Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-12

they were opened. For Princess Osra and
her lover were walking up and down to-
gether on this terrace. And the two
shrugged their shoulders smiling.
with him." remarked the king, 1t will
nave been with
THE countess, SIRE" discreetly interrupt
ed Count Sergius of Anthem.
why, yes, the countess" said the king,
ard, with a laugh, they turned back TO
their wine.
But the two on the terrace also talked
Il do not understand it," said Princess
osra. For on the first day / loved you,
and on the second l loved you, and on the
third and the fourth, and every day loved
you. Yet the first day was not like the sec
ond, nor the second like the third, nor any
day like any other. And today. again, is
unlike them all. Is love SO various and full
OF changes?"
rs it not?' he asked with a smile. For
while you were with the queen, talking of 1
know not what"
Nor 1, indeed said Osra hastily.
Il was with the king. and he. saying that
forewarred was forearmed. told me very
strange and pretty stories; of some report
had reached me before"
And yet you came to Strelsau?'
while OF others l had not heard
"Or you would not have come to Strel-
sauw
The grand duke, not needing these ques-
tions, proceeded TO his conclusion:
Love therefore, said he,''is very various.
For NJ. de Merosailles-"
These are old stories, cried Osra, pre-
tending to stop her ears.
Loved in one way, and Stephen the
smith in another, and-the miller of Hof-
bau in a third"
Il think" said osra. that have forgot
ten the miller of Hofbau. But can one
heart love in many different ways? know
that different men love differently"
But cannot one heart love in different
ways?' he smiled.
May be-, said osra, thoughtfully, "one
heart can have loved" But then she sud
ed n al Wi
sparkle in her eyes. No, no. she cried,
''it was not love. 1t was"
What was it?''
The courtlers entertained ME till the
kirs came she said with a blushing
laugh. And looking up at him again she
whispered. Yet l am glad that you lin
gered for little"
AT this moment she saw the king come
out on the terrace; and with him was the
Bishop of Modenstein; and after the bishop
had been presented TO the grand duke, the
king began TO talk with the grand duke.
while the bishop kissed Osras hand and
wished her joy.
Madame" said he, "once you asked me
if l could make you understand what love
was. / take it you have no need for my
lessons now. Your teacher has come
Yes, he has come" she said gently, look
ing on the bishop with great friendliness.
But tell me, will he always love me?'
surely he WILL" answered the bishop.
And tell me-" said Osra, shall 1 always
love him.
Surely" said the bishop again most
courteously. Yet indeed, madame he con-
tEued, lit would seem almost enough to
ask of heaven to love now and now to be
loved. For the years roll on, and youth
goes, and even the most Incompatible beau
ty will yield its blossoms when the season
wanes; yet that sweet memory may ever
be fresh and young, a thing man can car
ry to his grave and raise as her best monu-
n:ent on his lady's tomb
"Ah, you speak we'll of love- said She
or VI n
For it is as you say; and today in the wood
it seemed to me that l had lived enough,
and that even death was but loves ser
want as life is, both purposed solely Tor MS
Men have died because they loved you,
madame and some yet live who love you,
said the bishop.
And shall i grieve for both, my lord-or
For neither. madame for the dead have
gained peace. and they who live have es-
capped forgetfulness'
But would they not be happier for for
gett;ng?"
II do not think So" said the bishop, and.
bowling low to her again. he stood back, for
he saw the king approaching with the grand
duke and the King took him by the arm
and walked on with him, but Osra's face
lost the brief pensiveness that had come
upon it as she talked with the bishop and,
turning to her lover, she stretched out her
hands to him, saying:
Il wish there was a cottage, and that you
worked for bread, while j made ready for
you at the cottage, and then ran far. far
far, down the road to watch and wait Tor
your coming.
Since a cottage was not too small,
palace will not be too large" said he, catch
ing her in his arms.
Thus the heart of Princess OSra found its
haven and its rest, for month later she
was married to the grand duke of Mitten-
helm in the Cathedral of Strelsau, having
utterly refused to take any other place for
hor -nlj N no 10
forth together through the western gate.
and the king rode with him on their way
till they came to the woods. Here he
paused and all the crowd that accompanied
him stopped also, and they all waited till
the sombar depths of the glades hid Osra
ard her lover from their sight Then, leav-
ing them thus riding together to their hap
piness, the people returned home, sad for
the loss of their darling princess. But for
consolation and that their minds might less
feel her loss, they had her name often on
their lips and the poets and story tellers
composed very many stories about her, not
grounded on fact, as are those which have
been here set forth, but the fabric of idle
imaginings, wrought to please the fancy of
lovers or to wake the memories of older
folk. So that, if a stranger goes now To
StrelSau he may be pardoned If it seem to
him that all mankind was in love with
Princess Osra. Nay, and those stories So
pass all fair bounds that if you listen to
them you would come near to believing that
the princess also had found some love for
ali the men who had given her their love
Thus. to many she is less Il woman that
once lived and breathed than some sweet
image under whose name they fondly group
all the virtues and the charms of her whom
they love best, each man fash,oning for
himself from his own chosen model her
whom he calls his princess Yet it may be
that for some Of them who SO truly loved
her, her heart had moments tenderness.
Who shall tell all the short-lvcd dreams
that come and go, the promptiugs and stir
rings of a vagrant inclination? And who
would pry too closely into these secret mat
ters? May We not more properly give
thanks to heaven that the thing is as il is?
For surely it makes greatly for the Increase
of joy and entertainment in the world, and