National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-28
IoHA1NA aRRna.

Tbs poet Goethe tells sad and beautiful ytorx
and it 3 the more sad and bssutiful bsosuss It Is
true. OF young girl, johanna ssbus, who, IN the
year lso9. when the sea broke down the dykes and
oyernoFed ner native village, proved herself
worthy of . great poets song. ES-ts .TSlE
Johanna, or Joanna, rs We would cali her. was
only seventeen years old, but no one In the village
bad the noble spirit and quiet courage Of thIs
strong, true hearted GIL. iss ~ -sssssls q
when ne vstsrs rose around the houses and
the waves came up 10 t1s very doorsteps. johanna
knew there was no longer safety, excepting on the
high grounds near the village But how. we're
they to reach those high grOpndsfP The water
The roaring End surginR or the waves and Flhd
vas heard In every direction, and the dyks vss
siSiang Wy, piece oy piece. before me ruEhing
nsod. Every moment NE dAngsr increased
yohannas mother, an aged woman, could not
force her way through those raxing waves. But
mother IN her arms ana Stepped poiSv tat ss ne
aood. The waves dashed against her, a5d shsJ
% ss.s ssr hrs
. sudden terror! Not NTH ibis moment dif theJ
know how. mach thsy depended On ne bfaSsi
ooz fos counsel q sp 10 sSis koas o. psi es s
asr ESsd q I've !. q *, hs
IND beneath hssso serrbis ~ 70 M.
turned to her nsIghesfs and eaifed 10 them 70 ny
% the mn elose b., whieE sas sss dry and would
she would return for theh 3 ss0li IS shs had
~ poor goat she cried, . lss heard her fAsSrite
iss1s bin at e her take him ysh ySu pos
Az soon Is she reached place of safety, 10
set aes mother ON she sihoGt
shr2scEn me eyer-deepenfnS Nstet. : Hsr old
aohi where are you goins7 The path d wsasised
~ IN ny YIN You go into that
"a
as she plunged into the water, BY this time mora
than knee-deep. - - - =
Tha dyke was now on the point Of giving away
foaming towards the village. 4, = - -
water. The waves dashed against her. aisno ~
knocking her over, and drenching her from head
70 foot Al last she reached the little hIII where
meuent the dyke gave si sSy mad ssIuss s sSsSsa
IN sweeping over eyerything before It, and around
the LITTLE hill seon boiled taEbalspt sea. rising
As the great waves ron over ths ground on
which they stand, elnsing IN terror TO each other,
keep their ioothoid. They are washed she'd sEsy and
disappear beneath the raging food. AS they sink,
one Of the children selves the goat by one horn
and arass him down Thus all but johanna are
Johanna stands aIope, still firm and strong,
put ~ ne waters are rising and rising around her
Who Is there now to save this noble girlf-She :
has many friends and many lovers but no ons on
them comes near her now. Nothing comes 10 her
put the salt, angry waves. Nowhere can she see
+ She casts one look up to heaven and then the
waters surge ercely against her, and she is gone.
Now nothing Is to be seen where the village
stood but a wad waste Of waters, with here and
there steeple or . tree rising above the food.
desolation the thought OF the brave and beautiful
girl who gave her lie for others throws q Deeper
gloom upon the mournful scene. s-------l..-. j.
And even when the waters subside and the land
reappears, no one who knew johanna can be glad.
They weep for her and cannot forget her.
This is y sad story Of noble girl. Only those
who have read ltas Goethe so tenderIy and dram
attcally tells 1t in his poem, johanna Sebus,n
can appreciate its true pethos and forco.-S;.
HichoIds Md9aziae. - -