The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-30


 life. I know not how it is. my dear w1l- liam, but my imagination is full of ter ror."
 The same day that he wrote to kis friend Werther made another visit to the house of Charlotte It was the Sunday. be- fore Christmas He found her busy pre- pairing gifts for the children. And you shall have a gift, too, if you behave yourself" said Charlotte. Then softening her voice and with look which forcfbly delneated the divine effulgence of her soul. she said: ''Oh, Werther, resume your former self and get the better of that unfortunate attachment which now dare only pity Iris we'll" cried Wer- ther, pacing the room in a frenzy. '1s this the sentiment of Charlotte? No, 1t is the voice of the cold-blooded Albert Charlotte reproved him, and finally in sisted upon his going away. Then he wrote her a letter saying that he was resolved to die. "Oh. Charlotte" he said. this impious heart has more than once had the design of murdering your Albert. One of us three must, neces- sarily, depart, and why should not that one be Werther7 die, Charlotte, most ] amiable and celestial of beingsr At about the hour of 10 in the morning wfr- ther rang for his servant and desired him to call in his bills and fetch home the books he had lent. Also to pay two months in advance to the poor people who were accustomed to receive regular stipend from him. ''For,' said he, 'I am about to undertake a long journey"
 In the past few months Werther had turned from Homer to Ossian and from Ossian to drink. Charlotte had many times reproved him and begged him to be more abstemious. Yet Werther would give up neither Ossian nor drink. At about 10 o'clock in the evening of the day when werther had given his servant the orders about the bills and the books the unhappy young man, who had been absent all day, returned to his lodgings. The night was dark and stormy. His servant saw that he was without a hat, but said nothing. When undressing him he found that his clothes were very wet and extremely dirty. His hat was after ward found upon the point of . rock where 1t was inconceivabie that he should have climbed in such a night without breaking his neck He slept until late the next day. His servant found him writing when he carried in his breakfast to him It was another letter to Char lotte. He said: ''I now for the last time open my eyea No more will they behold the glorious sun, no moro behold thy angelic form. The word is death and what is death7 A sleep. sleep mere ly, we only dream when we talk of it. Can we be annihilated7 What is annihi- lation7 Iris a mere word which conveys no idea to my mind. Yet Charlotte. shut up in pitt 90 cold, so dark. so deep! Think not that dream, call not this rav- ing. On the verge of the grave my per- captions are the clearer. We shall exist hereafter--we shall see each other again"
 Then Werther sent a note to Albert which read: 'Bs kind enough to lend, me your pistols. am about to take a long journey." Albert had been getting very tired of the morbid and cratic con- duct of werther and said coldly when he had read the note: Let him have the pistols. I wish him a good journey" These words rushed upon Charlotte like chair and tottered to the wall With trembling hand she took down the pis- tols and handed them to werther's ser want. Albert was silent and stern. Char lotte, after a few vain attempts to speak,, folded up her work and went to her room, her mind filled with great fore boding. When the servant delivered the pistols to Werther and told him that they came from Char1otts's own hands he ting down, wrote another letter to his adored one
 These weapons have been in your hands," he said. Heaven therefore ap- proves my design. At the corner of the church where the two lime trees are do long to be at rest. I wish to be buried in the clothes which I now wear be- cause, Charlotte. thou hast seen me in them and they are therefore sacred to The pistols are loaded. the clock strikes l2 Charlotte, my hand does not tremble, my resolution is fixed. Farewell"
 At in the morning werther's servant went into the room with a candle. He found his master lying on the floor well tering in his blood. He ran immediately to Albert's. Charlotte heard the gate bell ring and tremor seized her. She walked her husband. and together they met the. messenger When the servant told of tho : fatal event Charlotte fell senseless at her husband feet
 Albert immediately went to Werther's lodgings, but when he entered his room ali was. alas, in vain; the fatal deed was ir, evocably done. The distress of Albert and the situation of Charlotte can be easily conceived but cannot be described. Werthers funeral took place with great solemnity but with little pomp. Through Albert's influence the suicide was buried beneath the lime trees, as he had desired. and not at the crossroads with . stake through his heart as the law prescribed for those who had ended their lives by their own hand. Charlotte and Albert lived long and prosperously together and many children played about their door. But the sorrows of Werther cast a gloom over their lives which was never quite ab- :, sent. even in their happiest moments.
 Next weeks one-page classic will be "The Black Dwarf" by Sir Walter Scott.