Stevens County tribune., 1879-02-20
GRETCHEN'S SONG.
EBEN E. REXFORD.

Gretchen's home in the Fatherland
was under the shadow of the great pines,
standing tall and stately, like soldiers, on
the mountain-side. Franz said he could
hear voices in them all Gay long; and the
voices were always there in the night
time palmer to be heard than through
the day
Franz was Gretchen's lover She was
his only friend. His only one9 Alb, no!
was mistaken In saying that. He had
one other, and that was his violin. Such
music as he could coax from the wonder
full instrument. One momont Gretchen
would cry over it. The next he would
make her laugh, and before she knew
what she vas about she would be dancing
as she listened.
'Oh, there must be living soul in it -
she said, II am half afraid of If, Franz"
But you are not afraid of me, Gretch-
en?" Franz would say, and smile softly to
see her flax flower eyes droop, and the
rcd come cut in her cheek. "Surely, you
are not afraid Of me?"
No." she would answer, and then
FFhl would say "Listen, Gretchen, and
II, ar W at The soul in the violin tells
thec,' md he would play little harmo
1its so low and sweet that they seemed
IKE an; ell voices far away. What anoih
r would have said in words, he made
his violin say for him. 1t was the strang-
est, sweetest way of wooing Gretchen
had ever heard of, she thought. How
pleasant TO be the sweetheart of such a
lover as Franz, who could put his
thoughts into the most beautiful Ian
guage on earth, and sometimes she
thought there could be nothing sweeter
in HEAVIER.
By and by another lover came a-woo-
ing. He was the son of a rich man in
the village. He was proud. though just
what he had to be proud Of Gretchen
could not understand. He could no. play
ike Franz He could not sing such
strange and charming songs as Franz
could. He seemed to lack so much, she
thought, when she compared him with
her lover. His father had money, and
was the great man of the place, but that
was nothing to be proud of. 1t merely
happened so. This young man had never
done anything to make himself or any
one else better. No one was the happier
because be lived. She thought no one
ever would be, because, you see, she
loved Franz, and on that acconnt liked
this new lover not at all, aud used to
laugh at his music and his shy, strange
ways.
II would not marry him if he had the
world to put in his pocket" said Gretch-
en-. "You are richer with your music,
Franz. than he with all his fathers
wealth."
And then Franz made his violin sing
the sweetest, and the saddest little song.
She smiled to listen, and felt the tears
coming at the same time. She knew
afterward, what he was thinking about
then.
Gretchen's father wanted her to marry
her rich lover.
81 cannot do it," she said firmly. "Don't
urge me, father, for 1t can never be-"
"And why?" he asked.
For many reasons she answered II
do not love him. | never could. That
is one, and that is enough. Send him
away, father, before l learn to hate him" "
81 know why you will not listen to
him." her father said. ut is because of
that Franz. The good for-nothing, idle
fellow Id like to break that violin of
his over his head. Now, listen to what I
say, Gretchen. If you will not marry the
man want you to, / will never consent
for YOU to marry Franz. Remember
that"
He left her, and she sat down by the
window of her little room and cried for a
long time. She could not marry Franz
against her fathers wishes. She must
forget her dream,-but she would not
forget him or be untrue to him. She
would love him if she lost him.
"You had better do as your father
wants you to-" Franz said, bitterly. "I
am only poor musician, and he will
never take back his words, be sure of
that"
"But l can wait," she sid, and her face
was brave and beautiful to see.
"Ah, but the waiting may be so long 7"
Franz said, "Have you thought of that2"
81 can wait all my life, if need be-"
she said, and he knew she meant every
word.
By and by Franz made up his mind to
go to America.
II can work there better than here,
may be-" he said. "And it will be just as
easy to wait there as here"
Before he went away he made little
song for Ter. 1t was such a sweet and
tender one that, though he only sang it
once, she forgot not word or note.
Gretchen had never heard anything like