Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-10-16

ence, deaf Of his half uttered declaras
tions of love, and at last told him plain
ly that the gay, Iight-hearted Franz
Mieris pleased her a thousand times
more than his quiet, melancholy doubt
A wonderful instrument is a woman :
| heart. The most practiced hand otter
fails to elicit harmonious accords from
its delicate strings, while sometimes
beneath unskilled fingers, sound fortE
the sweetest melodies. So the heart O.
the fair Anna, impervious to the ardent
eyes of Franz Mieris, melted before the
gentle glances of the young sculptor
Jacob Heers, who, having just return
ed from Rome, was q frequent visitor
at Garhard Dow's studio. The music
al entertainments now received anew
impetus, for Heers could strike the
lutte with a master-hand. Sometimes
the returned prodigal discoursed with
eloquent enthusiasm upon the wonder
land of divine statues, ana a sky per
ennially blue. How they all listened
Even impatient Franz, but most of al
the lovely Anna. Her eyes rested with
an expression of devout admiration
upon the dark, earnest face of the
speaker, falling only when his soft
glance met her own, which happened
oftener and oftener, The rose glowed
deeper on the maiden's cheek, hel
breath grew quicker, and her smile
more radiant, and thus the "blue flow
err of a first happy love unfolded in
Gerhard Dow's studio.
Frau Katherine was soon the conf
dant of the girls over-full heart, and,
after the manner OF women, she con-
stituted herself the guardian of the
lovers. 1t was she who arranged fol
Anna seat beside herself in the twi
light at the parlor window which looked
out upon the street, where Jacob Heers
was sure to pass, bow a respectable
greeting, and then step a little nearer
Then the housewife would suddenly
remember some important matters de
manding her immediate presence.
There seemed always to be kettle
boiling over in the kitchen, and there
were no such iunketing cats in all Ley
den as in Gerhard Dow's house.
Meanwhile the young people were
left alone. Their conversation was
carried on very softly. the little blonde
head peering so shyly from behind the
yellow violets and rosemary. Some
tunes a mans hand, strong and shape
~, stole IN, and rested upon the win
dow sill-perhaps to set the fower-pots
right--no wearisOme labor, surely
yet the rosy, girlish fingers FASTENED to
aid that hand, and so they were held
suddenly in warm, sweet imprison-
ment, until Frau Katherine came back,
and the dungeon opened itself But
the lovers were not seldom startled in
a more ungentle fashion. A rain OF
coarser garden vegetables would fall
among the flowers, accompanied by a
shr1ll whistle, or sneerlng laugh.
Whence came the these insults
Gerhard Dow, whose eyes were wont
to observe so closely every ineament
of the human face, seems strangely
blind to the plain declaration of the
two happy faces, but Franz Mieris' S
dark blue eyes were all the keener, and
his heart was torn with angry jealousy.
Perhaps he had made love to the
charming Anna more as pleasant
pastime than IN sacred earnest,yet none
the less had his manly vanity received
a painful stab. Such wounds are al.
ways hard to heal. Was not Jacob
Heers a head shorter than he2 What
comparison between that slender
form and his own perfect proportions ?
Did not all the beauties of Leyden de-
clare his black eyes unsurpassed 2
Had even any one, except Anna Smy-
theirs of Ghent, withstood his eloquent
lips and fearless glances? And yet
I, r f111
Had he possessed the arm of giant,
how gladly would he have flung Jacob
Heers back to that Rome whence he
came Anna no longer appeared with
her accustomed regularity in the
studio. Awoman in love seems in that
blessed time to forget for one thing all
the most earnest pursuits of her life.
Dow's pupil now often neglected her
easel to sit for hours in her own little
room, watching the path of the clouds,
and wondering much how her father
would receive the young sculptor, when
he should one day go to Ghent, to say
to him, 81 ask your daughter for my
wife. "
The master, excited by Franz Mieris'
testing questions, began to wonder
aloud at the negligence of his once so
diligent pupil. It was we'll that Frau
Katherine knew SO well how to pacifY
her husband, and coax him to let the
child alone. At evening they were
always together as usual, and Anna s
face was so radiantly happy, and her
voice sounded so sweetly to the ac-
compartment of Jacob Heer's lutte,
that the master always forgot his little
resentment.
So days and weeks passed away.
But suddenly, one day, Pere Smythers
appeared in the studio, and III curt,
decided terms, demanded the return of
his daughter, for whom he had found
an acceptable sultor. He also limited
at secret information, from some one,
that Anna was learning nothing of i'm
portance, and eyincing no zeal in her
work.
But, alas, how pale grew the face of
the beautiful girl She could mot even
give her father suitable greeting.
Trembling and confused, she stood be-
fore him, and he saw with violent dis
pleasure the tears bursting from her.
eyes. Tears were a poor accompani-
ment, indeed, to the obedience due from
a child to parent.
Anna felt the gaze of Lucas Smart
rlveted on her face, while she explained
that sheswas willing to return with her
father, and remain the faithful, obedi-
ent, daughter, but in reference to her
future husband she begged that the
decision might be delayed a few years.
Frau Katherine meanwhile encouraged
her by signs.
The old man received this request in
great anger, and cursed at once Ger
hard Dow's studio, and his own folly
III ever having sent his daughter there.
" Now she is good for nothing in the
world he cried, striking the table,
and setting free great cloud of dust,
to the distraction of the master; for
what IS girl good for but to be mar
rled2 She has learned no more than a
Thousand others, and now I shall be
poor all my life, and she with me!n
Anna drew herself up, and cried.
with glowing cheeks and flashing eyes !:
" Wait little, father, before YOU
- > ~.