The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1874-04-16
THg BARoN's STORY.

Tue ehItul Auu ~" SVWN'SS y
flesh, chiefly BY those who have been born
on All.Hollov Zen. Perhaps 10 this con-
nsction | may interest some Of my readers
BY telling them a story;
Some few years ago | was travelling in
Europe, and at Venice | fell in with an
English family, with some Of whose mem
bers I was intimately acquainted In their
society | met a Hungarian gentleman, who
was at thattime serving 10 90 Austrian
cavalry regiment It was before Venice
was restored to Italy, but need scarcely
say that the cavalry regiment was not quar-
tered there. The Hungarian officer was
travelling on leave, and will call him the
Baron. Our common acquaintancGS we're
summoned back home suddenly, and The
Baron and myself, having found tia! wo
had many notions 10 common, fingered in
the City Of tho Sea, very much enjoying
our existence. lie wasan extremely pleas
ant and welI.educated man, bad seen q
good deal Of the world, was very fond OF
sport, and having never been in Venice
before, We ibid" everything together -
lie never talked much about himself TIL
the last evening that we diued together
was going the next day to MiIan' aud
be was summoned 10 Peslh. | had been
asking him for information about the Aus
train army and Vieuucsc society, and
then | learned that in bis youth he had to-
put up with great deal Of the harder side
ofIfe, and houg b q member Of one Of the
oldest Hungarian families, be bad been
at ono time in q state something very like
poverty. He had chosen the only pFote''
sion that ho thought, as a gentleman, he
could take up, aud That was, of course tho
tho army. Ho entered the Austrian ranks
as common soldier, and looked TO moth
ing but bis education and courage to lead
him to higher gradges. l0terest, he told
me, be had positively none After having
served for about three years, fur'ough
Of six weeks was granted to him. His
title be entirely dropped, as he saw no
chance OF properly supporting the rank
which was hisby right How be rogained
it had better be told in his own words:
"Wheu my furlough was granted to
me, hardly knew how to employ it All
my tastes and iucIipations babe me go to
Vienna, but mypurso warned me that |
nastFestrHn my.wishss Then | was FAX
en- with a strong desire to visit my one
remaining possession, and this was an al
most ruined chateau 10 Hungary All the
broad lands that had belonged to the Iaml'
" had, acre by acre, been sold, ahd there
was nothing remaining but the chateau and
+, the small forest in the midst of which
it stood The still habitable rooms were
cared for by the ancient garNe de chase
and bis wife, and at intervals | had had
communications from them, and received
small sums for the timber which was Occa-
sionally fclIed, and rent for tho sporting
rights which were taken by nomadic In
glishmeu. Homeward, tdeu, wandered
It was winter tue mouth Of February.
aud tho snow was lying thick upon the
ground. | had sent no message forward,
and arrived at the inn oftho neighboriug
village. unexpected, and indeed, unknown.
l did not care to tell my host my real
name, for it seemed so hnmilating; three
generations ago, aud the chiefs of our fam
ily had been the feudal lords of all the I'D.
jaCeut territory. The inn was about tTo
miles from the chateau.
at was 90 tho afternoon Of the l4th Of
February that left the inn an1 plunged
through the snow towards my deserted
home. bad told the inn keeper Of my
intention, and be eudcavored to dissuade
me from it. There was nothing to sec, be
urged, aud I might be lost 10 the snow;
besides, this was St. Valentines Day, and
ghosts we're abroad as soon as the sun was
down. Nothing dauptod, Isarted on my
expedition -........,.o.......
"Ten years had passed since | had
troddeu these paths, but I bad confidence
in my memory, and as the afternoon was
clear and bright I had 10 difficulty in
finding my way at frst along the great
glade through the forest, which | remem'
bered well. But by.aud.by The glade