The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-07-18
SELECTED STORY.
The Kaiser's Tree.
From the German Of vne,D,tne Won Heuern.

EDtneWnuU uuNuuCeu III yCurS, WlUn lluci
Aquiline nose, full blond beard verging on
gray, and long hair that escaped in heavy
hooks from under red velvet beretta. He
walked with so majestic tread that 1t
WAS very evident he was no common man,
but one on whose broad shoulders rested
an invisible world. Handsome, tall and
noble he was indeed king among men
u kaiser--a German kaiser from crown
10 toe. A poet, too, he was, and a hero
In the true sense of the word-Anastasius
Grun's Last Knight" Macmillan l.
Here in Breisuch-his city, as he called
it-the kaiser escaped from all affairs Of
state, and here he wrote those tender let
ters to his daughter, Margaret, in the
Netherlands. But in 1911 threatening
clouds hung low and Swallowed the kaiser's
brow, for they presagcd storm that was
10 carry him away forever from the quiet
spot of earth he loved SO well. His eyes
swept sadly over the bright landscape that
lay at his feet And suddenly turning to
his companion he asked:
"Whose children are thoseP" pointing,
rs he spoke, to nicho in the wall where
q boy and girl knelt and with great indus
try were planting Il rosebush. The girl
was about s years old and the boy some
four years her senior, and so absorbed
were they in their work that they did not
hear the kaiser approach. When he stood
beside them, the boy looked up and ex-
claimed:
"Why, it is the kaiscr"
"What are you doing there?" asked
Macmillan, his artist eye feeding the
while upon the charming little pair.
''We are planting Il rose tree to the dear
God " said the lad fearlessly.
"And do you think the dear God will be
much pleasedY'
at is the best we have, /" he said, shrug-
lging his shoulders
The kaiser smiled as he asked, "What
As your namei"
CLANS Liefrink.'
"And is the little girl your sister,"
'No; she is our little neighbor, Council
or Ruppachers Maria"
"Ah, indeed And you love each other
very muchY
"Yes; when grow up-and have knife
ri am going to marry her" The kaiser
looked astonished.
"Must you have a knife to get married."
"Yes, certainly" answered the lad.
HWithout u knife l cannot cut, and if l
cannot cut l cannot earn money, and
must have great deal to marry Mailie,
because she is "a councillors daughter"
"But what will you cut'"
AZ will cut wood"
"Ah understand now; you want to be
Ia wood carver. Was that your fathers
artP''
"Yes When l was little, watched
him carve, and now 1 want to learn my
self but father is dead, and mother cannot
buy me knife"
"Will this do?" And the kaiser drew o
magnificent, many bladed one from his
pocket.
The hot color rushed into the boy S face,
and one could almost see his heart beat
with joy through the little, coarse, torn
Bhirt.
''Yes, yes" he stammered; lit is splen-
didp'
at is yours. Be diligent with it" said
the kaiser.
Hans took it timidly. ''Thank you,
very, very much, - was all he could say,
but bright fire glowed in the dark eyes
that showered sparks of love and graft
tude upon the kaiser.
snow you can go to Nuremberg"
81 should love to go there to Durer's, for
will never carve plates. 1 can't bear such
fiat work. l mean to carve figures that
are natural and that one can take hold of. I"
1.-THE genuine sculptorl" exclaimed the
kaiser. You are right, Hans Liefrink.
Hold to what is natural, and you will never
fail" He drew leathern purse from his
doublet, and handing it to the lad said
t'Only have patience, Hans. Keep these
guldens until you are old enough to
travel, then go to Durer and tell him that
as his sister once held the ladder for him
50 shall he hold it now for you, to mount
ms high as he. VIII you promise me all
this?'
Eyes, dear Herr KAISER" cried Hans
enthusiastically, and he took the kaiser 5
hand and kissed it in his sudden JOY. If
ever carve the dear God, " he exclaimed,
81 will make him look just like you"
Farewell, " laughed the kaiser as he
strobe down the mountain with his com
panion.
The boy stood as in a dream, while
Mailie chewed hole in her apron. A
maid came in search of her, and to her
Mailie told the story of the kaiser and the
knife 1t soon became the gossip of all
Breisach Hans Liefrink was such a
bold fellow. 1t was no marvel that he
should have been prattling to the kaiser
and every one wanted to see the wonder
full knife and the contents of the leathern
purse. But the latter Hans was prudent
enough to show to no one.
-
Years passed. Hans Liefrink lost hi
mother, Mailie hers, and the orphan chill
dren were drawn closer together. In thu
evening after work Hans would breal
through the hedge that separated the gar
dens and would carve lovely figures TO
Mailie, such rs no child in all Breisacl
possessed and she listened in open eye
wonder and admiration while he told he
of the wonderful pictures and wood cary
ings he had seen in the Freiburg catht
dral. Whenever they could they ran u
to the minister and watered the rose tree
the kaisers tree, Hans had named it-an
there they loved to linger, hoping alway
that their kind friend might come agar
Often they called aloud Herr Kaiser
dear Herr Kaiser, come again." but til
childish voices echoed and re-echoed i
vain under the blue sky, and the kaisC
came no more.
The little ones grew up, ana tho ka
Ber's tree grew with them, and the
seemed more and more drawn to it and I
each other as though its tender roots ha
reached out silver threads of love into eac
heart and bound them close with ties thu
held them fast. But, alasl this one trl