The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-02-19
GRETCHEN'S SONG.
EBEN E. REXFORD.

Gretchen's home in the Fatherland
was uader 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 DAY 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 one2 All, no!
I 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 was about she would be dancing
as she listened.
ooh, there must be living soul in it ~
she said, II am half afraid Of it, Franz"
"But you are not afraid Of rue, Crotch
en?' Franz would say, and smile softly to
see her faxfower eyes droop, and the
red come out in her cheek. "Surely, you
are not afraid Of me?"
NO." she would answer, and then
Franz would say "Listen, Gretchen, and
hear what the soul in the violin tells
thee" and he would play little harmo-
MES SO low and sweet that they seemed
like angel voices far away. What ano,h.
er would have said in words, he made
his violin say for him.. It 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 lam
guage on earth, and sometimes she
thought there could be nothing sweeter
in Heaven.
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 not play
like 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 80. This young man had never
done anything to make himself or any
one else better. No one was the happier
because he lived. She thought no one
ever would be, because, you see, she
loved Franz, and on that account liked
this new lover not at all, and used to
laugh at his music and his shy, strange
ways.
81 would not marry him if he had the
world to put in his pocket" said Gretch-
en-. "Tou 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. .
Gretchens father wanted her to marry
her rich lover.
II cannot do it," she said firmly. "Don't
urge me, father, for 1t can never be-"
"And why?" he asked. 80. .. .. t..
''FOr many reasons she answered II
do not love him. I never could. That
is one, and that is enough. Send him
away, father, before learn to hate him j"
~ know why you will not listen to
him." her father said. 1T is because of
that Franz. The good-for-nothing, idle
fellow! I'd 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 9
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. 81
am only a poor musician, and he will
never take back his words, be sure OF
that"
''But I can watt" she id, and her face
was brave and beautiful to see.
"Ah. but the waiting may be 80 long y
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. .,..st ..... 81
By and by Franz made up his mind tc
20 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