The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-09-06
GRETCHEN'S LOVER.


The blue eyes of Gretchen were red
with weeping. The brown hair Law
in disordered curls above the white
face, around the mouth a grieved look
nestled, and the tidy childish hands
clasped each other.
Over in the quaint old Prussian
town, flags were flowing, drums beat
ing and voices shouting. And all the
sound Gretchen heard, standing by an
open window, with q little German
canary warblirg above her head.
A heevy trampIng came over the
paved streets, like the sound of the
lioofs of thousand horses striking
down together. The gay cavalcade
ca me on, and Gretchen locked shud-
{ eringly. How could she cheer and
iaugh, when she knew that Louis was
marching away to the wars-a con-
scrint soldier.
Upon all the balconies, and upon
the tops of houses, aud in all the
windows. and standing thick upon the
pavements, were fair German women;
End from their patriotic lips cheers
were heard for King William and
Bismarck, and groans for Napoleon.
Upon each loyal breast was fastened
a knot of black and yellow ribbon.
The soldiers marching by with their
heavy tramp, were Bismarck's soldiers,
and they marched to a brave national
air.
Ten regiments of stalwart men-ten
thousand fathers, husbands, or lovers.
And when the brave "Twenty-first''
went by, Gretchen shook the tears
from her eyes, and saw dimIy the
standard bearer, with his face shaded
by his soldier cap, and his firm step
and bearing proud.
"Louis-LOuisv she cried, and held
out her white hands; but all the
people shouted, for Bismarck came
gallOPing along the line, riding over a
carpet of flowers that had been strewn
thickly over the streets.
And so the German regiments went
marching away, to that spirited Ger
man air; and we have heard how they
met in deadly conflict other regiments,
that were marching to other tunes
whose favOrite was "La Marseillaise.' "
The soldiers were gone, and the
glory of the town was departed. The
soldiers We're gone and with them
had gone Gretchen's lover. Gretchen
bowed her head in mute despair, feel
ing quite sure that her heart was
broken. Then old Nicol, Gretchen's
father, laid his hand on the girls hair
and strOking it softly, said:
cart wild, Gretchen girl, to mourn
thee so for a common soldier? Come
come, girl, / have news for thee. From
over the water words of cheer have
come. am to take you on to Rom
mel"
"No, no, father. No! 1 must wal
until Louis comes home from thu
war"
"He'l never come, gill. ThOs,
French fight like devils. l tell you so
who should know; for have STOOD
facing their bayonets, ard carry th'
mark of their steel. To be sure tn,
first Napoleon was better general
but L fancy France has as good soldier
now as then; anyhow, l have respec
for their bravery. SO you need no
look for Louis back. l couldn't Civ,
you to him, girl, and ROmmel waitin,
all these years for yOu-even from tn
time you were babe in your cradle.
81 don't love him, father. 1 dom
love him. 1 love only Louis, oh. s.
well! love my own brave Louis!"
Nonsense, girl, nonsense. You
head is turned with the trash yo
have been reading. Pity that yO
| must take to such idle ways. You
mother was quite contented to sit a
her work, never dreaming of such
fellow IA Goethe, with his Faust an,
the devil, and his seductive sorrow G
young Werther."
| "POor young Werther, and tn
beautiful Charlotte"
| "POor fiddlestick and an idl'
worthless fellow, who imagined hin
Come Gretchen, give over your dream
ing. In week, tell you, we sail fc
America. Rommel has waited Ion
and waited well. He has been a
honOred steward too. The hundreds
have trusted him with, have multiple
themselves into thousands-into mi
lions. Oh, it's beautiful rule-con
pound interest. And do you know
girl, that away i'm the Western worl
in great Western city, Rommel h;
houses and lands, and gold? I'll
houses are not huts, with thatcht
roofs of straw, that q spark migl
change to smoke; 6ut stately palace
built of iron and stone. Palaces bui
I | to endure for centuries, like the graz
old Coliseum, or st. Peters at Rom
And he has one built to eclipse all Il
rest. 1t rises in stately grandeur, fa
ing beautiful lake. 1t is a palace
\ for a queen, Time cannot change
and centuries hence it will bear
present name-carved in the sol
stone" Gretchen's Home" o
Gretchen, / have loved you too well
permit you to mate with one beDea
, you. There you are a queen-here
: simple peasant. In that far WeSte
city, your old father will see y
among the best. And / know-and
lifted the sweet face up-"that no
in that new world are fairer. You
member, child, when you sang in I
choir, that the Queen kissed you
admiration of your beauty. SO, Or
\ | chen, forget this boy soldier, and thi
} only of the fine home awaiting you
that Western world
Gretchen laid her head down 6,
bing, and cared not for Rommel a
his wealth, or the grandeur of the gr'
Western city, but thought only of
soldier boy, who had gone march,
' away to the tune of fife and druI
with his heavy heart unhappy that
n had been forced to lesve her behi'
And she kissed the sunny lock OF
hair, and vowed to herself never TO
wed to this old Rommel, but always
= be true to Louis
:. But as old Nicol had said, in
weeks the ship sailed, and in her sal
Gretchen, old Nicol and his gold. A
70 she looked off towards the dear
70 fatherland-a away towards
country from which had come terri
u tidings of fierce fighting-of wretcl
men dead and dying.
In six weeks time they had come
10 a great city of the New World. ]
streets were full of strange people, I
old NicOl and pt'or little Gietcl
were jostled about rudely. The
man fumed and grew very red in
face, and brought down his can
e, which had for handle a bone head
., King Willianl--heavily to the grou
~ 1t was fully two days before old N
could make himself so far understo
as to get under way for the great w
ern city.
- When they came around the la
and saw the sand hills, and caugt
glimpse of the blue waters, then
Nicol shouted for joy; but little g
}, chen covered down in terror, fea
of the terrible old ROmmel, who