Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-18

NAtAOut uOtiCAus neI at all ana luSu Jus
tav, helping with his disengaged hand,
gently unfastened and Land open the young
mans coat, disclosing a white shirt all
soaked with blood.
''Cut it-cut it!' said Gustav impa-
tiently; there's no time to lose"
what pity and the linen so fair and
hne," lamented the nurse, in an under
tone. THE lad is noble, no doubt"
mo Doubt" echoed Gustav; ''but, no.
ole or not, he must die if we can't stanch
this bleeding at once. II only had both
hands free" he muttered, eXasperated at
the tremulous slOwness of the old woman.
This won't do; and not a soul in the
Rouse to help! Here, Lieschen, you must
be useful. Come and hold up his head
SO, sO-upon your shoulder. Lucky l'ye
seen so much Of this in the war and know
what to be att he remarked to himself.
And Lieschen knelt and took the heavy,
tainting head upon her bosom, and closed
her eyes to shut out the sight Of blood that
almost Overcame her.
Now and then, when one of those gasp
ing means broke from him, she opened
/ them quickly and gazed in fearful distress
at the White face so near her own, and yet
seeming, too, so far away-balf-way into
those cold, dim realms of death that are
so very far of to those who are strong and
y0Hng
Yves, he is NOBLE" she thought to her
self, trJlng to keep still and patient under
the weight that began to make her limbs
ache and tremble. His hair is like the
sunshine and all waVing-like that picture
OF an angel in my Bible" she thought,
noting him curiOusly; "and his forehead
Is so white that the veins show through.
No doubt he is an officer''-this she merely
inferred from ''the knightly growth that
irInged his upper hP''-''and how beauti-
full he is. Gustav is handsome, but not
like him." and she could almost have
laughed at the idea of a comparison be-
tween great, broad Gustav. with his sun
/ Drowned face, fine rough-hewn features
and big red beard, and the delicate refine
ment and almost Womanly fairness Of the
other face.
At length Gustav released her and laid
the lad, as he called him-he looked about
hFe-and-twenty-gently down on the pill
lows.
''He may do now" he said, after watch
ing him little while. Il must leave him
to your care, nurse, and that of Herr Uter-
hart. You will explain it--what little we
Rnow-when he returns tonight. Good
bye, hearts darling! ThOu'lt be a first
rate nurse ere l come again." and he
Kissed his betrOthed on either cheek and
went away.
1t was drawing toward evening. A Ia
AAAlAAaA NluANEI VI NODutu SHOES on the
stones outside warned Lieschen that if
was time to sc a-milking. She stole out.
tied on her great sun-bonnet, took up her
stool and pail, and followed the women
away to the meadows, as she did morning
and evening all the summer through.
The shadows We're growing very long
and the colors fading in the Western sky
when they came back; and Lieschen still
had her young ducks and fowls to shut ND
Tor lal.s nj. Oh.
crossed the yard-nOw with a can of wa
ter. now with the pail and stool ready for
the mOrning-she sang in a shrilI sweet
voice some Of those lovely plaintive VOlk-
slleder-th0se ''sOngs Of love and long
ing" Of endless wandering, seeking and
yearning, that have sprung from the heart
of the German people.
Before going into the house, all her work
done, she wandered through the garden.
under the heaYy-laden syringa and bOwery
Wlldernesses Of roses, down on to the sea
shore, and stood there, dreamily looking
over the smooth water into the fading sky
and listening to the plash of the little
waves falling ON the sand. She thought
OF what Gustav had said about the mer-
maiden, and thought it would be sweet to
noat away on the quiet tide, under the
gllmmering sky, and see the little stars
light up one after another in the golden
green up there, and watch the flights Of
birds winging over, and sing beside the
boats OF fishermen at their nightly toll
and dip down at sunrise-dOWn. down
among the seaweed forests, where strange
Wild creatures swim in and out, and the
sea-hOWers bloom, and the mermaidens
sit cOmbing their long golden hair under
the tideless Baltic Sea.
She was strange, romantic child. this
Lleschen, full of dreams and longing and
tancies; and this seemed better to her
to be creature of flesh and blood, with a
human heart and human hope and blessed
with the love of man.
Sand thoy live three hundred wears"
she murmured half aloud, as the1ight died
oil the sea, ''unless they strive to win an
immortal soul by the love Of living man;
j they fail they vanish into the sea-fOam
on the dav ,,rehen be weds another. But
there is never, never found man. He
gives his love to a creature of his GWp
sphere and the foam ever gathers on the
sea. If l We're a mermaid, thought
shy proud smile cleaned across her face
IL would not fail"
Lieschen was Sitting in the sick-room
one hot summer afternoon, her patient
asleep on the couch, and the warm fra
grant air floating in with the murmuring
of bees at the open window. Her work
lay in her lap, but her hands were idle
and her eyes gazing dreamily out at the
sky, while very, very low and softly she
sang, "War' Ich elm VOgelein."
"Brava! bravav murmured a voice
from the couch behind her. "A sweet
voice and sweet sOngp'
Lieschen cOlored at his praise and went
and knelt by his side.
Il thought you were asleep. You are
CT fool hafsors 1ffo &c inc
back!" she said, in a voice quite tremu-
lOus with joy. Zach, GOtt! You have
been so i'll; do you not know itY'
He smiled family.
How long have been ere?" he asked.
NEARLY three weeks(' she answered.
''See, how thinw and (she lifted up the
hand that lay on the c6yerlet and showed
him how wasted it had grown.
He looked at it with a languid sort of
curiosity and then let it fall heavily by his
side, and turned his head on the pillow to
look at her.
She was a good sight for sick eyes to
rest upon, with her pretty brown hair and
great gentle brown eyes so full of wO-
manly pity, tenderne and submission,
and, withal, dreamy and wistful as a
child's eyes.
And who art thou, dear child?' he
asked presently.
y
call me. This is my home: | live here
with my father and nurse, and keep the
house."
and hast thou nursed me all these
weeks?''
Yes" she answered, ''and 1 have
prayed for you when 1 thought you were
dying, and see, the dear God has heard.
You live and you will grow strong again"
Dear child l owe thee my life. What
can l give thee or do for thee?'
Lieschen blushed, her eyes faltered from
his face and she looked down in silence.
'Nay, ask what thou wilt, tits thine, if
l have it to give.7
Indeed, l know not; tbs nothing have
done, only watching" stammered Liesch-
en-. ''Tell me your name," and she once
more raised her eyes to his.
He tried to hold out his hand and she
put hers into it. "Let be, them" she said
slowly; ''there is time enough. My name?
MY name is Otto Won der Lanken; L"
"Ach You are tired" interrupted the
girl, seeing helpless look come into his
eyes as he broke off. "Drink this and do
not speak any MORE"
She raised his head with one arm and he
drank the milk she held to his lips. Then
she laid him down upon the pillows and
went back to her seat by the window, he
watching her with the idle look OF a man
still too weak to speculate about things,
Orthink any thoughts, but one or two that
| seemed of themselves to pass IN and out
of his brain.
Lieschen smiled and shook her head at
him. "Shut your eyes and Sleep" said
she with a pretty little authoritative air.