Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-09-16
BERTHA RUDOLPH.

BERTHA-RUDOLPH.
One evening the young musician,
Rudolph Ornheim, and Bertha, the
prcttest girl of Maycnce, were
alone. They were betrothed. and
yet the following day would ind
them separated. Rudolph was go
ing to a distant province. For two
years he would follow the lessons Of
a clever master; then, on his return,
Bertha's father would give him his
daughter, and surrender mis- position
as chOirmaster in his favor.
"Bertha," said Rudolph, '9et us
play together once more thisl air you
love so well. When VIC shall be sep
arated. at the end OF each day, at
the hour Of grave thoughts, we both
shall play our parts and it will bring
us closer, one to the other"
Bertha took her harp, Rudolph &C
companied her upon his flute and
they played several times Berthas
favorite tune At last they began to
cry, and kissed one another Ru-
dolph departed.
Both were true to their words
Each evening, at the hour when
they had met for the last time,
Bertha went to her harp, Rudolph
took his flute, and each one played
their part. This evening hour Is
solemn and mysterious; it predis.
poses to musing; In reddish vapcrs
that arise upon the horizon it seems
that one sees all the past events APP
pear in vivid picture; that one can
live over all his last days, some gay
and crowned with roses, others sad
draped in mourning.
AT that hour the last breath of the
wind among the leaves seems to mod
ulate tunes to which we attix sweet
and sad remembrances; music is the
souls voice.
Rudolph sometimes stopped play
ing; he thought he heard the vibra-
tions of Bertha's harp mingling with
the sounds of his flute. Two years
passed thus.
One evening Bertha and her father
were under the arbor in their little
garden. This arbor was formed by
five acacias. which spread over head
wreath OF foliage, strcwn with
white flowers; the dark leaves OF H.
laos Gle ID the distance between
their trunks, while three or four
climbing honey -suckles made the spot
perfect bower
Through the narrow entrance the
purple line produced by the setting
sun was visible. 1t was the hour
sacred to remembrance. Bertha
played the favorite tune upon the
harp but suddenly she stopped to
listen.
Everything was silent; the breezcs
even had ceased to move the leaves.
Bertha again played the tune, again
she heard Rudolph's flute.
1t was Rudolph coming back.
Twoyears later Rudolph and Bertha
had beautiful little daughter, Off
spring of union blessed by Bertha's
father before his death. Rudolph
was choirmaster, and the income from
his situation was ample for the young
people.
Rudolph had bought a pretty little
house. AT the back of the house was
q thick growth Of lindens; in front
large green meadow. upon which the
child played. Large Bengal rose
bushes crept all over the white walls,
andeverything was so coy and bright
There was not crack through which
one could peep from the outside;
happy people love retirement
Then the child passed away. and
one month later Bertha died of grief.
When she felt the end drawing
near she said to Rudolph:
SIN vain do l seek to cling to life
through my prayers; l must rejoin
our child, abandon you, await you in
better world. II the dead have the
power to reappear upon this earth
you shall see me again; my shadow
shall hover around you, for my heaven
Is the place whele you are When
the day has come when we can be
united again l shall come to seek you,
and our two souls concentrated in
one shall rise for ever from the earth,
where nothing more will bind them.
Each year on my birthday, whether
you shall be happy or unhappy, loved
or abandoned, sad or gay, at the hour
when the sun is setting, when prayers
mount to Heaven amid the sound Of
the evening bells and the perfume of
flowers. play this tune. which for so
long time has soothed the pains OF
absence; this will be the only con-
ISOLATION I shall have in this long
separation. This music shall be more
harmonious to my soul than all the
concerts Of the churches"
Then she kissed him aud died.
Rudolph became crazy. They made
him travel for some time I'm hi. "a.