Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-08-01
By W. HEIMBURG.

placed in the north window; before the
open Balcony door, on the south, is
my writing-table, and whenever | lift
my eyes | can look out over the
terraced foreground, over country
houses. villages, and green fields
across to the mountains on the other
side Of the Elbe; on the right, to the
point where the Albrechtsburg towers
over Nielsen; on the left to the towers
of Dresden. If wish to go to the
city, have the carriage out, or take
one Of the express trains which have
to stop in the village because the con-
nections-
But, upon my word, am forgetting
your chief question-yes, il is under
lined in your letter: Above all, tell
me about your wife
"Old fellow, how shall | manage it
without boring you? You ask: is she
one of those slender, capricious, fanci-
full women you used to admire so
much when we were in Berlin?
mo, Wolf, no! She is not a
brunette; she is blonde, with The
hair that Titan lived to paint. She is
tall, but-swaying in the breeze like
palm?' Oh, no! Rather like a strong
young beech in her native woods. She
would be called without fattery a
handsome, stately woman. She has a
dainty round head, full face, with a
short, straight nose, red lips which
she often forgets to shut, and which
thus give her an expression of childish
wonder, and pair of clear, greenish-
brown eyes-'Nixie's eyes, people
call them. When shaded by the long,
dark lashes which curve upward, they
look as If there were unfathomable
depths in them. But, Wolf, you are
my Oldest and best friend; to you
will say that these unfathomable
depths are a delusion--it is only
shallow water.
Il have been wondering for some
time how shall get it off my pen-of
force OF character and intellect, Wolf,
there is not the slightest vestige. I'm
fortunately | am forced to acknowl-
edge that-she is an utter nonentity.
Il will give you an instance of it..
On our wedding journey we went to
HARLEM, her mothers birthplace.
Antje was radiant at having fonnd out
by the description the gabled old
house in the market-place in which
the worthy lady first saw the light of
day She wanted to go straight in and
ask the good people who were eating
their dinner. to let her go through all
the rooms. | was obliged to use all
my powers of persuasion to get her
away, and at last said: Come, child,
am aching to get to Franz Halls.
She looked at me with wide-open
mouth Franz Hals?' she said at
length. Who is he? Where does he
live? did not know you knew any
body here. Leo
Il cannot tell you what | felt at that
moment, Wolf! l said to myself: And
this is an artists wife-my wife!' |
believe was angry. | told her she
ought to be ashamed of her ignorance;
! said could not comprehend how it
was possible that she had never heard
of the Dutch painters, she who had
Dutch blood in her veinsl She follow
| ed me in abashed silence, and duti-
fully stood with me before those
wonderful pictures, without saying a
| word, only afterward she asked ME
shyly if those pictures were really so
| beautiful.
Good Heavens, Wolf, was quite
| crushed And so 1t is in everything.
| | talk to her at dinner, for instance;
she raises those uufathomable eyes
to me end inquiries: What did you
say. Leo?' | repeat my sentence.
Indeed? l don't know, am sure.
Or she says simply: All, Or. worse
still, she tries to enter into the con-
versation. Then she gets red and
stammers, gets confused, and at length
in despair urges me to, try some disn
that is really excellent, for she is
absolute mistress of the art of cook
ing and OF housekeeping, my friend.
Il can hear you say; That Is
something, at all events. and some.
thing very desirable But REQUIRE
more from my companion for life.
She ought to understand my profession
and its needs; and yet, as you can
easily perceive. il is impossible TO
! talk with her about art. The poo;
child is really color-blind: she mixes
up Van Eyck with Van Dyck. and talks
of vanishing oil-paintings. I get
irritated and make myself disagree
able. and she cries and leaves the
room, and we finally make 1t up over
the cradle of our little daughter. who
looks up az me with precisely the same
eyes, opens her mouth in just the
same way. and, unhappily. seems to De
constructed on the same simple system
as her mamma
CAS- I said before, she cries after
these sceues-but she cries after a
fashion of her own. She shuts hel
mouth then, her lips are drawn down
at the corners and begin to CULVER. and
suddenly two big drops hang on hel
long, curved lashes; you cannot help
wondering how they got there. Not 9
feature of her face changes: she does
frie Moery has completed the mason
not ring her hands as other people do;
she does not sob aloud; her hand
| kerChief is NOT y-ringinc wet. She does