Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-09-22

DY FLORENCE McLANDDURY.

DY FLORENCE MCLANDDURY.
Poor Reinhart! He certainly was bril-
liant fellow. Even the German Professors
overlooked his English origin, aud felt
proud of him. Probably they argued that
If he was born in Yorkshire, 1t was not his
fault. And, besides, as the name showed,
his family, no matter where they had since
strayed, must have been, at some period of
the past, true children of the Fatherland.
AS far as he was concerned, he seemed to
have very little attachment for his native
country. Indeed, he never evnced very
much of an attachment for any place or
anybody. We had been together the great
er part of ten years. lie possessed sim
gular influence over me. hardly know
what / would not have done for Reinhart.
But he was in disposition not the least DEM
onstrative and whether he ever saw any
attraction in me, 1 cannot tell. 1 simply
imagined so, because time wore away with
out drifting us apart.
A profound interest in metaphysics alb
sorbed his whole being; and through this
channel he had crept iuto the good graces
of the college authority. During his long
study upon this subject, he had woven
about himself all the labyrinthine meshes
of the subtle German philosophy. Though
only tutor roftwenty-tive, of the doctors Of
metaphysics touched their hats to him; all
the students bowed before him and II
felt sorry for him.
Why2 can hardly tell. But he had
grown thin and pale and nervous within
ho Ios nA haI ,.yieh h
ing that all Germany was rs ignorant of
psychology as in the days when the Sua-
bians danced their dryad dances upon the
very spot where now the great University
whose walls lined up its towers-this great
University whose walls were built not OF
stone from the quarry, but of the labors of
many lives, some OF whose prOudest pima
cles, reaching into light of dazzling splen-
dor, had been reared only by the everlast-
ing sacrifice of reason.
A vague idea had floated into my mind,
but so very terrible 1t was that had never
dared acknowledge its existence even TO
myself; nevertheless, 1t oppressed me con-
stantly. Finally, it grew into such bur-
den that 1 conld bear it no longer, and
50 made up my mind to do what little /
could 10 relieve myself at any rate. A plan
occurred to me whereby 1 might accom-
plish my chief design, which was 10 draw
him away from this study that was con-
suming him; TO draw him away from his
myriad theories into life. But before had
said word, while 1 was still meditating
how it could best be done, Reinhart SET
tied the trouble himself.
l never was more astonished or more
pleased than when he proposed the very
thing had been trying to broach, that the
two Of us should spend the next six months
in travelling. What had suggested it to
him, or what his reasons were 1 never ask
cd. Had he any suspicious Of this strange
fancy that 1 would not admit to myself,
and yet had been vaiuly striving to drive
from my mindH Since then 1 have some
times thought so, and sometimes thought
not. To the proposition consented eager
ly, and did my best in fastening all the ar
rangements; therefore no time was lost be-
fore we found ourselves en- route for the
south of Europe.
AS 1 have said, Relnhart was not In the
least demonstrative. Very likely his nat
ural reserve had been greatly increased by
his sedentary life. But 1 noticed early In
our trip, that he seemed labOring 10 throw
Otf his Abstraeted manner. I felt eAoOarag-