The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-08-08
Rosa Of Tannenburg.
A Story Begun by a Father and
Ended by a Daughter.

| all castles of its time, strongly forti-
fed and surrounded by high walls and
a deep moat. In an upper room, one
warm summer day, Rosa and her ia
Their sat together. The knight had just
come home from the wars, badly
wounded, and Rosa, a fair haired girl
of II, sat by him working over her
gayly colored tapestry.
Father" she said, tell me the story
of how you got the chain round your
neck"
Rosa had heard the story hundred
times before now, but she never tired
Of hearing it any more than the old
knight of telling it.
when l was page at court, began
the knight, stroking his long, gray
| beard, "a great tournament was given
in honor Of a French prince who came
| to visit the emperor. There saw your
mother for the first time, and so lovely
was she that she was elected to be the
| queen of beauty, and was to give the
prize, a golden chain, to the victor. l
| loved her from the moment 1 saw her,
and her beauty gave me such strength
! and daring that came out first In the
| games, much to the chagrin of the
young baron Of Odenwald, who op-
posed me fiercely in the tourney. He
was, like myself, sutton for the hand
Of the queen of beauty, and when
finally won her for my bride he swore
that he would have revenge on me-"
But" interrupted Rosa, Ibis castle
is only 10 miles from us, and he has
done us no harm yet"
YES" answered her father; 'sthat
was many years ago, and he has now
a young wife and two children, but
he still hates me bitterly, and"-
A loud clamor in the courtyard inter-
rupted the story, and on looking out of
the window to their CONSERVATION they
saw the very man they were speaking
OF, the baron Of Odenwald, and his
soldiers marching up to the castle
doors The knights soldiers were still
at the wars, and the few old men left
| to guard the castle had been easily
| overpowered by the fierce baron.
Rosa screamed with terror. She
heard the tramp of armed feet coming
up the stairs. In came the naughty
baron Of Odenwald aud ordered his
men to bind and carry off the wounded
and helpless knight of Tannenburg. In
vain were Rosa's tears and prayers.
The unfortunate knight was hurried
off, Rosa turned out of the castle.
which was looted and then locked up.
and the poor girl left weeping and
disconsolate
All night she wandered through the
dark pine forest till she came to a
charcoal burners hut, where she was
taken in and kindly treated. DAYS
passed by, and Rosa longed to see her
father once more and perhaps help
him to escape. Accordingly one day
she stained her face with brown berry
juice, changed her own pretty dress
for a peasants coarse cotton gown.
and with large basket of mushrooms
on her arm started off for the castle
of Odenwald.
The sentinel, seeing only harmless
little peasant girl, let her pass over
! the drawbridge and through the cas-
tie gates. She walked up to the Dor
ter's lodge, where the porter's wife
stood in the doorway scolding her
children. The baron of Odenwald was
extremely fond of mushrooms, and the
basketful was soon bought and paid
for by the porter's wife.
"Will you not stay with me and help
me look after the children and cook
the food for the prisoners?' she asked
after few moments chat with Rosa.
II need young, strong girl like you,
and will give you a new dress every
year If you will stay"
Rosa accepted the offer eagerly. and
her duties, none too light, began that
very day. She had to light the fire In
the morning, dress the children, help
the porter's wife cook the most I'M
savory soup for the prisoners Of the
castle and do many things. One day
the porter came to his wife and told
her that he was obliged to go away
with the baron for some days and that
she would have to take the prisoners
food to them besides cooking it.
mo, indeed" replied his wife,
There are murderers and thieves in
those cells, and viii not go near
them"
Let me CO." begged Rosa. 81 will
do it for you"
VERY WELL" said the porter, rather
surprised at her request; ''come with
me and will show you how to unlock
| the DOORS"
Together they went down a winding
| flight of stone steps, opened a door
heavily boiled and barred and down
long, dark corridor dimly lighted by
the porter's lantern. On one side We're
small stone cells, behind whose iron
| gratings wild, cruel faces cleaned in
the light Of the passing lantern. Hid
~ous oaths and fearful laughter follow
ed them, and Rosa shrank, frightened,
to the porter's side.
''Do you fear themT' he said. ''They
cannot possibly escape. This man, how
ever, is good and gentle. and you can
go right into his CELL" He stopped in
front of one of the gratings and held
up his lantern. Rosa's heart beat fast
and loud. There on a wretched heap
II straw lay her father asleep, pale
and emaciated. She longed to call to
him, but remembered that she must be
silent before the porter, and they left
him sleeping and walked back through
the long corridor, boiling the heavy
door behind them.
The next day Rosa took into the pris-
yoners the bowls of unappetizing soup,
pushed one under every grating and
finally came to her fathers cell. I'm
locking his door, she pushed in and
knelt by the sick mans side. Father!
fatherw she cried. "Rosaw exclaimed
the knight, recognizing his daughter in
spite of the brown stain and rough
dress. He took her in his arms and
together they wept over their terrible
misfortunes. Then Rosa told her ia
Their all her adventures since she had
been carried off, until the sound of the
great bell of the castle, coming dim
and muffled through the thick dungeon
walls, warned her that it was time to
go back to the porter's wife.
Twice every day Rosa brought food
to the prisoners and thus saw her ia
Their. Escape, however, was not possi-
BILE, The walls were too well guarded,
and as the days slipped by the poor
knight grew worse and Rosa despaired.
One morning the castle was filed
with noise and busy movement. The
news that the baron was to return that
evening with a large company of
guests flew from mouth to mouth. So
excited We're they all that the nurse
maid forgot her precious charges, the
baron's two little sons, who were play
ing In the courtyard while she gossiped
with the scullery maid over the COM
Ing event.
A bright blue and yellow butterfly
4 Hew across tho ward and ox-oT, x,-o,,4