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

at in the withered old face above her.
1t was noisy place where they
stood, with strange sounds all about
them. News boys were shouting
"Chicago Tribune'' "Chicago Timesw
--latest accounts of the war! Great
Prus-ian Victory! So many killed, 80
many wounded" etc.
Then she could learn even here, of
Louis, she thoup ht jcyfully, when old
ROmmel had translated what they
We're saying. If Louis fell she would
know it-for had she not stitched his
name with her own hands, upon the
inside of his coat?
This pleasant thought lent q soft
bloom to her cheek, which old Nicol,
noticing, set down at once as due to
the favorable impression made upon
the girl by his friend ROmmel.
She was shown the old mans wealth,
and he silly pinched her cheek, de-
claring it to be all her own, when she
became his little wife-the fairesI little
wife, he said, in all the Western world.
So the Fall went by and the long
Winter, and the Summer came again,
and the news came, too, of NapoleOn's
surrender, and the ending of the war.
Then all over the Old World, and the
New, too, there were great rejoicing,
for peace was once more declared
among the nations.
: And in this great Western city a
great cavalcade paraded the streets,
and Germany took possession of the
town. Then people said one to another,
laughing, that the "Dutch had taken
Chicago, as well as Holland"
From the topmOst pinnacle of the
City Hail waved black and yellow
flag. A man-Of- war came steaming
up Chicago river, towed in by q noisy
tug, while the veteran tars, seeing the
foreign flag waving above the cherished
Stars and Stripes, gave twenty minutes
time i'm which to lower the black and
yellow flag, and run up higher the
American ensign.
So when the flag had changed places,
all went well; but Gretchen's heart
was sad, for il was so like that other
day, in that foreign Prussian town,
when Louis went marching away to
the war.
The bands went by, and the airs
they played were SO familiar, aud the
soldiers, with their heavy tread, that
little Gretchen found herself looking
eagerly at the standard bearer, almost
expecting to see her own dear Louis's
face
Still they came on, playing "The
Battle on the Rhine" and the streets
were full of noisy cheers. And there
was the same old regular tread, as OF
thousands of feet moving together.
Suddenly Gretchen held out her
little hands and cried, in pretty Ger
man words:
"Louis! Louis! Have you forgotten
your Gretchen?'
But the people shouted noisiIy,. even
as they had dOnk i'm, that quiet old
German town; and the white faced
soldier, with the Prussian flag held
above his head with one arm, kept his
face turned resolutely to the front.
The girl shrank back, and held hel
hands to her face, to hide the great
tears which were rolling down bel
white cheeks. Old NicOl laid his hant
upon her, saying:
"What is it, Gretchen, girl?"
"I,ouis, foolish child, is lying IN
ront of Paris; aud il not the re, why
| lnSu, SiTl, L IchCh oaJ oASe Ai"' V
done its work."
"No-no, Louis is standard beare
among the Bismarck soldiers" ant
Gretchen pointed with her white fin
ger. to the men sweeping past.
Then old Nicol grew alarmed, ant
thought of ROmmel and his marbl'
palace, and his gold; and the lon.
years of his waiting, and he vowe,
unto himself that very soon Gretchen
must be Rommel's wife. And tn
two old men talked it over, sitting in
great counting room, piled high witt
enormous ledgers. And old NicOl sol
his beautiful Gretchen for gold.
But months went by, and Gretchen
by praying and begging, and weeping
s.ilf put off the day of sacrifice.
awe won't wait longer, Gretchen,
said old NicOl, sternly. give day
from tomorrow youmust be ROmmel
wife-five days from tomorrow, d
YOU hear? That will come on a SUI
day. That will be, let me see, ye'
that will be on the ninth of October.
So the five days went by, and tn
day coming seemed to the girl l'k
the Ides of March seemed to the Ol
J Roman Senator's wife. And she shut
dered. aud felt strangely, and tried
lengthen out the time. Aud there wa
I no happy singing in all of the gloom
! marble house-nO blushing as the
!. fitted the satin folds to her little form
for the dress they were making seeme
!, to her q shroud, and the veil pail.
The night of the ninth came, al
!, up in sTurner Hail. the band WI
$ piaying, and it was the same air still
q 1.-the Battle on the Rhine" III
J, music came through the open WI
o dow, and floated out into the street
and came to Gretchen, sitting WI,
q her hand upon her head, with q
y white satin lying in cleaning foit
u and the orange blossoms twined
&C her sunny hair. The familiar
e carried her back to her old Germ:
home aud Louis.
n Old Nicol and Rommel had gone
= the hall, and little Gretchen was wa
/ ing and watching the time, listenil
N sadly as the city bell tOlled out
- hour; for she knew when it count
off eleven strokes, that the two wou
u come in again, bringing strange fac
"a So she sat and prayed, with VIII
~ hands clasped and eyes raised despa
II ingly to Heaven, that something mig
Y happen to avert her fate!
/; Suddenly a loud stroke of the be
,e An alarm of fire! She counted-ont
u. two-and then the band playing
rs the hall clashed out its loudest not
De and the sound of the striking of
10 bell was lost. But she saw the m
flames leap up, dancing against
tx western sky. Still the band play
I'd on, and lovers walked by her windO
Id And in the German hall she KIN
Id how they were all sitting groupl
he about little tables, and she fancied {
lie Nicols and Rommel's heads close
ed gether, good naturedly talking of tn
gold and drinking their beer.
to "a fire on West Side!" said one.
ne And engine after engine, with
nd stream of fire flying behind the
IN dashed along the street, so Gretcl
Id watched and waited. Old NicOl
he Rommel and their noisy friends ca
. from the hall, and they brought
of down to the parlOr. All were waiti
d. for Rommel had the license, and Nj
,ol was happy aud willing.
ID, But the fire streamed up against
ST. western sky, had grown fearfu
vivid, and mems faces were white,
re, they looked one to the other. s
a denly some ore in the street gave
I'D cry.
ct ats crossing the river"
full "Crossing the river, do they sa,
ad shouted old Rommel. "NicOl, Nj
pe n II crosses tho river I am undODe =