Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-07-26
The Fellows Love Story.
BY JUSTIN Mccarthy.


in Germany now," said my friend
LINDSAY Roundell to me the other day,
as we sat, after dinner, we two alone,
in the window of a little hotel over
looking the Thames. We had not met
for years; and having now CHANGED to
meet i'm London, he on returning from
the Italian port where he had been
British consul, and l having just come
back from the United States, we cele-
brated our reunion by quiet dinner
together. When we used to meet more
often and were little younger, we
were both passionate lovers of German
literature, music, philosophy, scenery,
and wines. Naturally, therefore, We
had been talking of Germany.
'No," he repeated. 81 don't care
much about staying in Germany any
more. l always hurry through. 1 know
all about United Germany, and its
greatness, and its victories, and that
sort of thing, and it's splendid, of
course. l am glad of it, you know ;
but it's little like fellow who is glad
that some girl he loved when he was a
boy has grown a grand lady and mar
ried an earl. Delighted, of course, and
all that; but she isn't our Lisette any
more. 1 spent night or two in Berlin
lately, and went to an evening party
had to. 1t was given by a friend, a
modest professor. l tell you there was
as much show and sham, as much jew
elry and rustling silks. and bare shoul-
ders and footmen, and airs and TOM
foolery, as If it was in Paris under the
empire"
81 fear-I fear that years are telling
on you, Roundell. You are becoming
an old fogy."
81 suppose so. But these people used
to be so simple, sweet, and homely
when used to visit Berlin first. Tell
you what, used to like the little courts
of the tiny princes. It's a shame, 1
suppose; but used to like them. Say
what you will, these little courts had a
flavor of antique chivalry and old TO-
nance about them"
"Had they? / confess never could
see it. / thought them ridiculous little
humbugs."
swell, and you are right enough,
from the point of view taken by the
journalist and the practical politician.
But why don't you take look at them
from the romancist's standpoint"
because 1 can't imagine any ro-
nance clinging around such formal,
dry, and dusty old pedantries. Did
YOU ever hear of the romance of a
Gold Stick in Waiting the hero of a
thrilling love story?"
Roundell only sent column of smoke
up over his head into the blue ether,
and was silent. After a silence Of a
moment or two, he said, ''Did you see
in the papers the death of the grand
duchess of Liebesheim?" ss
"No, didn' t observe. The old grand
duchess?"
"Oh, no, the young one-the wife Of
the grand duke-I mean the fellow who
was grand duke until Bismark sponged
him Off the slate"
81 didn't see. Where did she die?"
"In Florence. She was very young
to die? ?''
"Young to die-yes. But she was
not exactly chicken, You know. Let
me see. When was it we saw her in
Liebesheim at her marriage festivals!
In '52, wasn't it? Well, you see, twenty
years"
"Yes, yes, of course; but l always
think of her as young. How beautiful
she looked then.'
"She did; she seemed a charming
woman. L only saw her twice-the
day when her husband brought her out
into the balcony to bow to the crowd,
and once at the court ball, for which
some good-natured functionary-l for
get who it was-kindly got me ticket"
"She is dead-so soon," my friend
repeated, thoughtfully.
l did not quite understand mis- emo
ton. l was sorry the grand duchess
should be dead, if she particularly
wished to live; but one must be great
devotee to royalty to feel profound
grief at the death of princess whom
he saw twice, i'm a crowd and at dis
tance, twenty years ago. 1t surprised
me, too, to find my friend SO deeply
concerned for the extinction OF any
royalty, seeing that he used to be rather
of the stern republican school. 10 be
sure, since he and were in Germany
together he had received a consulship
from the government of her majesty,
Queen Victoria.