The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-09-30
THE STORY OF LISA.

mans, tne musician, went TO the r1c
lburgomaster's house. "Herr burgomas
ter, love thy daughter Lisa, and sh
loves me. have come to ask thee MAJ
l have herW The father looked at hin
coldly. "What have you got to give IN,
daughter?" he asked.
Hans glanced toward him, q radIan
light in his eyes. sWhat can l Civ,
herW he echoed. "My dearest hopes
my earnest endeavors, my true heart.'
| The burgomaster shook his head.
"You are young, Hans, and Lisa II
young. You have genius-go and max,
1t known TO the world. Lisa mus
marry rich man, and that is my an
swer.v
Hans looked at him, white and tremb
ling.
''But she loves me, dear Herr-sh,
loves me truly, maidenly. You surely
will not turn me from her? amyoung
you say have genius. We care not fol
money. Let us marry and 60 from yo,
you, if you wish it, and you shall have
the glorious remembrance to last yoI
throughout your life that you have made
two hearts happy, so happy that the,
bless you as the creator OF that happi
ness. Let me take Lisa and go."
"Now said the burgomaster, ssit IL
preposterous. Listen to me: [ owe ia
cob Heiniein money, so mucn money did
| pay it / should be beggar. lie OF
ters to cancel this debt ii l give Lisa tt
him. l have promised so, and Lisa
knows it,"
Sand you sell this child, body and
soul. Tor g0ldr
| "Sell? Call it by whatever name you
will, Lisa shall marry himW
"And she consents to thisW
"She consents to this"
Then Hans, with burning in his
heart, rushes from the room down into
| the beautiful, old-tashioned garden, dow n
TO the little gate set i'll the hedge, and
there he sees Lisa white and sad.
"Go from me |" he cried, "y0u are false
you are cursed with the mouey-fever.
Go from me; you never loved me; you
have Killed me-"
But she touches his hand with her own
as cold as stone. ''Hans," she says quiz
etly, sit is all over between us; what
ever l might have hoped, might have
wished, we must be silent all our lives.
You do not believe me lalse--your very
anger denies this. Were l as you say l
am, you would be naughty, you would
spurn me, knowing yourself to be supe-
rlor 10 me in every feeling ana thought;
but the tears on your cneek shine as
pure and as clear as my truth and love
for you, and you grieve as YOU would Tor
The dead, f,r. our hope is dead, is killed
by fate, and l ain not to blame"
"Why did "Ul not tell me this before !?
Why did you let ME love you till all the
world has gUre away in strange, mystic
rlous voIds, and left only you, the per-
fection of all that world ever held2 Why
have you answered me ord for word,
look for look, Kiss Tor Kiss?"
"Because loved you'll" she said sadly.
"Why have you urged me on TO perfect
myself in music; to make ME believe
that am an artist; to cause me to dream
OF fame, OF all that would make a heaven
for ME if you were only in ~
s'Because you loved meH' she said,
weepingiy.
But Hans would not believe her. He
stood and looked at her, saw the sweet
blue eyes blurred by the hot drops that
fell from them; saw her shrinking form,
her pale face, and then he ran away from
her, believing her to be false, to De vile
in broken faith and promises.
He goes TO his little room at his BROTH
er's house.
II leave for Leipsic," he SAYS. He
packs his clothes, takes the box holding
mis- precious violin under his arm, and
ever.
And Lisa goes to her stately home and
meets her father on the steps.
"Where have you been, and why are
you so pale?" he asks.
81 have seen Hansp she answers, and
goes into the house.
They say of her that she is i'll, the next
day; that she was weeping all nigut
long; that she talked with her father,
and that lie showed her books iull of per-
picking accounts, and that she closed
the books, kissed him upon the brow and
said, Father, it shall be as you say.
am ready" And he led her to her
chamber.
Now, in the early morning the burro.
master visits Jacob Heinlein, speaks
with him and tells him that Lisa will be
his bride soon. Oid Jacob is nightly
pleased ami offers his guest bumper of
red wine. They drink much and talk
loudly and pleasantly, and AZ the same
time Hans, The musician, is on his way
10 the big German town, believing Lisa
is worse than cruel-that she is false:
and Lisa is in her chamber, white as
death, living down the old love, burying
it deep under the days that are to b.
when she shall be the Frau Heinlein.
SO the courting goes on bravely. Old
Jacob is not the one to say pleasant
words of love to the maiden who is to be
his wife, but he comes often to her faith
er's house, smokes his pipe and looks at
her as she knits the soft white yarn. The
neighbors say they are like man and
wife already, they are so quiet.
Tnen the old Hensel, the housekeeper,
prepares for the wedding such stacks OF
household linen; such piles ofhomespun,
bleaching on the grass; sucn wonderful
and many skeins OF yarn as are epun tor
the burgomaster's daughter must have
household goods enough 10 last for years,
SO as not to shame her husband in taking
a dowerless bride.
Tue biue-eyed Lisa is busy all the time.
They say she is wild over the prepara-
tions. Old Jacob reads to her the news
from all parts of Germany, but sue does
not hear him. She does not understand
even when her father speaks to her at
times.
But ah, old Hensel going into the bur.
office one day, rushes out
shrieking that he is dead. Lisa reaches
his side and raises him up. Old Jacob
n halns tn carry him up the stairs and la