The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-05-05
AFTER FIFTY YEARS.
The Scene Of a War Romance
Laid in a Collar.

By making gigantic effort | had at last
succeeded in pushing up the heavy sash of
the old-fashioned guillotine window and
now, sitting in the broad windowseat
was enjoying the scent of the great syringa
bush, which grew so close - the house that
it pushed it's branches inside whenever il
had the opportunity, so that sitting in the
window was almost like being in an arbor.
l was in Germany of course, for guillotine
windows, as we call them, are still the
fashion in England, hear.
Yes; was in Germany, and it was the
day before Whit Sundays lovely May
day-and was just sixteen.
l am a good deal more than sixteen now,
but still, often, when the syringa Is in
blossom and the delicious fragrance comes
floating round me, the whole scene rises
again before my eyes, and see the old
fashioned garden, with its quaintly-Cut
yews and box-hedges, and the apple trees
loaded with blos,oms; the wainscotted
room, with the faded red carpet, and anti
quated furniture and ornaments; and,
looking through the folding doors into the
.dining-room beyond, see the long table
,decked for some festal occasion, two chairs
wreathed with flowers, and before them on
the table, two bouquets composed Of sprays
Of myrtle.
see, too, sitting opposite me in capa-
cious armchair my grandmother, little
old lady in a white lace cap, with prayer
book on her knees, which she was reading
here at home because she could not get as
far as the chapel beyond the town gate. l
had been there myself that morning, all in
hurry, just to see how it looked before l
brought Granny to the house, and l had
seen that it was beautifully decked with
flowers and that there were wax tapers
enough to dazzle one.
After that had come back to the ''wed-
ding house" and waited, for l could not
leave Granny quite alone; and while l
waited puzzled myself to make out why
Uncle Dernau, as we all called him, and his
wife should have chosen to celebrate their
golden wedding in the little country chapel
instead at in the large town church, which
seemed SO much more appropriate.
Then, too, wondered what could be the
meaning of sundry mysterious illusions
which had heard made in the course of
the evening before. They had seemed to
amuse the rest very much, but could
make nothing of them.
Uncle Dernau's little wife was favorite
little woman, with bright eyes, brown hair
without touch of grey in it, and had very
small hands and feet. How we had all ad-
mired her the night before when, for ''the
the charming minuet, which had been ar
ranged in her honor. can see her now in
her old d-fashioned, marvelOusly short
wasted dress Of silk. with a three -cornered
fichu crossed over her chest little shoes
without heels, wide ribbon sandals and
embroidered stockings. Uncle Dernau
himself was her partner, and at the close
of the dance he made her a low bow, sa wing
with CLEAN Of fun and mischief in his
eyes:
and believe made a mistake after ali in
carrying you of from the French mon
sieur!"
Every one laughed at this, and Aunt
Dernau blushed like young girl. What
Dernau was her oldest and her dearest
friend, and that some day she would tell
me her history. Could remind her Of her
promise now!
'cles and closed her prayer-bOOk, and slip
ping down from my throne in the window,
l seated myself on stool at her feet.
Granny" l said coaxingly, Couldn't
you tell mo your friends story now! You
know you promised, and it is just the right
day for it. They won't be back for a couple
of hours yet, what with the service first,
and then the wedding. and q long sermon,
plenty Of time
cburch-bells, by which We knew that the
bridal procession must be getting near the
"Ah, child" said my grandmother, sit
was q beautiful time when We two were
young, Lorchen and l; you never saw such
q little wild thing rs she was They called
her the bird, because she was so quick and
graceful, and had such bright eyes In heI
pretty little head There was Lot pgettiaI
girl far or near. and there was something
about her so different from other girls, tina
one could hardly take ones eyes on her
she was SO dainty and 90 distingue.
"And Lorchen herself was 20 well awar,
OF the fact, that she was q perfect litti,
despot. All the men. old and young, dit
her homage, and many one did his best Il
catch and keep the little bird But thi
was not 30 easy, for Lorchen was obstinate
and her greatest delight was to tease ant
torment her admirers whenever she'had tn
opportunity. often used to scold her TO
It: for, being her most intimate friend,
acted as confessOr, and she always honestl,
told me hsr misdeeds. Sometimes, we 60
really angry with one another after . bal
or picnic, when her list Of confession
was unusually long. But where was tn
usei She knew that could not help for
giving her, as she said, directly she aske
nae, little fondling puss that she was; An
.she knew, too, that all young men she ha
fooled and tormented would be at her fee
again directly. You know that song: