Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-02-14
' Where are your father and motherf"

0
/ his card and left him.
That night when he told Jim his good
/ fortune the burly fellow wiped his eyes
/ with his coatslccve. well, God bless
| you, boy, wanted 10 take you home
/ with me to see the baby some time or
other, but it's all right God bless youi''
Heinrich Ritter began his studies next
day. Many times through the lapse Of
! years his heart almost failed him; once
when he was wrongfully accused of theft,
once when he was ill and played his part
wrong at a grand concert.
At last came the greatest JOY of his life
he was to 90 to Germany and perfect
himself in his art. His Kind beneiactor
was going with him, aud also his benefae-
tors wife and two daughtrrs, one of whom
Heinrich loyed-he had only told this to
his violin though.
Eight years passed The boy grew to
manhood, the girl TO womanhood The
little old violin had been changed for one
of better make and purer tone, but the fair
girls image in Heinrich's heart remained
only more deeply fixed dearer to him than
ever Day and night he had labored,
thinking with alternate hope and fear of
the future before him, but always working,
always studying, pressing on higher and
| higher, overcoming every difficulty, but
still as far as ever from obtaining his OBJ
ject
Fairer even than in carly youth had
Gertrude Lander become. Her hair, like
woven sunlight, wound around her classic
head and rippled over her low white fore
head her eyes deep violet gray; her
features rather small but not inconsistent
with her fairy like form; her hand small
and white and full of magnetic touch. All.
what wender that the rich young baron
cover opposite" had offered title fortune
and himself to herl What wonder that the
young artist from America, who was study
ing painting III Germany, forgot palette,
canvas. and all in looking at this one fair
facel And when he mildly told the young
girls father of his hopes and was coldly
repulsed, was it strange that mother in
America received news that Italy was the
far better place to study the fine artsi She
had told him SO all along she said.
Heinrich had heard from Mr.. Lander
her father, of these proposals. lie was
told that the first would be favored in
every possible way; he was also told that
the love of Gertrude should never be given
to a young man like The artis st, with fame
and fortune yet TO be made.
| Late one night the young musician sat
at his window, which overlooked the
street. Just below walked two young men
| back and forth in earnest conversation.
Heinrich was thinking of the time when he
and Gertrude were children, when they
crossed the ocean, and she one day, look
ing across the sea, had laid her hand in his
and promised to he his little wife just rs
soon as papa would be willing. All what
long time ago that seemed! Madly
Jealous of the rich baron, diacontented with
himself, he put his head on his hands ON
the window sill. He had never dared of
late to say anything To Gertrude of his
love. He was poor, and she was rich; he
would wait until he could meet her on
equal ground.
The conversation below in the street be
came more distinct, from change in the
wind.
81 tell yOu, no use to serenade her. She
doesn't care a thaler for you. Shes i'll
-, Il,
told me so Just as soon as he has made
a grand debut somewhere or other, her
father won't say word, the baron will go
under, and"
"Hush! you are talking too loud; the
walls haye ears" and he was not far from
right.
That was all Heinrich heard, but deep
er Joy came into his heart than he had felt
since the day he had been told he could
study music. OF course in his mind, there
was but one woman in Berlin to be quar-
relied over, and when he heard the low
despairing note of flute from the other
side of the garden, he was not surprised.
After this he worked harder than ever
over his music. Scarcely speaking to any
one, taking no time for amusement, and
scarcely any for rest, Gertrude wondered
what had taken possession of his mind and
thought him dnkind and unthoughtful of her,
never dreaming that all his thoughts and
labors were for her alone
Two years more of hard study and his
hour of triumph came. There was to be a
great concert at Berlin, at which he was to
play. The King (now Emperor) and
Queen were to be there. Heinrich did not
sleep all the night before, he paced the
garden behind the house and thought of
the morrow, thought of his whole life,
thought what should be the theme of his
improvisation and of little Gertrude sleep
ing in the room above, and prayed God to
help him.
1t was the evening of the grand concert.
The house was filled. Everybody wanted
to hear the new yiolinist Heinrich Ritter.
The first part of the program was scarce
ly listened to- but when he stepped on the
stage, for n moment all was still, then
there came such a chorus of applause that
it seemed as if every rafter were clapping.
He acknowledged it, and came forward.
He looked at Gertrude's cxpectant face
eagerly raised to his. He saw the people
waiting. and for II moment felt his own
weakness Don't give up now" some
thing seemed to whisper in his ear, and he
raised the instrument.
All, the story of his life. But my rem
dering, compared to his is like the words
of song without the melody. The great
hall was as still as the interior of pyramid
at midnight Then the air vibrating with
a clear sweet ripple of melody that seem
ed far away. Heinrich was thinking of
their coming to America, the city in the
mist then the rude inharmonOus harmony
of doubts and fears, and the little home by
the lake; the long evenings when he sat n
child at his fathers feet, and listened to
the sweet tones OF the old violin. Then
the weird notes ofthc Fri King frightened
by the meeting with one who could unlock
the world of sweet sounds 10 him; then his
love for Gertrude and the return to Ger
many, and his despair and then reyivng
hope and longings for the future. One
could have heard in the music the voice of
the rnshing Rhine, have seen the sunlight
on the water, and the form of Gertrude
I 1. -.