The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-12
THE STORY OF UNDINE.

pie one, but charming from the con- nection it establishes between everyday mortal existence and the balm of spirit life in nature.
 The story opens with the coming Of the knight Huldbrand and the humble cottage of an old fisherman and his wife, which he had found after weary wandering through an enchanted for est. Worn with the opposition he had met from the mysterious inhabitants of the forest and vexed with himself for undertaking the useless journey merely to satisfy the caprice of the fair Bes- talda, whose love for him he did not re- turn, he rejoiced to find shelter In the hut and rejoiced still more when a fair girl entered the cottage door and stra.ghtway began to make friends with him. As she l1nelt beside him and beg ged to know the story of his wander ings, the knight would have told her gladly enough, but the fisherman bade him wait awhile; whereupon the girl, angry that he will should be crossed, fled out into the forest. The knight would have gone after her but the fish er-folk told him that it was useless to try to bring her back until she chose to come. and had him listen to the story of her coming to them-how. soon after they had lost their own child, who had fallen into the stream and been borne away from them, they found this fair haired child by the river bank, talking some strange language and calling her self "Undine." The knight listened to the tale, but as the wind hoWled out side and the fierce storm arose he could endure his suspense no longer and rushed out into the forest to find the wayward "Undine," bringing her back, loath though she was to come after a long search. The knight fingered with
 the flsherfiolk, growing every day more fond of "Undine," until the day when a priest came to the cottage begging a shelter from the storm. Huldhrand
 told him that he and the fair-haired
 maiden were betrothed lovers and beg
 5ed the priest to marry them So they were married in the hut with no we'd ding guests but the fisherman and his
 wife, through the priest maintained that a tall figure in a white cloak had watched the ceremony through the win dow. But when they went to look for him they saw nothing. but streak of white light, which vanished in the
 darkness. The day after the wedding Undine was full of a sweet seriousness which was unaccountable to those who were used to her childish thoughtless tR ae ch ha H111 G 'opo r1 q n dered through the forest together she told him that she was in truth differ ent being from the Undine of the day before; that she was not as other peo- pie are, but was a water spirit and that by marrying mortal man she had
 gained soul. She calmed his anxious questionings by telling him that all
 would be well so long as he loved her
 and was kind to her. Happy though he
 was in the simple home of the fisherman Huldbrand knew that he must hasten
 back to his city and with the old priest Father Heileman, the knight, and his bride journeyed through the enchanted forest, often stopped by strange ap- partitions, which vanished at a word from Undine; though a great white figure, whom Undine called her Uncle Kuhlebore, followed them even to the forest.
 The people of the city welcomed them
 with joy, glad to have Huldbrand again
 among them and glad to receive his beautiful bride, though they sometimee felt that she was 8 being from some diff ferent realm. She and Bertolde soon be- came warm friends, though Bertolde's friendliness was but a cloak to cover
 her jealousy that Huldbrand had given his love to another than herself.
 The preparations for Bertalda's name day festival were being made and Un- dine had some mysterious secret which she promised to disclose at the festival and which she had obtained from her 1 uncle, Kuhlebore, as she walked near the fountain in the palace court yard one evening" The feast-day arrived and as the guests, seated at the banquet, eagerly waited to learn the secret, Un- dine sang to them the story of child who had been lost and who some day might find the parents who still mour- ed her loss. At this Bertalda, who was but the foster-child of the duke and
  parents were, begged Undine to, tell her ! If she knew anything to solve the mys- tery. Undine then commanded that the doors be opened and the fisherman and his wife appeared while Undine declar- | ed that they were the long lost parents of Bertalda. The fact was proved, but 1 to Undine's sorrow and surprise the proud Bertalda turned from the parents angry at discovering her humble origin. and the fisher-folk, grieved at the un- | filial attitude of their child, went back to their forest home. The next day Huldbrand took Undine away from the scene of so much disappointment and, as they were starting out, they were stopped by a girl in a fishermaid's cos tune, who proved to be Bertalda, who had resolved to find her parents since tshe had been turned off by the duke and duchess. Undine insisted that Bertalda should go with them to Ringstetter, it- tie knowing that the friend, whom she trusted, would try to win the love of Huldbrand. As the three, with some of | their attendants, were one day sailing on the Danube, Huldbrand forgot his promise to be always gentle with Un- dine on the sea and chided her for talk ing to the water-spirits which seemed
 to hover all about her, angrily telling her to so back to the realm from whence she came. She looked at him with streaming eyes and vanished into 1 the sea, leaving behind her the echo of her last words, Be true to me. oh be