Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1890-08-14
RUINS OF RAUHENsTEIN,
FROM THE FRENCH OF BERTHE VA
DER.

hOA1ND VA hHUlLlsO1 LllN
FROM THE FRENCH OF BERTHE VA,
DER.
Last year I was at Baden with Nine.
Belair and her party, consisting OF
collection of children marching under
the orders of an elderly governess,
. Mile. Charlotte Bergan, and very
elegant young tutor, Mr.. Rodolph
Stein.
For two weeks we had been kept
prisoners in the house, when one morn
ing the sun came out brightly and it
was unanimously decided that pupils,
preceptors and all must take q walk.
Cries of joy greeted this proclamation;
books and states were thrown down,
hats and parasols snatched up and away
we went.
We climed the stony paths, scaled
the rocks gathering right and left
handfuls of saxifrage and cyclamen, not
emitting the obligatory ordinations of
delight over the beauty of the land
scape.
And so at last we arrived OF the ruins
of Rauhenstein. Half turrent, an old
crumbling wall, an ogive chapel win
dow, long-dried cistern-the whole
covered with vines and Swallowed by
waving pine trees-that is all that is
left Of the old castle. Nine. Belair sat
down on the moss; the children
went on gathering flowers; Mile. Char
lotte was poking around the old stones
in hope of finding some forgotten
treasure, and I was gazing over the
shady valley and at the chain of oppo-
site hills where, in an indentation,
stood the ruins of the castle OF Rau-
heneck.
As for Mr.. Rodolph Stein, he was
seated at the foot of pine with q
dreamy air not usual to him and which
bordered ON the sulky. asked him if
he were composing poem or novel.
He replied that it was not impossible.
As he constantly insists that he is the
prosaic IN person, this answer made us
laugh, and we expressed doubts about
his literary aptitudes which piqued his
vanity. He maintained that nothing
was easier than to measure off verses,
or fabricate tale; and that if he cared
to try he was quite sure he could sue
coed as well as this or that celebrity.
Nine. Belair then declared, in a
pleasant, joking way, that he would
like to have proof of this power. The
handsome Rodolph announced himself
ready to satisfy her, and even offered,
then and there, to improvise story on
any subject we might select. With
one accord we demanded legend on
the castles of Rauheneck and Rauhen-
stein.
Our young author bowed, reques ting
aquarter of an hour to prepare his
plot. He drew out q notebook, usu-
ally devoted to commonplace mem
oranda, rapidly traced an outline, and
the fifteen minutes had not passed be-
fore he was ready to give us the follow
ing recital:
Dye who listen! let loose the bride
Of your imagination, let it raise again
these fallen walls of Rauhenstein and
Rauheneck, and picture their brilliant
banners futtering in the breeze; let it
people them with crowd of varlets
and men-at arms. Do you see them
now, those rival fortresses, facing each
other with menacing men? Two
naughty mobiles lived in them, formerly
friends, but later enemies. They loved
the same woman-an old story. Love
divides as many as it unites.
The Sire de Rauhenstein had son !;
the Sire de Rauheneck had daughter.
Hermann was like young pine-tree;
Lithinia was like tender flower. He
was handsome, she was lovely.
One day the young girl was walking
OH ~, he ,koT, he
what? Ehl what do all young girls
seek in spring-time but flowers and
dreams?
Chance, which usually arranges
things well, that day led Hermann on
the lands of his fathers foe; and there
he met the maiden.
@Ohl" he exclaimed.
@Ahl" she murmured.
3Alasp they both sighed.
They met again, and often-very
often. Love makes rapid progress be-
tween those who ought to hate each
other, so sweet is fruit forbidden.
Meanwhile Anthem, the Chaplain, who
had the not easy mission of instructing
the young cheyalier, noticed that his
pupil was even less attentive than was
his wont. The worthy ecclesiastic,
curious to fathom the cause, watched,
discovered the meetings with the
pretty chatelaine, and, full of zeal, ran
to warn the lord Of Rauhenstein.
About the same time Dame Hedwige,
Lithinia's governess, perceived that
this young person no longer delighted
in her tapestry. Sometimes the work
fell from her little white hands, and
she kept losing her needle These
symptoms awoke the danes wonder:
but when one day Lithinia put in three
stitches Of violet wool when she ought
to have used green, thai was enough.
Dame Hedwidge did as had done the
venerable Anthem, she watched her
pupil, saw her meet Hermann and few
to communicate her discovery to the
Count of Rauheneck.
The two fathers, each In his own
castle, reflected profoundly, with what
result we shall see.
On the morrow the Sire de Rauhen-
stein, in gorgeous attire, mounted on
his finest horse and followed by q
numerous suite, descended from his
manor.
The same day, at the same hour. the
Sire de Ranheneck descended in like
state from his fortress, so that the two
adversaries met on neutral ground.
Each on perceiving the other had q
smile on his lips as he courteonsly