The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1891-07-10
The Rambler,

At seven o'clock one evening late in july
the Rambler descended the spiral stalrcas
which led from his chamber to the dinin,
room of the pension. AS he entered TIN
room he beheld all the inmates of Fral
at the evening meal The Rambler's sea
was between the Frau and one of he
daughters, Fraulein .Hilda. Scarcely hat
the Rambler seated himself, when the con
versatiOn at the lower end of the table be
came animated, and the most cOnspicuOu.
word seemed to be the German wore
Beleuchtung. In amoment Fraulein Hilds
broke the silence.
care you going to the Beleuchtung to-
night ~ 81 am not sure, but think may
replied the Rambler in his ignorance as tC
what the beleuchtung might be. His EN-.
barrassment was, however, shortly dis.
PEELED by the following information offered
by the Fraulein.
Among the students attending the Uni
versity OF Heidelberg. certain number
who engage in the old custom of fighting
duels, are known as KOrps students. These
KOrps students are recognized by the nu-
merOus scars, with which their faces are
diSfigured, and by peculiar caps perched
jauntily on their heads. The caps are flat
crowned and vary in color, the color denOt-
ing the kOrps to which the wearer belongs.
Thus white cap marks the student as a
member of the SaXO-PruSSian KOrps; vel
low one places the student in the Swabian
KOrps
One of the Oldest and most renowned
Korps in the Westphalian, the members of
which are distinguished by the green cap.
On this particular night this korps were to
celebrate an anniversary by Illuminating
the old Heidelberg Castle.
OF course the Rambler made haste to find
fhnh n., <,f <1A 1l,,,,,s ,,,l
best place from which to view it. A quar-
ter of an hour later the Rambler, leaving
Frau Blanks pension which stood on the
Aulage, walked along with the crowds
which nearly chOked up the narrow streets,
and at last found himself at the Old bridge
leading over the Neckar river, from the op-
posite end OF which, the best view of the
site bank of the Nealsa, tae S.n.. ~ ~ -,
old Castle standing high d f6ver the rfSNef
could be indistinctly made out in the dim
light.
Limited space forbids here full descrip
ton of the famous ruin, but a brief sketch
of the front will be of interest. The Castle
lies behind the town on steep declivity
some three hundred feet above the river;
the plan is a hollow square, one side of
which faces the Neckar. The buildings on
this side form the best preserved portion of
the ruins and extend about one thousand
in length. 1t is composed of six different
structures. On the extreme right las seen
from the BRIDGE stands the SO-called Big
Tower two hundred and seventy feet in
height, adjoining which is the English
building, now merely a labyrinth of rough
stone walls. In the middle stands the
Chapel and the Frederic Building, the latter
with its roof and front still intact, and be-
fore which runs the grand Terrace forty
feet wide. Beyond is the small addition of
wiz vry1i Ia I'M 1.ny, sc to 1l
on the extreme left by the lofty Octagonal
or Bell Tower.
The Rambler stood silently watching the
river and anticipating in his thoughts the
illumination so close at hand. OF a sudden
the crowd is hushed for a moment only,
for, as the red lights begin to appear in the
innumerable windows of the Castle, rip
pie of excitement spreads over the expect
ant crowds which finally finds expression
in murmur, increasing in volume as the
number of lights grow larger. The faint
lights gradually increase in intensity until
the interior OF the Castle appears to be in
flames. The dark, uncouth walls and
threatening towers stand out in contrast as
never before, producing an effect which
alone can conceive. Suddenly the red light
spreads over the broad walk of the Terrace,
flashes from the tops of the high towers,
leaps from roof to roof, until the whole cas-
tie is seemingly swept by cOnfagration.
The light from the Castle covers the sur
rounding forest and town, adding through
its unsteadiness weird appearance to the
old town.
So profound and real was the Impression
made upon the Rambler's mind that, as
figures appeared on, and disappeared from
the walls and towers, he exclaimed to him
self: sit is the destruction of Nineveh of
old. There in the palace is Sardanapalus
and his wives, and there in the surrounding
darkness drawn up in battle array, are the
vast armies of CyaXares and NabOpolaSsar''
While the illumination at it's height, two
long barges decorated with Chinese lanterns
and multitude of brilliant caps, are seen
drifting down the river. Slowly the con-
fused mass of lanterns, students and caps
approach the Castle, and, when opposite it,
the students break out into one of their
favorite songs. The voices of thousand |
students join in swelling the harmonious
strains, until the narrow Neckar valley is |
filled with echoes repealed by the Castle |
walls and rebOunding from the Opposite |
height of PhilOsophenweg. This is the |
of the celebration, and little |
wonder is il that only the students but also |
the spectators are wrought up to a high de-
gree of excitement.
After the barges have passed the illumin-
alton gradually declines, and before long
the lights faded away leaving only the |
grewsOme walls browning upon the spec
tatOrs.
The students betake themselves to their
Kneipen or drinking clubs, to pass the re-
of the night in drinking beer to /
the health of the Westphalian Korps and
to the perpetuity of the old Heidelberg
Castle, while the spectators return home
and go to bed like peacable citizens to
dream perhaps of frightful CONGREGATIONS,
Of bloody duels fought as German students,
Or of terrible sieges of by-gone ages. The
Rambler himself in his dreams that night,
descended the Neckar with the German
sang their peculiar song and en-
IOyed their attractive life