Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-25

she has the suffering little one in her
arms; but the faithful soul knows moth
ing of the wonderful exhibition that took
place in madames room.
"What hast thou to do with rings
Liehchen9 Thou knowest naught of such
| things, save Hans's little folly"
Then Gretchen tells the story, and a
troubled and indignant look comes into
the old servants eyes Grave Water
Schonfeld is called from his pipe, and
great lines of trouble marks the smooth
curves oil his face. 1t is too wonderful
for them all, and soon the sturdy Wirth
| takes the great stick and brings the good
priest to Gretchen's side. At last note
is written back, denying all knowledge
J of the ring, and the holy father testities
! to the innocence of the poor little lamb,
whom he has known and loved since the
the baptismaI waters touched her brow
within few hours of her birth.
| Gretchen sits down TO wait, for what
| she does not know. Christin e never
leaves her side; the w nth sits no longer
in the little porch with pipe and mug,
but PAGES restlessly back and forth
through the little house; and the good
priest CONES every day. and at parting
laws his hands on Gretchen's fair head
with tender blessing. 1t is ali very
strange and sorrowful, this terrible
waiting, waiting in alternate hope and
fear Madame may not crush their
Liebchen, or, best of ali, she may find the
ring, ..t..... Fat-
At last day comes such as never
dawned over the little valley before.
Gretchen, sunny haired Gretchen, the
fairest of all the village maidens, beloved
of the little children, and first in the
heart ofthe goo priest, is torn away
from the old Wirthshaus and borne to
the prison in. the neighboring town.
Loud outcries follow the officers of the
law as the shrinking child is led away
between them. ''Why had they not torn
the fair image of the Virgin from the
altar. and polluted her with their nasty
touch9 What had Gretchen to do with
the gaudy trickery of the foul creature
the Wlrtn had harbored in his homer
| What had she to do with jewels tit for
shameless women, Gretchen. the child OF,
| honest parents, the betrothed OF Hanss
In the midst of the tumult the good
| priest lifts his hands, and VI lie the tears
| roll down his wuhered cheeks, answers,
BE quiet, my children. Thus was One
led up from Jerusalm. y itl ~ y.s1.
Taen followed days and nights of
anxious suffer ing. Gretchen's far eyes
look out upon the world from behind iron
bars while the day lasts, and when the
evening falls her little hands are clasped
in PRAYER as she lies low on her prison
cot. Hans Hans!" she calls, but so
softly that the jailer pacing by the cor
rider does not hear. For what right has
| she to call Hans2-Hans VINO had liken-
ed her to the white daisies that grow by
the church-yard, to the soft clouds that
shame the azure of heaven by their pur-
| itv, and who had forbidden her all
knowledge of the world, that IN her in
nocence she might remain pure and .uul
suilied, even as tF.e Virgin Mother before
whose altar they both knelt.
In the anguish of the days that were
passing the flesh fell from the rounded
limbs; no roses that woman less fair
might envy, but only pallor such as
marks those whom Death has chosen,
lay on The tear-stained cheeks. When
the morning came to lead her before the
men who were to judge whether or no
she must be called guilty OF crime, the
little maiden that stood up to be led
| from prison seemed like fair saint from
whose eountenance the beauty of earth
has departed that it may wear the love-
illness born in heaven.
In those days and nights there fell
away from Gretchen's soul all faint of
earthly longing. He who has sinned long
and deeply may require much repent
ance. She who has but erred in thought
and fancy yielded back her allegiance at
the first touch of chastisement, and lost
all dread of suffering in the simplicity
of her trust.
But Gretchen is not to wear martyrs
crown; all that is best and sweetest on
earth is her birthright, and theA storm
that has gathered over her head is
but the Dretense of tempest, after
all. She has entered the door of the
great courtroom, but we shall not follow
her, where she stands Tapt in the con-
seriousness of innocence. and Indifferent
to the curious gaze of the multitude
gathered there to view her as srecticle.
She has no kinship with the hard, un-
sympathetic men whose business it is to
administer justice to the erring world j:
still less can she De troubled with the
groups of Gods lost chrildren who gath
er with morbid curiosity wherever anoth-
or recruit can be found to join their
pitianle ranks.
Our business is with Christine, the
faithful Sc. want, who, unable to witness
her darling's trial, has thrown herself in
despair at the foot of the little altar
whereon Gretchen has enthroned her few
sacred treasures, and where night and
morning she used t. kneel in humble de.
votion. But Chri' tines thoughts are not
of prayer; rather are they of anger ano
, furious rebellion against world in,whict
such injustice can obtain. Her horny
, withered fingers lace themselves impo
tently together, as If in longing for some
. thing they might tear and rend. A
last her tear blinded eyes light upon al
asticlelwhich she regards as suitable fo
2 destruction. 1t is the blue dress. he ont
! menento of mad me. All! if she nigh
but feel the delicate limbs of the owne
! within her grasp as she does the poor gar
r ment which once adorned theml At las
l it shall be burned; but meanwhile NJ
Q trace of its hateful, intricate beauty, de
= vised, as Christine thinks. by demon
b and wrought out by feLds, shall. remain
One by one delicate puff and ruffie ar
t eliminated. Double destruction shal
il light upon it; first, a heap OF, ruins, an
# then holocaust. When her darlin
shall come back to the Wirthshaus, pei
I'll haps as a criminal who has served he
r time ahl how Chr stines fingers work 8
# she thinks Of it! there shall be no cd
II GUS blue mystery of millinery to rend hs
,r little heart In twain with its lnathsnn