Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-01


the Beautiful Princess HumbuEKed
the Giamt-The Mysterious Horse.
shOe-Germany's Big Army.
Correspondence Of THE EVENING STAR.
BLANKENBURG, HARTz MOUNTAN,(
September 19, 1882.
We were three students. tired out with our
winters study in Berlin, and one warm. weari-
some day we decided to take q run off to the
Hartz for few weeks Of walking tours through
the mountains So, packing our 'things" and
supplying ourselves with Alpenstock, sketch
books and suitable costumes, we set of, deter
mined to be most Bohemian in our manner Of
seeking enjoyment. The day was hot, the train
slow and enveloped In dust; but welcome relief
did we find at sunset, as we sprang out into the
sweet, fresh air and delicious quiet Of Blanken-
burg, village lying just at the foot OF the
Hartz mountains, where we proposed to make
our headquarters, from whence we were to take
tramps over the country.
"And is this the Hartz?" we asked Of Frau
lein E., our landlady's daughter, who met us
at the depot, and our eyes wandered rather list
lessly over what to our American ideas appeared
mere blue hills, surrounding picturesque tiled
village. Fraulein was quick in response: "Ah!
but wait! wait! people are always at first disap-
pointed; you will be very enthusiastic when you
have been here awhile!" answered this sturdy
maiden, who, as we soon found, made charm
Ing guide. True, one must not come to the
Hartz with notions of American summer resorts,
Of hotels, and hops, and crowds Of gaily attired
IeOple. Neither would it be well to come direct
from the stupendOus scenery OF Switzerland, lest
these mountains look tame by contrast. But If
one comes with q genuine love OF quiet noun
tain scenery and also desire to find out the
secret of happiness in quaint German peasant
life If he can give himself, for the nOnce, to the
romantic historic interest with which this region
is invested, implicitly believing, or at least
patiently listening to the many legends and
superstitions which these simple folk delight to
rehearse, his story need not be devoid OF In
terest.
AN ODD HOUSE.
Various odd customs here which have come
down from generation to generation appear to
US as startling novelties. Of these, one is the
almost universal custom Of showing the worst
side of the house front. Our house in Blanken-
burg, belonging to an aged Professor"
very respectable in its way-thOugh quite the
type of German village residence, is to us an
Oddity. From the street it presents only an
uninvting wall, a great high stone fence, that
might be the enclosure for stable, but once
you step through the gate, and what picture
| meets the eye A truly artistic habitation
greets you, hung with ivy, having here and
there quaint window jutting out, from which
the vines hang in long, graceful wreathes. In
| front is q large and neatly kept garden. with a
prOfusiOn Of flower beds, alternating with
shaded promenades and spaces for pretty tables
for coffee. The doors Of the house are
thrown open from what is called the
garden room, an apartment having a stone
floor. where the eye may regale itself upon the
lovely green, the meals are served. The meals!
what queer things they are! what mysterious
| connections! From what witches caldrOn came
the recipes therefor? Certain it is we are not
up in German cookery; but the coffee and rolls
we knew before, and they are excellent; yet to
decline to accept the entire bill Of fare betrays
our verdancy.
The village is built on the side of mountain,
having on its summit the old castle Of Blank
enburg, where
MARIA THERESA SPENT HER YOUTH,
and where are still to be seen several objects
which have an undying interest-toys she
played with, pictures she painted, and the room
in which she was born. At present the castle
belongs to the HerZOg, of Braunschwig, who
comes to it twice year. during the hunting
season. Here he often receives as guests the
Kaiser. and the Crown Prince, and other dis
t1ngu1shed persOnages, who come to hunt in
the Thier-garten. At these times the little
jewel Of theater, with its blue silk damask
uphOlsterfngs, is opened, and MANY Of the
Blankenburgers being invited, attend the en-
tertainments in their gala costumes. The suites
OF rooms for the royal guests are superbly
fitted up In crimson and gold. In what is
styled the audience chamber hangs the por-
trait of
THE FAMOUS "WHITE LADY"
whose ghost, you are expected to believe ap-
pears on the ramparts of this castle. The same
vision is understood to appear at the old
Schloss in Berlin, always, on such occasions,
the precursor Of death in the royal family.
Near the chapel in the castle are to be seen two
pictures, painted by Wilhelm with his thumb,
evincing no little artistic ability. The massive
walls of the Railways are covered with designs
made Of ancient armOr, spears swords and
other curious and strangely devised feudal wea-
pOns. From the castle magnificent view Ia
had OF the village, with its crooked, narrow
streets, with the high. gabled, red-tiled houses,
each story Overhanging the other, and Of the
region around, notably of long rocky noun
tain called the Regenstein, where, on lofty
eminence rising on one side four hundred feet
above the sandy plain are the ruins Of
AN ANCIENT ROBBER CASTLE,
which has stood there since some time in the
fifth century. This castle Of the Regenstein was
fortress so irresistible in olden time-com-
handing as it did the country for miles around,
and being on its lofty perch almost unscalable-
that Frederic the Great caused it to be dsman-
tied, fearing it might be captured by enemies.
AucIc, years ouu years, uSeu the FODDef knlXnCS
who pounced down upon stray bands of tray
elers, despOiled them of their possessions, and
brought them up to the castle, there to languish
in deep dungeons cut in the solid rock beneath
the banqueting halls. Especially did the mer-
chants of Hamburg, on their way to South
| Germany, suffer from these vultures in their in
vlncible armor, for the road the merchants
must pass lay right by the castle.
We went one night to view the rufus by moon
light, and giving ourselves up to the weird
| magic OF the place and the romance of the hour,
we were quite carried away with the won
drOus beauty and grandeur Of the massive old
pile, as it's lofty crown was bathed in the soft
effulgence. With sacrilegious steps, we wan
dered through the deserted halls, peeped out OF
crannied windows, picked our way timidly into
| the dark, dangerous passages, and imagined the
place again peopled with daring knights and
| fair women, and we fancied we heard soft music
| and sounds Of revelry. There Is one overhang-
ing room from which one looks dlzzily down to
the white road far below.
THE STORY OF THE PRINCESS
Here in this room a princess was once i'm.
prisoned, and after long days and wearisome
nights Of captivity. she made her escape by cut
ting larger crevice In the rock with her dia-
mond ring; and then letting herself down by q