Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-04-03

tracts for the building Of railroads. 1T
| that country spent the greater part o.
my boyhood and youth. There | wa:
educated in the best schools, my father
sparing no money to have me taught
every thing that a gentleman should
| know. My mother died when I was
mere infant, and as my fathers vocation
made it necessary for him to travel ;
great deal, my life was often a lionel,
one. For society I depended entirely
upon my fellow scholars, my tutors anl
masters. 1t was my fathers intention
however, that when | had finished ny
studies | should go to one of the grca-
| European capitals, there to mix with
the world.
| But when this period arrived I was
in no haste to avail myself of the ed
vantages he offered me. Ny tastes were
| studious, my disposition contemplatiye
and was lover of rural life.
My father had leased an old castle
in Corinthia. not far from the mount
aims; and here he kept his books and
charts, and here came for recreation
| and study whenever his arduous duties
gave him little breathing spell. Fol-
| several months l had lived at this
castle, happy when my father was with
me and happy when I was alone. l ex-
pected soon to go to Vienna, where my
| father would introduce me to some OF
| his influential friends. But day by day
postponed the journey
| 'Wallzing one morning q few miles
| from the castle | saw at the edge of a
| piece of woodland a female figure seated
beneath tree. Approaching nearer, /
perceived that she was young, and that
| she was slletching. | was surprised,
| for 1 knew that in this part of the world
young women, at least those of the
upper classes, to which the costume
and tastes of this one showed her to be-
ong, were not allowed to wander about
the country by themselves: but although
stood still and watched the young
lady for some time, no companion APP
peared upon the scene.
The path | had intended to take led
past the piece of woodland and | saw no
reason why | should diverge from my
proposed course. | accordingly pro-
cceded and when I reached the young
lady bowed and raised my hat | think
that for some time she had perceived
my approach, and she looked up at me
with q face that was half merry, half in
quisitive and perfectly charming. | can
not describe the effect which her express
sion had upon me. [ had never seen her
before, but her look was not such a one
as she would bestow upon a stranger.
had the most powerful desire to stop and
speak to her, but having no right to do
I,,t h. Io :
said to me in the best of English: Good
morning, sir Then | stopped, you may
be sure. | was so accustomed to speak
to those I met in either French or Ger
man that [ involuntarily said to her:
Bon jour, Madcmoiselle.' You need not
speak French, she said: Il am neither
English nor American. but | speak their
language. Are you the gentleman who
lives in Wulrick Castle? If so. we are
neighbors, and | wish you would tell me
why you live there nearly all the time
alone
AT this I sat down by her. Il am
that person, said. and handed her my
card. But before [ say any more, please
tell me who you are Il am Marie
Dorfler. My fathers house is on the
other side of this piece of woodland;
you can not see it from here; this is
part of his estate. And now tell me
why you live all by yourself in that old
ruin 1t is not altogether a ruin l
answered; part of it is in very good
condition. And then | proceeded to
give her an account of my method of
life and my reasons for it. 1t is inter-
csting, She said, but it is very odd Il
DO not think it half so odd / answered,
as that you should be here by yourself
That is truly an out-of-the-way sort of
thing she said. but just now l am
doing Out-of-the-Way things. If l do
not do them now | shall never have the
opportunity again. In two weeks L
shall be married, and then | shall go to
Prague, and every thing will be by line
and rule. No more delightful rambIe3
by myself. No more sitting quietly in
the woods watching the little birds and
hares. No more making . sketch just
whore | please, no matter whether the
ground be damp or not. L wonder
that you are allowed 30 do these things
now | said. Il am not allowed she
answered. Il do them in hours when |
am supposed to be painting flower pieces
in an upper room,' But when you're
| said. your husband will be
your companion in such rambles.'