Litchfield enquirer., 1874-12-31

rs xstssT93szL. rE STs~ SsTt 1-4 " through it sH, silently stood the three trustees on the dark porch in front of the storer looking down upon their wild flock, their sober faces visible in the glare of the torches aAd lanterns below. The entire population was present; even the babies were held up on the outskirts of the crowd, stolid and staring.
 Where can Wilhelmina be2'' I said again, a l
 sssHsre, undsr the window;sT saw her long ago. replied one of the women.
 Leaning against a piazza-pillar, close under my eyes, stood the little maiden, pale and still. Icould not disguise from myself that she looked almost ugly among those horid, laughing girls, fer her color was gone, and her eyes so fixed that they looked unnaturally large; her somewhat heavy Egyptian features stood out in the bright light, but her small form was lost among the group of broad, white ker- chiefed shoulders, adorned with breast knots of gay flowers. And had WiIheI- nina no flower? She, so fond of blos- soms? I looked again; yes. littls white rose, dropping and pale as herself.
 But where was Gustav? The soldiers came and went in the crowd, and all spoke to Nina; but where was the One? Icaught the landlords little son as he passed, and asked the question.
 "Gustav? Dat's him." he answered, pointing out tall, rollicking soldier who seemed to be embracing the whole popu- lation in his gleeful welcome That very soldier had passed Nina dozen times, hinging a gay greeting to her each time; but nothing more. @
 After half an hour of general rejoicing, the crowd dispersed, each household bear ing of in triumph the hero that fell to it's lot. Then the tiled domicils, where usu- ally all were asleep an hour after twilight, blazed forth with unaccustomed light from every little window, and within We could see the circles, with hagcns of beer and vari0ns dainties manufactured in secret during the day, sitting and talking to gether in manner which, for Zoar, was wild Fevel, since 1t was nearly eleven ociocki We were not. the only outside spectators of this unwonted gayety; sew eral times we met the three trustees steal ing along in the shadow from house to house, like anxious spectres in broad brimmed hats No doubt they said to each other, "How, how will this endr'
 The morry Gustav had gone of by Mi mas side, which gave me some comfort; but when in our rounds we came to the gardner's house and gazed through the open door, the little maiden sat apart, ,and the soldeir, In the centre of an admirlng circle. was telling stories of the war.
 Ifelt foreboding of sorrow as I gazed out through the little window before climbing np into my high bed. Lights still twinkled in some of the houses, but 8 white mist was rising from the river, and the drowsy, long drawn chant of the sum- msr night invited me to dreamless sleep.
 The next morning I could not resist questioning Jacobina. who also had her lover among the soldiers if all was we'll. E ''0h yes. They stay-all but two. We's married next mont. z-e
 And the two?" e#s-. .
 ssKarl and Gustav
 'And WhhelmimaP' I exclaimed.
 "Oh, she let him go. answered Jacob ina, bringing fresh coffee.
 "Poor child! How does she bear lt?" 9 "Oh, so. She cannot help. She say noding."
 s.Rat the trustees, will they allow these young men to leave the community"
 '.TheY cannot help" said Jacobina. H..Gastay and Karl write not in the book; they free to go. Wilhelmina marry Ja- cob; it's joost the same; all rSreight," ad- ded Jacobina, who prided hertelf on her English, caught from visitors at the Wir- thshaus table.
 'sAh! but it is not just the same," l thought as I went up to the garden to find my little maiden. She was not there; the leathery mother said she was out on the hills with the cows.
 ..''So Gustav is going to leave the com- munity,' I said in German.
 ''Yes. better so. He is an idle, wild boy. Now, Veelhelminy can marry the baker, a good steady man.
 "But Nina does not like him, I sug- gested.
 ''Das macht nichts, answered the leath. cry mother.
 Wllhelmlna was not in the pasture; sought for her everywhere, and called hel name. The poor child had hidden her. self, and whether she heard me or not, she did not respond. All day she kept her sell. aloof; almost feared she would never return; but in the late twilight little fig ure slipped through the garden gate and took refuge in the house before could speak, for I was watching for the child, apparently the only one. though n stran- ger, to care for her sorrow
 Can not see her?' said to the leath- cry mother, following to the door.
 ''Eh, no; she's foolish: she will not speak word; she has gone off to bed, y was the answer
 For three days l did not see Nina, so early did she flee away to the hills, and SO late return. followed her to the pasture once or twice, but she would not show herself, and could not discover her hid ing-place. The fourth doy learned that Guatav and Kari were to leave the village in the afternoon, probably forever. The other soldiers had signed the articles pre- = ssnted by the anxious trustees, and set tied down into the old routine, going afield with the rest, although still heroes of the hour; they were all to be married in August. No doubt the hardships of their campaigns among the Tennessee mountains had taught them that the rich valley was a home not to be despised; nevertheless it was evident that the flow CTS of Che flock were those who were about departing, and that in Gustav and Karl the community lost It's brightest spirits. Evident to us; but, possibly, the commit nifty cared not for bright spirits.
 made several attempts to speak to Gustav; this morning at last succeeded. I found him polishing his bugle on the garden bench.
 ''Why are you going away, Gnstav?" asked. ''Zoar is 8 pleasant little viii lage."
 ''Too slow for me, miss"
 "The life is easy. however; you will find the world hard place.
 ''I don't mind work, ma'am, but do like to be free. feel all cramped up here, with these rules and bells; and, be- sides, I couldn't stand these trustees; they never let q fellow alone"
 ''And Wilhelmina? If you do go, hope you will take her with you, or come for her when you have found work"
 ''Oh, no, mss. All that was long ago. It's all over now.'
 ''But you like her, Gustav?"
 q ''Oh, so. She's good little thing. but too quiet for me-
 ''But she likes you" said desperately for saw no other way to loosen this Cor dian knot. -........