The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-06
AFTER FIFTY YEARS.
The Scene Of a War Romance
Laid in a Cellar.

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 window-seat,
was enjoying the scent of the great syringa
bush, which grew so close to the house that
it pushed its branches inside whenever il
had the opportunity, so that sitting in the
window was almost like being in an arbor.
! was in Germany, of course, for guillotine
windows, as we call them, are still the
fashion in England, l hear.
Yes; was in Germany, and it was the
day before Whit Sundays lovely May
day-and was just sixteen.
/ 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 blossoms; the wanscotted
room. with the faded red carpet, and anti
quated furniture and ornaments; and
looking through the folding-dOors into the
dining beyond. l 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, a 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
a hurry. Just to see how it looked before
brought Granny TO the house, and | had
seen that it was beautifully declled 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 ! could not
leave Granny quite alone; and while l
waited puzzled myself to make out why
Uncle Dernaa, as we all called him, and his
wife should have chosen to celebrate their
golden wedding in the little country chapel
instead af i'll the large town church, which
seemed so much moro 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
amiSe 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 a touch of grey in it, and had very
small hands and feet. How we had all ad-
mired her the night before, when, for 1.-The
very last time, as she said, she had danced
the charming minuet, which had been ar
ranged in her honor. | can see her now in
her old-fashioned, marvelously short
wasted dress of silk, with a three-cornered
ficbu 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 low bow, saying
with a CLEAN of fun and mischief in his
eyes:
Madame you dance like aFrenchwoman,
and believe l made a mistake after ali in
carrying you off from the French mon
sieur"
Every one laughed at this, and Aunt
Dernau bluShed like q young girl. What
did it all meant Could ask Granny! |
wondered. She had told me once that Aunt
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.
As looked at her she took off her specta-
cieS and closed her prayer-book, and slip
ping down from my throne in the window,
j seated myself on a stool at her feet.
"Granny.n / said coaxingly, couldn't
YOU tell ne your friends story nowl You
know you promised and it is just the right
day for it. They won't be back for a couple
of hours vet, what with the service first.
and then the wedding. and a long sermon,
and all the congratulations, so we have
plenty of time
Just then we caught the sound of distant
church-bellS, by which we knew that the
Drldal procession must De geJClnS near the
chapel.
"Ah. child" said nv grandmother. ''it
was a beautiful time when we two were
young, Lorchen and l; you never saw such
a little wild thing as she was. They called
her the bird. because she was so quick and
graceful, and had such bright eyes in her
pretty little head. There was not prettier
girl far or near. and there was something
about her so different from other girls, that
one could hardly take ones ewes eff her:
she was so dainty and so distingue.
'.And LOrchen herself was so well aware
of the fact, that she was a perfect little
.despot. All the men, old and young did
her homage, and many a one did his best TO
catch and keep the little bird. But this
was not so easy, for Lorchen was obstinate.
and her greatest delight was to tease and
torment her admirers whenever she had the
opportunity. Ioften used TO scold her for
it: for, being her most intimate friend,
acted as confeSsor, and she always honestly
told me her misdeeds. Sometimes, we got
really angry with one another after a ball
or picnic, when her list OF confessions
was unusually long. But where was the
use. She knew that could not help for
giving her, as she said, directly she asked
me, little fondling puss that she was; and
she knew. too, that all young men she had
fooled and tormented would be at her feet
again directly. You know that song: