The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-09-03
A PEACEFUL VICTORY.
a Grand War Hero and His Glori-
Gus Reward.

GUS Reward.
It was the evening Of a long, hot
summer day. The Bavarian village of
Weindorf was en- fete. Flags were fly
ing; a brass band was playing in the
Lust Garten its loudest and its mer-
riest. In full harmony with the gay
sights and sounds were the hearts of
the villagers. The war, which had
united Bavarians, Saxons and Prus-
slams in great bond OF brotherhood
against a common enemy, had been
brought to q triumphant close. Sedan
bad crowned the long series Of leu
tonic victories, and peace was secured
at last. Even little Weindorf had had
its share in the struggle, had given it's
blood and its tears in the sacred cause,
and had earned its right to share in the
rejoicing, which was the outcome of
sacrifice Only the day before nv
story opens two WeindOrfers had re-
turned from the war. and one of them
bad made for himself "a name i'm whose
reelected glory his friends and neigh
bors found no small cause for exuita-
ton. Within q low, dark fruit-shop,
an old dame, in q short blue-stufi petit
coat and "a loose dark jacket. and with
gay-colorcd cotton handkerchief tied
over her scauty gray locks, sat, briskly
knitting. She had a yellow, wrinkled
face. and her round, sharp. dark ewes
looked keenly ont over pair of broad
Tlmm spectacles.
In a room opening ont from the shop
ayoung Bavarian soldier lay on rough
bench. His head was supported bv a
pillow; one arm hung useless bv his
side look of utter sadness was in his
blue eyes. Wilhelm Bauer was grand
son OF the old dame, who rented the
Neindori truiterer's shop. His father
bad died early; the mother quickly fol-
lowed her husband; Wilhelm. at 4 ten
der age, passed into his grandmother's
Keeping. "A quiet, good-humored little
lad, he soon learned to make himself
useful I'm the shop and to gain the
favor alike of its proprietress and pat
rons. AL school he evinced decided
aptitude for learning; he had a good
voice, too, and presently became mem
Der OF the church choir. Father An
dreas took fancy TO the bow, gave him
lessons in organ playing and i'm liter
allure, his own favorite pursuits. and
spoke OF him as a youth with a per-
cepton and love of the harmonies Of
music and poetry. AS time wore on,
Wilhelm, grown into a young man.
took upon him the duties of sacristan.
lie rang the church bell for early mass,
for vespcrs of benediction; he swept
and cleaned the church and sacristv at
least once i'm every week; when no
alcolVte was present he assisted the
ceiebrant i'm the mass, his responsive
voice sounding out clear and sweet i'm
the incensc-laden air. The quiet old
church had great charm for him; he
knew every dim corner, every spot
upou the pavement which caught the
morning and evening sunlight stream
ing through the colored windows; all
the pictures were his familiar friends.
Early in life Wilhelm met the fate in
evitable 90 man of his fervent poet
ical temperament; he fell i'm love. The
object OF has affection was Gretchen
hellner, daughter of Hans kellner,
who kept the Favorit Backerei
Gretchen was the belle of Weindorf
charming madchen, with n graceful
little figure, a bewitchingly blight
face, and a mass of gloriously, uboom-
prOmisngly red hair. The English
artist had not long established himself
in the village before he made acQuain-
tance with Gretchen and conceived for
her an impersopol painters passion.
His fingers itched to paint her, and i'm
due time he secured her services as
model at moderate rate of rcnumer-
alton. She bad figured i'm one or two
ofhis sketches of Wcindorf corners,
and the report circulated among the
neighbors that in the great picture ex-
hbition held yearly IN London full
length portrait of the girl, represented
as presiding over n flOwer-Stall, would
shortly appear. Gretchen kellner had
many admirers, consequently Wilhelm
had many rivals. Among these rival
claimants for her hand was Franz
Muller, an unpublished, taciturn, but
decidedly good looking and capable
young farmer. who rented a few acres
within a mile of Weindorf Franz did
NOT shine in mixed society but in his
working-dav manners, he cut an ad-
mirable figure. with his tall, active
form, his erect head, his handsome
sunburnt face, his toil-marked hands,
and his manliness of bearing. Then,
too. he was we'll off. and had an eN-
cepuonally comfortable home to offer
20 q wife.
Gretchen was a coquet; she shrank
from resigning her freedom and cur
failing her train of adOrers by definite
acceptance of any one among her nu-
merous suitors. First one admirer,
then another, would be singled out for
marks of favor, but when the question
of marriage was propounded, the girl
became obdurate. Upon that sub
ject, she said airily, ''she had not
made mp her mind, "
The suspense of his position was all
but uncomfortable TO Wilhelm. His love
was an over-mastering passion;
Gretchen-her beauty and her tantaliz-
ing, enslaving eoquetry-was never
cut of his mind.
AT last came the war between France
and Germany. Wilhelm Bauer and
Franz Muller who had both served in
the army the three years demanded by
the State Of every German, volunteered
for active service. Love for Gretchen,
no less than love for the national cause,
was Wilhelm's animating motive for
action. He courtcd danger gladly, tor
the sake Of the distinctions which be