New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-27

I said. sitter few minutes. u will see to
Nina"
But Gustav fingered. Perhaps he
was really troubled to see the little sweet
heat of his boyhood in such desolate plight;
perhaps touch of the old feeling came
back; and perhaps, also, it was nothing of
the kind, and. as usual. my romantic imag-
instion was carrying me away. At any
rate, whatever it was. he stopped over the
fainting girl.
"She looks bad" he said, Every bad.
~ish-but she'll get well and marry the
baker. Good by, Nina" And bending his
tall form, he kissed her colorless cheek, and
then FASTENED away to join the impatient
Kari: curve in the road soon hid them
from view.
Wilhelmina had stirred at his touch, after
a moment her large eyes opened slowly;
she looked around as if dazed, but all at
once memory came bach and she started
tav" drew her head down on my Shout.
dertO stiie the sound; it was better the
soldier should not hear it, and ats anguish
thrilled my heart also. She had not the
strength to resist me, and in . few minutes
/ knew the young men were ont Of hearing
as they strobe on toward the station, and
out into the wide world.
The forest was solitary, we were bey ond
the village; all the afternoon sat un0er
the trees with the stricken girl. Again, as
in her Joy. her words were few; again, as in
her Joy, her whole being was involved. Her
little rough hands were cold. film had
gathered over her eyes; she did not weep,
but moaned to herself, and all her senses
seemed blunted. At nightfan took her
home, and the leathery mother received her
with frOwn; but the child was beyond
caring, and crept away, dumbly. 20 her
room.
The next morning she was off to the hills
again, nor could ind her for several days.
Evidently, in spite of my sympathy, l was
no more to her than l should have been to
wild, shy creature OF the. woods and the
deep loving woman of the tropics: in either
case could be but small comfort.
When at last l did see her, she was
apathetic and dull; her feelings, her
senses and her intelligence seemed to
have gone within, as if preying upon her
heart She scarcely listened to my pro-
posal to take her with me; for, in my pity,
l had suggested liz spite of its difficulties.
NO." she said mechanically; "l's better
here;" and fell into silence again.
A month later friend went down 70
spend few days in the valley, and upon
of the whilom soldiers. ut was really a
pretty sight," she said, '.the quaint peasant
dresses and the flowers. Afterward, the
band went around the village playing
their odd tunes, and all had holiday.
There were two civilians married also;
mean two young men who had not been
to the war. It seems that tive of the
soldiers turned their backs upon the COM
munity and their allotted brides, and
away; but the Zoar maidens
are not romantic, ! fancy, tor these two
all in the short space Of four
''Has not one Wilhelmina. the sa1deness
daughter, short, dark girl9'
"Yes"
.AAd she married Jacob. the hskes!'
yes"
.
The next year, weary Of thy cold lake
winds, We left the icy shore and went down
% the valley to meet the coming spring,
hiding her already there. decked with
zines and flowers. a new waitress brought
Is our coffee.
"How is WIlhelmina!' I asked.
"Eh-Wilhelmina! Oh, she 10 not here
low; she 10 gone to the next country"
the girl in . matter-of-fact way
She die last October. and Jacob he hat
lnOder wife now
In the late afternoon asked little girl
o show me Wilhelmina's grave in the quiet I
iod's acre on the hill. Innovation was
Keeping in, even here; the later graves had
mounds raised over them, and one had a !
little headboard, with an inscription in ink. |
Wllhelmina lay apart, and some one,
probably the old gardener. who had |
owed the little maiden in his silent wav.
lad planted a rose bush at the head of /
he mound. dismissed my guide and |
at there alone in the sunset, thinking of |
aany things, but chiefly of this: "Why |
hould this great wealth of love have been
flowed to waste itself! Why is it that the
reatest power, unquesti0nably, of this NOR
al life should SO often seem useless gitt!
No answer came from the sunset clouds,
nd as twilight sank down on the earth |
Dse to 90. II fully believe l said, as
hough repeating a creed, ''that this poor,
wing heart, whose earthly body lies under
nis mound, is happy now in its own loving
'ay. 1t has not been changed, butt the
appiness it longed for has come. How, we
now not; but the God who made Wilhel.
lima understands her. He has given unto
er not rest, not peace. but an active, living
~"
walked away through the wild meadow,
nder whose turf, unmarked by stone or
ound, lay the first pioneers of the commu-
ty, and out into the forest road, untrav-
ed save when the dead passed over it to
leir last earthly home. The evening was
ill and breathless, and the shadows Law |
nick on the grass as looked back But /
'uld still distinguish the little mound with
le rOsebush at its head. and, not without
ars, said, Farewell, poor Wilhelmina;
rewell. "-ANantic Monthly.