Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-01-25
IAsker,s Lave

Il Is quite by accident that I came
across an old German paper recently
wherein [ found the outline of a ro-
nance that may prove interesting to
our readers, inasmuch as the hero OF it
was Of late a visitor in Galveston, and
made many friends, who though recOg-
nizinp in DR.. Edward Lasker one who
has led an e%ventful life, would scarcely
have associated him with an affair Of
the heart. Judging from the fact that
he is still a bachelor, it may be said to
have made a life impression on one who
would not generally be credited with
having had room for tenderness in the
heart which he seems to have devoted
to his country and his people, and to the
cause of the oppressed and down-trod-
den everywhere.
In 1863, DR.. Lasker, then one of the
most aggressive of the Liberal leaders,
formed the acquaintance of a young
lady in Berlin, a Miss Franziska Rus
SAX, the niece and adopted daughter OF
a wealthy landowner, who was, how
ever, q strong supporter of the Govern
ment. The young lady, admiring the
spirit of the young doctor, and his
steadfast devotion to the cause of the
people, returned the, sentiment which
the young man had not hesitated to inn
part.
But the current of true love never did
run as smooth as might be desired, and
in this particular case the stream was a
very turbulent n indeed. The uncle
was apprized of the state of affairs by
the sutton, but turned deaf ear to all
e~ntreaties. He told tho doctor that
Franziska could never marry one who
was opposed to ''the best Government
the world cver saw" with his consent,
and that if she married contrary to his
wishes she would not get n cent of
the Russak fortune. To this the doctor
replied that he wanted no fortune, nor
anything else except the lady. Fran
ziska, however, while willing to forego
the fortune, was unwilling to incur the
displeasure of her uncle, to whom she
was much attached.
After that the uncle tried to arrange
other matches for his niece, but she,
true to her first and only love, refused
all offers, no matter how brilliant, and
some of them were very brilliant indeed.
In a year or more after the first visit
of DR.. Lasker to the Russak mansion the
old man thought it wrong to balk the
girls fancy longer and accordingly sent
for DR.. Lasker, and in the presence of
the young lady he withdrew his objec-
tons provided the doctor would, in the
future. discontinue his activity on be-
half of the Liberal party, and espouse
the cause of the Government. The
proposition was scornfully rejected by
DR.. Lasker, who said on that occasion
that he felt.that his wife would ever de-
spise him, as he would despise himself,
for so base a treachery.
One day, a few months later, Bis
marck sent for Mr.. Russak, and though
the result of that conference may never
be known, it is, nevertheless, certain
that on the next day DR.. Lasker was
again sent for by the uncle of his idol.
AT this interview the old man said that
he had r~econsidered his proposition, and
wanted to temper the severity of his
former alternative. He represented to
the young man the dangers that were
incurred by any who opposed the Gov
eminent, and recalled instances of i'm
prisonment of young men who had gone
q olCp toO AdI. liz Stlu uC WOulu cOu.
sent to the marriage if the young man
would withdraw from politics., and
while he might entertain what views he
chose, never to express them in public;
and to make this offer the more tempt
ing, a large sum was named as being at
his disposal on the day Of his marriage.
But the convictions and predictions
OF the young nan We're not to be shaken,
and an interview followed between him
self and the young lady, in which she
plighted her love to him anew, but COM
mended his determination to stand by
his principles.
In less than year from that time the
young lady died in a foreign land, where
her uncle had %journeyed in the hope
that new scenes and the excitement of
travel would cause her to forget her
passion.
DR.. Lasker never married. Perhaps
Russak would have been less exacting in
his opposition had he been able to fore
cast the fame that the future had in
store for the rejected sutton.
Opera Glass.