Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-22

From the German of Prince Emil Zu schonaieh-
Carolath, in Ueber land ind MeeT-Transated
for the RECORD UNION by Miss Minnie Sweeney
PARIS, February Il, 1881
DEAR FRIEND As stone falls into a
sleeping brook, so your last letter dropped
into my dreamy life. With chain this
powerful passage seemed to tetter me; 'T
congratulate you that you have concluded
once more to spend your holidays with
your uncle. l congratulate you, because
assume that you now at last seriously in
tend to take your cousin Annie by the
hand and ask her to give the said little
hand into your lifelong keeping. After
receiving her consent, you would do well
to do beg pardon, on your knees, for hav-
ing been a blind, dull fool, who for years
have tarIied about there, without having
guessed either the wishes OF the dear
old folks or the heart secret of a
gentle, modest woman. This dreamy
idiocy - idiocy is strong, friend
has made you stand in everybody's light,
but most of all in your own. Thank God
that he has made the heart of woman pa
tient in waiting-to my mind your cousin
Annie ia too rich in this quahty-and that
He has permitted light to break in on
you, even at the eleventh hour. Do make
note of this, Qlerido Life is given US
to be awake il, not to be slept through !;
to dream it away is to lose it entirely !;
once dreamt away it returns no more.
As read those lines | thoughtfully put
the score of my symphony into Its accus-
toned drawer for three years l have been
trying to find fitting finale for that
same symphony and stepped to the
window. Cousin Annie, my wife
How was it that she had not long
been mine? Through my mind rushed the
time spent with her, when had dreamed
and sung of her multitude of little Incl.
dents, unimportant and half forgotten,
suddenly assumed a significance, new, deep
and enhancing. Cousin Annie had indeed
ever been peculiarly suited to ne, | had
truly been foolish, dull, blind, to have
lived near her so long without asking her
to be my wife. 0, thanks, thanks, my
friend, for your caustic reminder, which
has walked me, and, thank God, it is not
yet too late.
In a happy reverie l drew back the cur.
tain. About the roofs the swallows darted
In the sunset glow, twittering softly. From
Simeon's belfry pealed the Angelus, soft
and low. When it was dark, | seated
myself at the piano, to play away the
tumult that ruled me. The effort was
vain, for one air ran through everything:
"see the radiant distance
Promises future bliss"
It was new melody to that old ballad,
whose refrain thus runs. Bat enough of
this.
Brimming over with Joy, boarded the
extra coach next morning Gayer of heart
[ had never been things, that at other
times l had not noticed, made me happy
that day. The heavy-set, tail switching
horses, the noisy, quar- elsome sparrows in
the inner yard and most Of all, the sleepy
countenances, which looked out of the
windows as the coach ratified by, had
quaint charm for me. To the beggsr chill
dren l threw coppers, and with the market
women | exchanged greetings. Even the
perpendicular, tiresome road, over which
we slowly drove, was not sufficient to dis
turb nv good humor. Soon the horses
were changed, and the coach, suddenly
leaving the beaten track, dipped into fine
country road, which led us by the dear
familiar uplands with their ridges, from
which the heavy golden corn waved dreami-
ly in the distance, motley line of now
ers moved toward this waving wall, leav-
ing bshind them yellow stretch palpitat-
ing with dust. Now the lake glittered up
from the valley, and above rose the little
castle with its gabled roof, brightly smil-
ing from out the foliage of the park.
Past the low stone walls, past them to
the lattice gate in the heart OF the gar
den l saw a fash-a white dress (;
again, at the entrance little face, flushed
with running, which disappeared as it
caught sight of the coach, into the wilder
ness of vines-then we turned into the
quiet courtyard. In the bow-window my
good aunt appeared, her face kind and
csre-worn she saw me, raised her hands
in astonishment and disappeared the
hounds, disturbed in their midday 3lum.
bers, barked and pulled furiously at their
chains, and all the while the position
sang, Justify:
when come, when l come,