Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-12-24


When | examined the underground
portions Of the Neues Schloss nt Baden
Baden, / found the relics remaining
there endued with a ferocious realism
that took away my confidence.
Sylvester Berkeley in evening dress
for he had some people to meet at din
ner-myself in my garden-cap, and a
guide with torch, committed ourselves
TO the exploration. We had hurredly
got over the examination OF the palace
| for the sake of these famous sub-con-
structions. 'Tis there, they say, IN the
Middle Ages sat the terrible Vigilance
| Committee called Vehmic, formerly the
terror Of Europe, and more recently the
cause Of many a melodrama and opera.
We descended innumerable steps,
formed OF slabs of rock scarcely con-
nected together, and worn by the steps
Of ages. Tottering or sliding under our
feet, they threatened death for the least
false balance. Relieved of this peril,
we passed through ten vaults, each more
sepulchral than the other.
A door, made of a single stone, pre-
sented itself. After long efforts the stiff
portal opened-not by means OF a key,
but Of powerful levers which we our
selves helped 10 move.
We were in the grand chamber of the
Secret Tribunal. The form Of the seats
from which the judges spoke was still
visible on some Of the stones that rose
out of the ground. After a silent ex-
animation, followed by procession
| through numerous corridors, we were
suddenly ushered into a large hall, more
forbidding than all the rest. Bolts Of
iron, chains and rusty clamps adorned
the blackeued and Shiny walls, This is
the inquisition chamber" said the guide
solemnly, moving his torch along the
stones still spotted with blood; " here the
victims, placed on the rack, were tor
tured with the pincers, their foreheads
compressed by a constantly narrowing
band of iron, and their feet set on a
furnace"
fairly choked in such an atmos-
phere, and at the presence OF these vlsi-
bic, palpable irons rusted with blood a
cold perspiration stood out on my fore
head. l looked at Sylvester Smiling,
white cravated he was kissing the POM
mel of his cane.
"You are good satlred" he said, to
devote so much valuable emotion to
such q small affair"
A small affair."" repeated l. pointing
to the tortures.
"In former times" he answered with
the most perfect aelf-possession, when
enemies invaded the country, these big
cellars were used to fold the sheep and
oxen, as well as those less valuable
beasts of burden, the women. You see
the chains and fastenings for the COWS.
Up to this point, dear Mr.. Flemming, l
have not contradicted your errors-you
seemed to feel a need for Vehmic Coun-
Gil and INDUCED you-but now that 1t
has brought out the perspiration over
your temples and nose, thus including
you among the tortured, | suppress 1t.
| No Vehmic Council ever sat here.
Even painful feelings are sometimes
not without their sweetness. felt like
| keeping NINE / observed that the mag
nitude of these terrible halls witnessed
that they were constructed for some aW'
ful purpose. The guide, furnished only
with the name and definition of each
room, declined to take part in the dis
cussion. After having made us pass
over a little bridge, whose gaping planks
allowed damp, tomblike air to ascend
to our nostrils, he turned suddenly.
The oubliettes he said in his hollow
est tones.
l took a stone and let it fall through a
crack in the boards; it was ten seconds
arriving at the bottom.
/ crossed my arms and looked firmly
at Sylvester. Well" | said.
A WE'LL certainly" he answered.
! was put out at having the word thus
taken from my mouth to my disadvan-
tage. | asked the guide if he knew no
story of the dark old times, with the
name of some illustrious victim plunged
into the oubliette.
He confessed to knowing, of his own
memory, that formerly, long while
ago, when he was quite young, little
dog that had stolen in at the heels OF its
master had disappeared between the
planks of the bridge. The animal :
name was Love. The owner was an I'm
glishman, and therefore very rich. He
offered enormous bribes for the body of
| his dog, living or dead. With the dog,
which was got out alive, but sneezlng,
they brought up kind of dust, half
white and half red, which evidently
proceeded from human bones and
weapons reduced to rust.
| did not consider that the adventure
OF the aforesaid Love was tabulable IN a
class Of historical events sufficiently
grave to allow me to make weapon OF
| il against Sylvester.
The more | studied the character OF
the latter, the more 1t puzzled me. With
his correctness, his measured phrases,
his politeness, he united strange OBJ
stinacy, and an obvious exaggeration.
As we emerged from the dungeons OF the
Neues Sohloss, our discussion still pro-
ceeding, he combated my views with a
vivacity and personal strenuousness that
surprised me. Here evidently was no
man, like Fleming, content to hold his
dearest opinions by a thread OF fable or
sentiment. But the trait was hardly
noticed ere it was handsomely apollo
gized for. Berkley, his own acouser,
complained of temper the reverse OF
diplomatic My poor uncle was just
So" be observed, aud has been known
TO dance on his chinaware ike der
wish. he tried cold tubs, and am try
| ing whey. Every one, as Socrates OBJ
serves. should know himself"
In the neighborhood Of Hammerry
Park, Pennsylvania, eleven black bears
have made their appearance IN three