The true northerner., 1895-10-18
A RHINE LEGEND.

It was years ago and I'm Germany,
where, especially at that day, mighty
line was drawn between the rich and poor,
that In certain village beside the Rhine
lived two who made the old, old story
new for themselves and almost believed,
as lovers will, that they were the first who
had ever loved each other-Gretchen and
Carl both peasants children. and both as
poor, in everything but youth and health
and beauty, as any twain could be.
But for all this they would willingly
have united their fortunes or their lack Of
fortunes, but for the wise old folk, who
know so much more about the world than
young ones can and quite forget how much
better lenten feast, with love at the
board, is to youth than all the dainty
viands that can be spread on silver and set
forth on damask if the little god is away.
The old folk set themselves to oppose the
match stoutly, on the ground that Carl
would never earn his salt and that Gretch-
en-, being very pretty, might make better
match. Indeed the baron, whose castle
stood not far off, and who was not so old
as he might have been and was rolling in
gold, would, as all knew, have been only
cottage and have Gretchen for his bride.
But the girl found no charm in his title
or his wealth or his person to lead her to
forget Carl, and when he left her to seek
his fortune, that he might share it, when
found, with her, she gave him lock of
her golden hair and promised that she
never would forget him.
Gretchen sang and danced no more. She
changed sadly In face and heart, but the
Baron Claussen only thought her more
lovely and more like lady with her pale
checks and downcast eyes and haunted the
cottage as much as ever.
Carl, ever so far away footsore and sad,
but making sure of fortune ahead of
him, and happy just as even his stout legs
began TO fail him in meeting with good
natured boatman, who took him on board
and bade him be at ease until he reached
the end of his journey. So Carl lounged
upon the deck of the little craft with its
load of cheeses, and looking over into the
water thought of Gretchen, never guessing
that his sighs had brought to the surface a
beautiful mermaid, who no sooner set eyes
upon Carl than she fell madly in love with
him and began forthwith to sing and play
upon her Tyre and comb her hair and use
all her mermaid arts to lure the peasant
to her. She floated with him to the mouth
of The Hague, where, finding no avenue to
fortune in any other direction, poor Carl
shipped Oh board vessel bound Tor a TWO
years voyage and hired man who was
about TO travel down into Hesse Darn
stadt to take the news to his sweetheart.
"And tell her, said Carl, "that shall
think of her by day and by night and shall
return TO claim her for my own when this
voyage is over
The man promised and the mermaid re-
ioiced, for Carl was TO be within her reach
for two long years. But this was not
enough for her, for she was a very willy
mermaid. One moonlight night she saw
the messenger walking on the shore and
called TO him.
He was an ugly looking fellow, with
red nose, with whom mermaids were not
apt to fall in love- So he had never seen
one. And when he saw her with her pearly
skin and sapphire eyes and floating hair,
her hands lying upon the golden strings
of her Tyre, all ringed with pearls, and
pearls dripping from the lobes of her pure
ears and wound about her neck, and saw
her smile and felt her breath, and heard
her voice, he grew bewildered. First she
made love to him. then she bade him do
something To prove that he cared for her.
1t was such "a little thing-only to go on
board the vessel and take Carl unawares
and push him over. After that he would
find her waiting for him by the mouth of
the Rhine.
She had not the slightest intention of
keeping her vow, but the man believed her
and went on board the vessel and gave
form leaning over the bulwarks push
hat inf ha of b,rt in,
his excitement he made a mistake and
only drowned young sailor from Han
over, instead of tossing Carl into the mer-
maids arms. Then, terrified by the cry
the man gave, he fled, not waiting to keep
his appointment with the mermaid, but
making the best of his way to Hesse
Darmstadt.
Then, being a good Catholic, he be-
thought him-for he had no idea of his
mistake-that the drowned Carl would
have no masses said for him unless his
kindred knew of his demise, and SO went
down To the cottage, where Gretchen sat
spinning. There he inquired If any there
knew one Carl Steyer. Then there was "A
little cry and the wheel stopped
81 bring news of him, F" said the man,
bad news. knew him In Holland. He
had shipped for two years voyage but
before the vessel started he was drowned.
saw him fall overheard. God rest his
soulP' Then he went away, inwardly
cursing himself and the mermaid, who,
in very excellent spirits, was following
over the sea the vessel on which Carl
sailed, thinking of nothing but home and
Gretchen.
The news nearly killed the poor girl,
since she never doubted 1t for q moment,
but though had she known Carl to be liv-
Ing she would have thought of him only
and waited for him through long rolling
years and loved him though all his beauty
had left him and though he had returned
poorer than when he parted from her the
veil of death separated him from her so
completely and there was such blank
wherever she turned her yearning eyes
that in the end she did not feel so angry
With the Baron Claussen for looking at
her tenderly and holding her hand fondly,
and at last she married the baron and
went, with a crown OF white flowers on
her head and white gloves on her brown
hands, up to his castle, his BRIDE and not
unhappy.
1t was grand wedding, and the bride