New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-26

cuin css Of a single ornament From its rear
doorway across rolling clad in the short
vcrtlure which Is sure token OF barren or neg
lectcl soil YOU could sec the waters OF the i'ud-
son SPARKLING AMI spacious. Our house STOOD
I'm a solitude hundreds OF yards lay between our
selves and the nearest ncighbor. To the north-
ward rose masses OF that abundant native rock
whose bulky and rigid occurrences form so con
tinual a feature OF Manhattan Island. and whose
stohd challenge against the expanding neuop-
oils has met tardy but certain defiance.
Often on winter nights I have watched that |
rocky mass from the window OF my nttle oeu-
chamber looming black and 5agged AGAINST 'he
brilliant stars Child as l was. / soon raiizeo
II 10 be ovcrhunc with the doom OF deeuuc'rn
Slowly. like devoufng monster Khe" u"'V
the city crept every year closer to where we
a,t ca many NJ us look for romance only |
in tho 400 OF a great town-in Its hoary cattle
d,,s ITS schoastic universities Its feudal towers
Rut the youth Of q city, stretching its big strong
limbs like an awakening giant. carcNssly ana
even lazily le,elling a forest quenchinS stream
or c,shng a Hill. has in this gradual birth Of
ricbt and prowess o sombre romance qUfe Its
own
I think that my early childhood must have
khancd some thought like this Each new year
brought the sure advance closer. And II was the
sieadfast ritiless march OF foe Duh boons
from blasting works began to reach us through the
more temperate seasons Every sir1ng we heard
them little more clearly. ] knew what they
meant: | had learned; | was now eight years old.
We held our home by legal right; we were
mere squutters uron an unSuarded territory
yaluelcSs when first found but now gaining with
seed in worth and note. Soon we must fare
10 other quarters The fiat OF dish issal mieht
reach us to morrow It might be delayed for many
moIrows yet
In nv childish way had grown to hate the
enlar,ing CITY, II seemed TO me like dark and
monstrotls threat traced the shadow of 1t IN
nv Parents faces Ii made ne fear my father
more, as 1t made me love my mother
more lie was a German. She a Frenchwoman
Their marriage hal been hasy and stolen one
and their voyage 10 America almost Hight My
mother had been the petted daughter OF wealthy
BRETON bourgeois Leopold Clauss had come To
his farm in the capacity Of SER ing man. lie
MIXED the cows. stalled the sheep tossed the
hay NV mother, naturally delicate, had been
most gently reared. or keen intelligence she
had richly prufted by the tutoishp or an ola
e-udite priest whom her father held in devout
esteem She good. beautiful obedent there
had been some talk OF giving her TO the church
For her TO look with tenderness upon farm
servant ike Leopold Clauss would have been
deemed something abominahlc But one night
she fed with him She loved him, and she fed
with him
In foreign land. bcset with ills Of want and
ton facing a wholly new and often bitter mode
Of existence. she remained his clncins' uncom-
,,ointoo wife Nothing could ALLEVIATE her afec-
tion I have seen many good women since first
recognized her goodness. but no feminine nature
has ever touched mine with Just the same chaste
and sweet force.
Memory yields to ire her image now. with tint
that seem to live, with lines that hold VITA
grace She had great. dark. shining eyes Una
enpearcd equally TO express controlled meIah
choly and a profound PATIENCE Her black mar
~ a charming wave AMI gloss so pentcow
that IL seemed To overburdCn the slim support o
hcr frnil white throat Especially when sh
droo, el under fatigue would observe this effect
II was then that the tragility of her body mad
her resemble plant whose crest or hlooI
too hea, ily weights the stem Her brow had
sort OF holy arch and the curvtng lashcs cas-
a faint little shade urOn her rale check She wa
devotedly fond OF ne And l. II had been MOI
like her should probably have cared for her les
As IL was she inspired in me something like VOL
dor She seemed as secure above all the bas'
c,,s.s n, nassion as the white top OF an alp
above ordinary tenn est ] used TO ask myscl
after grew older what she had given me- II 81
had given me ANYTHING 1t is true that size ha
dropred some sort OF leaven into my nature
viii not only grant this; will assert more L
1
NJ good impulses and by education she had M
tured these into firm n not hardy growth. II
beritace from, nv father had been OF darker ar
.ierncr stuff | was not 20 know In fun, unt
a sin later day. OF the evil flaws which he hs
transmitted To me.
He was a man OF great physical beauty Fro
my earliest recollection he had cultivated a We
etable garden lying about our plain abode and
had often admirinGly watched the supple mo'
ments Of his commanding frame. the fine play
lis massive get Just limbs the careless gold cul
cleaning from the rough hat which sur1nounted
face OF chisced symmetry 1t was this beau
That had won nv mothers headstrong and 4
rolitic passion: perhars II this beauty u
now kert her unfailingy constant lie had
lirhtbme eve. cold as steel as cNpreSsion'
as Ice. | always shrank from that eve OF hi
had seen II Glitter cruelty. and had soon In
vag,,e vet secure way determined that coa
brain Law behind IL. a hard heart below lie
nored me for six good days In the week. a
wouldaccept as Q fact 30 to speak on the 81
.nth But IL not q pleasant fact IT w
on the contrary. a mouth to feed. form
clnthe I was ALWAYS In dread lest he shot
strike ne: had neighbors strike u
children and send them screaming or rmri
into the sauaid huts that were their drca
homes But though sometimes harsh Of orc
and epithet my father always refrained fr
dealing me blow He did not hate me; he
moi in any sense cherish me. He was simply
different 10 ny needs aims, hopes Joys or
He completely lacked the raternal instinct
had hegotien me, and there was an end M
Germans tendcrly love their children do
know that | should call him brutal for not
Inc me- sinoe there many brutes that
face death for their offs ring. And moreoN
there was O distinct reason that such stral
man as he should regard me precisely as he q
no LAWS aft RI
think that II had been anyone except
son-and her son by lis own fathcrhood-he wo
sever have forgiven her for the enduring wois
she Paid me. IL would have seemed TO him