
of Conrad, the weaver, came to his memory
Guard thy soul guard thy soul !" But when
he looked Oh The earth, when he breathcd the
sweet perfume Of the autumn, the breath of the
new hay, the faint 0dOr OF the dying leaves, then
he dreamed of Gretchen, the pretty Gretchen !;
So fresh, so heHutitu with lips so sweet and red.
! with great blue eyes SO merry aud clear, with
laughter so frank and childlike. How beauti-
| ful she seemed to him then, and how his
heart boundrd He could almost see her
move from table to table, pouring the beer into
the shining measures-her arlus lifted up, as
| y
braids Of her blonde hair almost touching the
bottom Of her pretty red dress; her teeth daz
zllng as crys II. Gretchen laughed with every
one except Monsieur Theodore. As soon as she
saw him enter the room she became grave ; but
at the same time her great blue eyes we're flied
with an expr ssiun So tender that the heart OF
,he poor fellow melted with love- He would
Ouse his breath and stammer uninteligible
words. Theodore dreamed Of ell these things.
He saw also ReebstOck, Gretchen father, with
his great gray peruke, aud his candid look,
full of henevOlence he saw the tavern, with it,
low, smoky beams; the clock, with its white
da the lamp suspended from the ceiling, gild
ing the brown faces of the wine dressers, 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
This fresh life-this lite of love- of sentiment
, ofpro>perity; the wine, the fruits, the perfume
D and u etchen; AL this life is on the earth u H
b trembled 10 thinking Of the poor girl. Sh
seemed so near to him that he counted every
1 thread in her dress, every stitch in her collar
E every liue in her rosy dimpled smile. Not
shadow escaped him. lie looked at the star
y and saw Gretchen; he listened to the breez
!, and heard the voice of Gretchen; he though
q of the world and Gretchen was there, Away
t there, listening to his thought, replying to il
e o love! love! who art thou Whence comes
d thou?
y. Theodore wandered thus in the luminou
d :. night behind the village, along the bushes
,e walking IN the little paths bOrdered with fences
a aud in the fields freshly moved looking at tn
re irregnlariy constructed little houses with the
to outside stairs their worm m-eaten ratings, the
,e farm yards, their great spreading roots, all bo
ed dered with dark, mysterious shadows AT IN
end of his long, winding way he found himse
again before the house OF ReebstOck. lie stel
to ped under Gretchen window, and looking
y the shutter, with The round hole in the top thi
of gave light TO the interior OF the little room,
he laid to himself, She is there. And thinkir
Il. that she was there, his gaze became so fxe'
s1 m so absorbed, that to see him you would ha'
I'd supposed he saw something strange, s0mrthlI
&c curious. He saw nothing. He thought, =" 81
les les is there !" :.
~ And from high up in heaven the moon VIII
~ pned his forehead, shone on his eyes, silver'
ed his light beard and streamed over his artist
n, costume, which was loose aud flowing, full
free and picturesque elegance. ln his left haT
he held his large gray hat, whose plume swe
the ground and wit his right he sent his To-
=" to Gretchen in kiss.
Of At the end of quarter Of an hour of tn
~ silent contemplation, he climbed over the lo
eld fence OF the garden, and entering the yard, sa
he at the right, through the open door OF the bre
IN cry. the large tub with its great brown h0of
nc seeming larger still in the halt hght at It's TO
'O' was carpenter bench, a short-hsndled hate
ihs h. et, which threw blue light in the shadow,
plane, the pincers--all the utensils OF coop
s6S ,e6 and farther off, behind all, the press on wh
=. the rays of the moon fell obliquely. He adva
,es ced slowly, breathing the odor Of the fermenti
oo hops and grapes Besides this not sound, n
Der a breath; from the little sky light in the ro
IL came a calm, sweet light. He sat down on
las barrel and said to himself, 'Ah, this is plea
ant plscel"
oosI He saw the srbor festooned with ivy the ]
nsd tie basin in the yard whence the hens ate, a.
iay ,,sI the door of the washroom on the left And
this, because Gretchen walked there oite