Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-06-24
A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM.
BY MAX NORDAU.
AUTHORIZED TRANSLATION BY MARY ]. Stafford.


only needs TO be reminded of them
They are always the same. Memories
of childhood, rapture and extravaganza,
words of enthusiastic love, words which
create the slight tremor of the skin like
a cool breeze on the caress of toying tin
gers. SO they walked a long, long time
in the dark park without needing the
fight of time. far from the world and I'M
utterably happy.
Il am tired. Karl" Ada said at last,
and leaned her head on his shoulder.
They were near a low, grassy bank, Il
few PAGES from the central avenue, and
almost under the balcony of the castle,
but completely concealed by the dense
shadow of the overarching trees. Karl
spread his shawl over the bank and the
ground, placed Ada on it, and reclined at
her feet, resting his head in her lap.
of the drawing room could all be seen
from this spot. The window still stood
open, the notes of piano were heard
and voice began the song:
From out my tears will bloom
Full many a 1Ow'ret fair.
A pretty but somewhat cold female
voice, with no especial tenderness and
feeling. Yet the combined poesy of
Heine and Schumann triumphed glori-
OuSly over the inadeQuacy of the eXecu-
ton. The wonderful. choral-like melo
dy scared like the flight of swan over
the rapC pair, ana completely OlSSOlfcU
their souls in melody and love:
= Before thy windows shall riuc;
The song Of the nightingale.
sang the woman's voice above, and the
accompanying piano completed the air
with an organ-like closing accord
Before thy windows shall ring
The song of the nightingale,
Karl softly repeated. in his beautiful
baritone, thrilling with an approaching
tempest of passion. his arms clasped
Ada's waist, and he gaZed up at her
with wild. flaming eyes. She bent
down to him and her lips met his. which
nearly scorched them. Leaning back,
and gently pushing his head away, she
whispered:
Don't repeat verses by Heine: say
something which is yours, and is com
posed for me-.
kneeling before her, clasping her in Il
close embrace and devouring her face
with rapturous eyes, mis- whole being
wrought up to the highest pitch of emo
ton. he said in a rapid improvisa ton,
bursting from the inm0st depths of his
soul:
In the shadowy hour when ghosts do fit,
Thou art to me beauteOus dream:
To thy lips [ cling. yet while l love,
My happiness scarce real doth seem.
Thy mouth and thy fair hands do I kiss,
l kiss thine eyes and thy silken hair,
And should our lives end at this hour,
Still should die a happy pair.
Her eyes were half closed, and her
bosom heaved.
After a short pause, he continued slow
y in a tremulOus voice:
Oh. God, that I should find thee here,
Only to cause my woe,
Fer thou wilt vanish from my gaze
Ere the first cock doth crow.
mo, no" she murmured, almost in
audibly, sinking into his arms, which
clasped her wildly and drdently, pressing
her to his heart while his lips showered
kisses upon her and a sudden ecStacy be-
gan to cloud her senses.
Then, just at that moment. the clock
in the Marktbreit church steeple struck
,, the blast of the horn followed, and the
mysterious voice rose in the invisible city
and sang. this time close at hand and
seemingly with significant emphasis:
Two paths are TO each mortal shown;
Lord, guide me in the narrow one
AS if stUng by serpent. Ada started
up, wrenched herself by a sudden move
ment from karls clasping arms, and
fastened away as though pursued by
all the fends of hell. A moment later
her white figure had vanished IN the
fore the grassy bank; he might have
believed it a dream if the mantilla had
not still lain there eXnaling Ada'S ia
vorite perfume, d faint fragrance of
carnations.
With heavy, dulled brain. aching
his heart. Karl staggered back to the
castle and to his room. For a long time
sleep fled from him. A thousand
scenes lowered in a confused throng be-
fore his fancy, blending into a witch
dance in whose mazes his own brain
seemed to whirl also, until the giddi-
ness became intolerable. He saw Ada
in various transforms tiOnS-nOw seat
ed opposite to him at the table
then N the drawing room-anon clasped
IN his arms sometimes brightly il
Illuminated as the queen of the ball
room sometimes a faint, dark vision
against the somber BACKGROUND of the
woodlaDd-he inhaled her favorite per-
fume. felt the touch of her arms and
her lps-he heard her voice and the
melancholy music of the nightwatch-
man and the notes of the dancing tune
from the ballroom, and amid these ex-
citing delusions of the senses a rest
less. dream-haunted slumber at last over
took him.
It was almost noon when he awoke.
At first his head felt confused and
empty, but gradually he collected his
thoughts, and now the experiences of
the previous right again stood clearly
before his eyes. He suddenly recalled
all his feelings during the walk
H5FaIUU) ~
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