Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-03-21

early" she said, aand finding it too warm
down in the valley, | climbed up here to
reach the shadow of the woods, and had
lost my way 1t was really lucky for me
to meet you there
We talked still further about this and
ttat-indiiferent subjects, which | do not
now recall
But one thing / do remember, that her
light step was more like airy fight-she
hardly touched the ground; her voice was
gentle music, and her wondrous eyes
heaven to behold-now like two suns, then
blue serene as is the violet, and withal so
deep, mysterious, and love violets.
The walk from the woods to the Water
ing-place appeared to me this day aston
ingly short, as if by some magician's craft
transformed. Almost before | knew it we
were in Reinerz, and in front of store
with ladies' furnishing goods. Here my
fairy of the woods made halt. Once more
she thanked me for my timely "help;'
said that she hoped to see me again, since
she, also, intended to stay for some little
time at Reinerz; then-she disappeared
in the store.
With timid, hesitating looks / scanned
the show-window, with its display of
bodices, and hose, and embroidered articles
of underwear. Yes, that was clear, to fol-
low her, that would not do; l was fairly
dismissed And | didn't even know her
name, had not even asked where she
lived. Nothing did know-nothing and
for moment | thought as if, for me, she
had forever disappeared behind that omi
nous show-window. | felt very much like
waiting till my fairy princess-for she
looked, indeed, like one-would emerge
from the store, and then to make up for
lost questions and answers. But my often
assevented sensibleness restrained me
from committing this breach of good
breeding. | had been dismissed-plalnly
and Enthusiastically dismissed; yet, accord
ing TO the very words of my unknown
lady, l was entitled to the hope of seeing her
again. Was she, perhaps, princess travel
ing ncognito-accustomed, as such, to see
her slightest wishes obeyed without a MUIR
muir of dissent-my tarrying at this place
would have marked me in her eyes as dis
obedient and obtrusive person No sooner
had | reached that conclusion, than |
FASTENED to remove myself, with all
possible dispatch, from the reach Of
that ominous show-window Thus, then,
in the most commonplace manner in the
world, had lost sight of my princess of
the woods. And very dissatisfied with
myself, went home.
But my solitary, not Extraordinarily
furnished room had little attraction for
me. | happened to think of the ball that
was to come off tonight. Perhaps my
forest princess, like other common mortals,
would be there to dance And quickly l
arrayed myself in evening dress and white
cravat, bestowing, by the way, an extraor-
binary care upon my toilet; and, elated
by the consciousness of presenting a toler
ably fair appearance, | went to the pavil
ion. This self-complacent feeling was still
further increased by the impression which
said figure of mine was evidently produc
ing among the daughters of the natives
or, rather, to put it more correctly, upon
the mothers of said several native daugh-
tiers, whose glasses-the mothers'-were at
once focused on me with divers kind and
encouraging looks. But, knowing well
that these favors were meant not so much
for my individual ego, but, rather, for the
genus mGsculinum in general, which at this
party was but slightly represented, /
wrapped about me the cool drapery of
distance and kept myself more in the vi
entity of the door, for fear Of missing the
advent of my forest princess. In the
meantime the music had commenced, the
heat in the hall was beginning to become
unbearable, and my forest princess came
not.
''She does right in staying away, and |
might have known that before" | said to
myself, and stepped out upon the terrace.
There met the District Attorney and
the Judge, who came up the steps at a
rather lively gait, apparently in hurry to
reach the hall.
"Ah you here? l thought you were
not coming to the ball p | asked, quite
innocently, stepping before them.
Yes, that's so; but what. in the name
of goodness, is one to do in the evening,
after all ~ answered the District Attorney,
"and, besides, Holtfeuer, here, the dear
fellow, had such unconquerable desire"
"Stop let truth prevail, dear Hersford /;
It's ] who fell sacrifice to friendship" in
terrupted the Judge; the District Attor-
ney was suddenly seized with a perfect
mania for dancing"
Poet of fictionw edged in the District
Attorney.
ale merely attributes to me his own
feelings"
"All right" l said "wish you much
pleasure for me It's too warm in the hal"
and the two friends, one and inseparable,
as usual, disappeared in the ballroom.
| remained on the terrace and looked
down upon the park, which seemed to me
entirely changed. Was it the magic of the
moonlight night which made everything
appear so peculiarly mysterious and at
tractive? Or had my imagination been
excited to greater activity by the meeting
with my forest princess ?" | was almost
certain that here, in the dusk of the moon
light, / should find the sequel to my fairy
tale of the woods, and looking once more
into the hall, to make sure that
my beautiful unknown had not
arrived, | descended to the park.
How long my meonshine promenade did
last | Cannot tell, but time must have
passed rapidly with me in the refreshing
GOODNESS of the evening air, and in COM
pany with the various thoughts which
thronged my head The fairy adventure
which expected did not come to pass, and
when | returned from my fruitless, feverish
WdilutIlllS II HitSI nave Dccll very ldtc, LOT
the party at the ball had broken up, and
the lights in the hall were being Just
turned out
Why did these lines of Heine, the poet,
who had loved SO oft, just then run in my
thoughts?
1.-The angels call it heavens delight,
The devils call it helrs own blight.
The creatures on earth call it love"
Wasn't my heart dead?
The next morning only the District At
torney appeared on the promenade.
To my question after last nights dancing
party, he merely said it had been So, so;
nothing extra" His friend Holtfeuer,
however, had greatly amused him, for he
imagined to have at last found the realiza-
ton of his Ideal" "The fire of love-"
he continued, has been kindled in his
heart by pair of beautiful eyes, and no
doubt, he has passed the whole night in
writing sonnets. He was still sleeping like