Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-13
THE LAST LOVE.

STA, and an accomplished dancer and
swordsman. He had, however, accommo-
dated himself to the comparatively sleepy
valley In which he lived, and needed q
waking up. His father, with an old crony
and partner, Hans Hoferdahl, had made
and mended watches in the old, dingy shop,
where their fathers had filed and ham
mered before them. Their life was about
as unvarying as the ticking OF the Hat
faced timepiece behind the cobvebs IN the
shop window.
II CHANGED that various ripples were be-
ginning TO come into the valley to disturb
the course of nature. 1t was rumored that
the king was preparing for war, al d such
young men as Wilhelm would be needed
for the army. Besides this, old Hans had
caught the emigration fever to America,
and mad sold whatever he had to sell, ex-
cept his big pipe, his flute, and his
daughter Christine. He sold his share In
his shop to Wilhelms father. Christine
weps at the departure, for the old village
had been very dear to her, and her
mothers grave was there. The effect on
Wilhelm was such that he rubbed his great
black eyes, and could scarcely realize that
the whole thing was else than dream.
Pretty soon, however, Wllhelm's eyes took
note OF gloomy difference IN the ways OF
his father The old man came to neglect
his pipe, his beer and his work, ana the
neighbors said that Hans Hoierdahl had
broken his old friends heart by going
away. The poor old man very soon died.
To Wilhelm, after his fathers death, the
shop and everything in it became dlstaste-
full. He tried to work, but the very tick
ing of the watches was insuherably OPP
pressive, and the absence OF the two old
men rendered confinement to the place
insupportable. Wilhelm, himself, maze
sale of both house and shop, and when the
sales were all completed, and the transfers
duly made, he stood In the moonlight one
evening, and gazing at the home no longer
his, soliloquized thus:
:. think could almost break my heart,
for did love that house. But l couldn't
stay there with the empty places. There
were too many voices there that didn't
speak. Alas what shall | do now"
His question was answered for him.
Napoleon had determined, in his old age,
that he must fight the Germans, and the
King had made his call for troops. Viii
helm was sure he loved his - aderland, ="
and SO was ready to leave the sleepy old
village, but not without sadness, for he
had been so long in that locality that 1t
was not surprising he had learned to love
it.
There followed swift marching comfort
less camping, and a good deal OF very hard
fighting. Being big and strong and brave,
and every day growing more and more IN
teIligent, Wilhelm himself won glory
that is, three or four slight wounds, a
medal, promotion, the compliments of his
commanding officer, ana the envy OF his
comrades. The war was brief, and before
great while he found himself his own
master again, though still within the scope
and control of army regulations, for no
German of WiIheIm's age is ever beyond
them, and he said to himself
"Well, | loved the army. | know l
could love glory with all my heart. think
it must have been growing good deal dur
Ing this war. There is more room III 1t
than | knew of, and yet it is always full l
will 90 and take look at the old village,
and the house, and the shop, and | will
listen TO see If / can hear Christine's voice.
If | don't hear her, what then? Well, |
think l will just ask my heart about it. .
All this time, old Hans Hoferdahl had
known very little of what had taken place
in the village they had left behind them.
They had written home to their old neigh
bors, but very little information had come
back to them. They had heard of old Ecs-
burgers death, and of Wilhelm's enlist
ment in the war, and that was nearly all.
Hans had not landed on the shores OF the
new world a pauper, and tried to settle
down as man OF property and substance
and be happy.
eff poor old Ecsburger were with me,
he said to Christine, 60 l would be SO
happy"
Christine said very little, but her bright
American home became dreary enough at
times, when she shut her eyes and let her
thoughts 60 back to the old sleepy village.
She listened very silently when her father
said
81 believe Wilhelm behaved himself
well in the army There's good blood in
the Ecsburgers, and Wilhelm is fine
boy"
ssHe must be a man by this time, said
Christine, and then she thought what a
very tall, fine. looking man he must be,
form.
But when, after while, there was news
of peace, and when they heard that the
army was going home to be disbanded, old
Hans Hoferdahl grew strangely thought
full, and Christine tried in vain to arouse
him. 0ne autumn morning he said to her:
sAll the other soldiers are going home.
l think it is pretty near tine for me to
go"
"To Germany, father ?" exclaimed Chris
tine, with a sudden light in her eyes.
mo" solemnly replied the old man
&" Germany is not the only fatherland. l
am very old soldier, and think this is my
last campaign"
Cristine understood him then. A few
weeks later she found herself sitting alone
in the house, while the chilling wind that
whistled past the windows was freighted
with the first white harbingers of the win
ter. To her it seemed cold, forlorn and
empty sort of world, and when her
thoughts wandered to the village where
she was born, she could but imagine the
old shop as closed, and the snow-hakes
beating against the spider webbed win
dows.
me uoor- Ueu rang, pue NhiioCiho uiu NV
hear it. The servant admitted somebody.
but she did not know it, until she was
conscious of heavy step almost beside
her, and then clear, strong voice said to
her:
.sChristine Christine p
She looked up in the face of tall, erect,
noble looking man, who wore Jpn his
breast medal of honor, and whose eyes
were absolutely radiant.
Christine" he said again, "do you
me? l have come"
Her heart was overburdened with de-
light, and it seemed as if the old German
home had come with him. She arose and
threw her arms around his neck, and said,
with tears in her eyes, so Wilhelm, I'm
SO happy so glad you have come p
Some hours later, as they sat by the
crate in the parlor, where the fire burned
warm and cheerily, they exchanged stories
of all that happened to them. AT length
Wilhelm said to her:
SWEARING AND LYISG.-Old Parson S.,
af Conpacfinnt WAS narticular kind of