The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1882-02-25

with the prompter as their equal; he be.
longs to the building, but ranks general
~ among the au1liaries. Without re-
peatlng my words or waiting for re-
spouse, L sat quietly beside him, but sc
that to him any sudden light was cut off
care you often here?" 1 asked, open.
ing the conversation.
"Oh, yes; every evening""
And you sit so retired?"
Generally. / am too old for the
merry world. The serious pass to the
bedroom, as the golden weapon to the
empty sheath
There seem to be many who are sad. u
True, very true" growled the
prompter. Yes, yes, many through
misfortune they did not deserve"
And yet" | answered, SIS it not a
question if we do not really deserve sui.
fering, have not called it upon us?"
No, moi" the prompter energetically
shook his head. "Did the begging
child bring the poverty of it's parents
Is not its life already a misfortune ?
Schiller was right: But the greatest
evil was the cause / must ever pro-
test that there is also evil without cause !"
81 understand you. We do not de-
sire to meet hereditary suffering, but in
later years
"No, no!' the old man impatiently in
terrupted me.
But, then, is there no divine JUS
tice %
Bah! We hear that only from the
poets. You believe, then, that the
mighty God troubles himself for us
earthworms? / do not-at least in re-
gard to my affairs I have not remarked
his goodness"
"You speak as if JOY never smiled on
you"
An exceedingly bitter look came over
his features. "And is nv lot to be
envied ?" he suddenly asked.
I'VE need never live only in the pres
ent. Turn back the leaves in your book
OF life, If you please, and you will find
there places
"No!" he interrupted more sharply:
none none L am the son of q VII
lage cenfectioner, who disinherited me. :"
That means, as I believe, you would
be an actor; your father would not con-
sent; you opposed his authority"
"Need / complain, then? Had not
my lot IN common with many? No; [
first went on the boards when 1 had in a
measure ended life."
"Your talk is dark to me; it neither
persuades nor convinces. In any case.
through your owp will you reused your
fathers wrath; what, then, was the rea-
son"
The prompter was angry; "You Judge
me by the usual rule, he cried. "Inno-
cent without guilt, incurred the wrath
of a father, who cheated me out of nv
lfe's happiness. Despite that, he died
quietly in bed. Oh, divine Justice
trlumphs only on the boards p'
"Ihat is yet in question. Hitherto
you alone have judged your life, looked
on yourself In your own glass"
LISTEN, he replied, and if you find
the appearance of wrong in me [ will be
reconciled with life and its discord. But
come out of the bedroom; here might
be laughed at if / told the sad story of
my life."
In the street the prompter began: 81
pass over my childhood and apprentice
ship to my fathers business-there is
little to tell. With my eighteenth year
l was iourneyman and began my tray
els. But at first [ did not 90 far. /
found work in a neighboring village, and
there for two years stirred sweet cakes
and poured bonbons. I had lost my
heart to my masters daughter. Emile
was pretty girl will not say the
most beautiful Oh earth for every one,
but for me she was-and in the village
none disputed her rank. She was
blonde, of medium stature; such elegance
In her movements, such harmony in all
her features [ have not since found.
Briefly, we loved each other. There
fore [ remained two years in the village.
My father couldnot understand WHY
[ did not do as is the fashion of us Ger
man tradesmen and make the round of
the cities. He came at last to talk with
me.
So he learned the true reason, and
soon he saw Emile. Had 1 know what
an impression the girl had made upon
him, would have closed my ears to his
words. He approved my choice, but
said he suppose 1 would not marry be-
fore seeing the world. / obediently went
to other places, after Emile and I had
sworn true love.
More than year had flown. I could
endure it no longer in strange place.
Emilie's letters had ceased for two or
three months. I turned back to the
town where the lovely girl lived. 1t was
the 10th of January. Ii was past noon
when L entered the house of Master
Ehrhard, Emile father. My brides old
nurse came toward me. She screamed
loudly when she saw me-
"'Is it really you, Fritz p she asked
at last, or is it your ghost?"
az myself, as I love and i've I an
swered. Where is Emile 90
What You are not dead p
NO, no But where is Emilie?"
"'Ah, the poor girl haswept so much
for you
"' will dry her tears said.
Then you must hurry said the
old woman, In a peculiar tone. 'The
whole authority is with your father
"'With my father 2 asked.
"'She assented with groan, which /
did not particularly heed at that mo-
ment, and then added: But, hurry,
hurry! It concerns Emilie's happiness
think of that But wait, l will try to
get you horse. You can rider
Without waiting for an answer, she
hastened across the street. In fifteen
minutes l galloped to my native town
with no presentment of what awaited me
there. In January it is dark early; and
much as [ hurried, the darkness was
earlier than I. stopped the ove--driven
horse before my fathers house. whose.
vx-h~ Ill II.