The Penn's Grove record., 1884-05-17

1A-AVNI AN~ %~-0
escaped my memory. | suppose am
getting old and childish, old friend.
Thank you we will have no more nut
sic to day."
The old musician took his leave, and
Frederic stepped through the low VIM
dow out into the June sunshine, into
the luxur ant leafy beauty of the gar
| dens of Sans Souci. Old Quanz's Golk-
slieder had certainly had a depressing
effect upon the King, for an absent,
half melancholy expression had replaced
the usual ~sternness of his face, and the
eagle eyes before whose terrible glance
thousands quailed were dreamy and
soft as he strOlled away from the Palace,
sunk IN that saddest and vainest of re-
| grets-regret for a vanished youth!
Half unconsciously, lost in RETROSPECT
ton, he directed his steps down II of
the side-alleys at some distance from
the Palace, and, turning an abrupt cor
ner, came suddenly and unobserved
upon a soldier who had thrown himself
upon a bench, where he was reading a
letter upon which Frederic saw tears
slowly falling.
At this sight the Kings face grew
hard and stern again and, with low
eril g brows, he stopped before the un
conscious soldier, e%xclaiming scorn-
fully
"What, a soldier in the Army of
Frederic crying like a schoolgirl! Has
your sweetheart fTowned upon you
then ?"
"S:re, " stammered the soldier, spring
fr., 20 Hta foot aIpoAgf cnnaahlagE with
CONSERVATION, ''the letter is from my
mother"
The Kings brow cleared a little.
lis she in trouble?"
eyes, sire. She is growing old, and
is too weak to work. She can earn no.
thing, since she has lost her health, and
is to be sent from her home for want of
money to pay the rent. All her sons
are dead but myself, the youngest, and
IL can de nothing to help her. Sire,
[ think that for such a cause even q
soldier of the Great Frederic need not
blush to shed a few tears"
"You are right. What Is your name,
and where do you come from 2"
"Piter Gelder, sire, and | come from
Holland"
":Very well. Piter Gelder ; l will Look
over the conduct record, and. if 1 find
nothing against you, l will see what
can be done for your mother"
"Slre, SIRE" began the man, fairly
trembling with joy and gratitude !; but
Frederic waved his hand impatiently.
Enough ! Words of thanks give
me no pleasure"
The King had already Gurned to re-
trace his steps, when suddenly he again
faced the happy soldier.
"Piter Gelder, can you sing any
Dutch VOlkSlieder ?"-"Y es, SIRE"
"Do you know one ending with the
words when we meet again, we shall
be old and and cold'2"
Yes, SIRE"
Sing it. "-''Sire, my voice is rough
and unframed
mo m~atter-sing ~
With a trembling but by no means
unmusical voice the soldier Obeyed the
royal command and the King, with
bent head and half -averted face, listened
again to the melody of the song which
had so deeply moved him forty years
before. With the last notes Piter looked
up ~deprecatingly and half fearfully and
was amazed to see the change which
had come Over the features usually so
naughty and stern ; they were now
soft, tender, and dreamy rs those of
the youth who had first listened to the
plaintive words nearly half a century be-
fore In Holland.
Where did you learn the song, Piter?"
"FrOm my mother, sire. 1t was
taught her by her grandmother, who
composed it,"
Tell mt your mothers history"
"Sire, she was born in Holland, where
her mother kept an inn"
"Was her name Van Tam ?"
eyes. sire-Greta van Tam. She
lived at the inn until she married my
father, with whom size was afterwards
very unhappy"
"Why did she marry him ?"
"Sire, it was to please her mother.
My father was supposed to be very
rich, and my grandmother had been
very unfortunate and lost / early all she
possessed. For several years my mother
refused all offers of marriage !; she
could not forget a travelling musician
who came once to the inn, and never
cared for any one else. At last she
sacrificed herself for her mothers sake;
but it was afterwards discovered that
my father was not rich, as he had rep
resented, besides which he drank i'm
moderately. and ill-treated my poor
mother shamefully. Finally he died,
and was followed in the same year by
my three brothers. My mother has
worked hard ever since for her support,
and, until she lost her health, was very
comfortable. That, sire, is all there Is
to tell"
every well. Tomorrow you shall
hear from me, Piter Geld9r."
The soldier was left in a half-stupe-
fed state, wondering how 500 he should
awake from what could be nothing but
a fantastic dream. With w~ide-opened
eyes he gazed after the departing mon
arch slowly disappearing in the direction
of the palace, who walked with his
head bent low and his hands clasped
behind his back. while upon his soft
ened melancholy face was still visible
the strange transformation which the
memories awakened by a simple strain
of music had wrought. Piter could not
,or 4InF he line .V-ar.n nAANfnn anH tho