The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-09-01
COMPENSATION.

70 -era.l- COMPENSATION.
| [-..-aHH .IIsf' -, -llls--s-l .'sf- 'tfa
10 Fatherland dearestI o Fatherland miner
Zach, mein Gott, have no letter
from homer
We We're sitting. Herr Schenning and
], in the shade of some young redwoods,
far up the mountain side, having
strayed alittle from our band of picnick-
ers. The trees, scarce moving in the
breeze dropped their long shadows
| down the grassy slope. where in the
sunny places the yellow butterflies fit
| ted in and out among the purple lilies.
The madrOnas spread their broad and
shining leaves to the sun, delighting in
its fervent heat. and making cool shades
where the deer might rest when there
| were no picnickian revels to desecrate
their solitude. Through our sympathy
with this beautiful spirit of solitude,
there had fallen upon us long silence.
3u''What news have you from homer"
/ asked Herr Schenning at last, merely
by way of saying something.
Without the movement of muscle
to show that he had heard me. he con-
tinued toSgaze at the mountains, Or
rather, far beyond them, 10 some white
cloud slowly sailing through the blue.
l was about to repeat my question, but
paused, seeing the color deepen on his
dark German face. and presently, with
great sob, as the food-gates burst,
came The cry:
+ ..Ach. Gott! have no letter from
homer
He buried his face in his hands, and
with dismay l saw the swift-faling
tears slip through his fingers; but the
storm was as brief as it was intense.
Herr Schenning was not one to give
way to maudlin grief
''You must think am n glitiering
IDIOT" he said. as he laughingly shook
the last tears from his fingers.
NO." answered. II think you are
homcsick, and know the misery of
that malady."
..Yes; in fact I had sudden and
overpowering attack of it. Your ques-
tion was drop added to my hearts
full cup. That trec''- pointing to L
fir tree that lowered to the sky-''with
IFS great waving arms and whispering
boughs, had borne me far through
yonder calm sky to the Fatherland. l
was boy again, and had strayed to
my favorite fir tree at the edge of the
forest; rocked in its branches, heard
the wild songs of the woodland; 1 saw
the silvery cleaning of Murg flowing
down TO the Rhine; saw the blooming
orchards, the bird-haunte'l grove, and
the little white house of Blnmcnwald.
The fragrance of its fiower-garden
came to me across the meadow, and l
knew who walked there, wearing in
her golden hair the blue flowers that
loved-my little Barbara. l can not
remember when / did not love her, and
think of her as mine. For her 1 stud
led. and struggled, and won my school
day prizes; for her sought to become
wise and honOred; for her sake, who
had no gold for her dover, only her
sweet self, more precious to me than
all the gold of California-heaven
knows too precious. thought, TO be
degraded by the slavery of our old
world life of poverty-for her dear sake
I put aside the little clinging hands, and
kissed her pleading mouth, and came
away to this great, golden land of
America. /, so wise with my Latin and
Greek, SO skilled in metaphysics. so
deep in all the subtle science of the old
world Il / ants. came to California to
make my fortune. / laugh to think
how have CROPPED and stumbled in the
broad, bewildering light of this splen- \
did young world, while those who can
scarcely write the plebeian names they
bear, dip down into, the mysterious
earth and lift their hands with glitter
ing treasure. At home, might have
walked with princes. Here, poor. ILL
clad, and-shall say it?-sometimes
weak with hunger, 1 wander uncared
for. except when some gentle heart like
yours brings me. for pity of my loneli-
ness, into a pleasant day like this. But
forgive me for showing you such a
broken spirit"
Broken! Oh, dear!'' exclaimed.
wildly with my tears. 81
should think itwould be like that of
Mrs. Plovinst's father, pulverized,
ning," added. abruptly, ''why don't
you put your pride in your pocket, and
go home?''
He laughed.
'.Alas! my pockets are too small,
and, besides, it would not be accepted
for fare. No; i. have committed sui
eide; have no place. there or here. If
/ should one day slip from the sun-loved
heights into some black abyss, where
even the starlight fails, should not be
missed ''sEs-i Ns'f-l = si-f'@
'i'.Whatr' said, ''not even by little
Barbara, who is waiting for you in
her Blnmenwald?'
.sMein Gottr' he cried. il. another
excess of despair, ''there is no one
waiting for me. Think you such a
fool, such q beggar as l would be worth
thatp No, the father was right; he did
we'll to marry her to Herr Heimsteher,
whose broad orchards stretch to the
verge of our loved forest. Frau Bar
bard is ricll. i trust. and happy, with
her fair-haired children clustering ut
her knee. If she ever gives a thought
to the lover who left her SO long ago.
it is to smile at the fairy-like future he
promised her, though l dare to hope
that sometimes, when the voice of my
fir tree comes to her through the twi-
light, or when she plucks those little
blue flowers from her garden, she will
remember me with 4 little throb of the
old love. God bless her-and pity a
poor devil like me.''
The fir tree waved its long arms in
the freshening breeze; the shadows
crept up from the gorges and spread
along the hillsides, as if seeking him
who had spoken of their dark retreats;
the bold outlines of the Palisades
showed stern and frOwning against the
sky, but the face of st. Helena, grand
and sweet, lay smiling toward the
west. waiting for the: sunset glory and
the solemn starlit night.
How it could have happened to the
ever-splendid Ulrich and myself to lose
our way, l can not imagine. but we
achieved that brilliant feat. Driving
quite by ourselves in the rear of the
small picnicking procession, We fell in
to further talk Of Californian ways. L
was trying to impress mein-herr with
the fact that he was too young to call
his life a failure; that no one. at any
age, in California, need despair. unless
he lay down like a coward, and let the
crowd rush over him; that he must
fight, and keep on fighting; that as
l. on frs onaak ha Onnat