Ellsworth American., 1912-07-24
The Water
Fay
A Legend of the River
Rhine
BY F. a. mitchell


A tourist viewing the ruined castles
on the Rhine bank from the boat that
plies up and down that historic stream,
just above Wiesbaden, will see a bro
ken pile of stones which mark the for
mer home of Baron Korner. The bar
on's wife was in her youth considered
the most beautiful woman in all Ger
many. Indeed, so beautiful was she
have look at her.
As was to have been expected, the
lady became so vain that her beauty,
instead of being source Of comfort 10
her husband, was a matter Of regret.
He never Gomplimented his wife on
her beauty; consequently she cared lit
tie for him, devoting herself to admir-
ers who went into raptures over It
The baron naturally became very
bitter on the subject Of woman's beau
ty. and when the baroness presented
him with daughter. Hildegarde, since
beauty is hereditary and the child
would likely be beautiful woman, he
gave orders that no one should even
tell Hildegarde that she was beautiful.
He also destroyed all the mirrors in the
castle and disposed of the jewelry and
other woman's adornments that tend
ed to cultivate vanity. Then he gave
orders that no one should bring any
of these things into his home on pain
of being thrown into the donjon under
the castle
The baroness died when Hildegarde
was but a few years old and long be-
fore the child could be conscious of
her appearance. She grew up as beau
tiful as her mother and. never having
seen her face. was unconscious Of her
attractive appearance. But she lived
rather a lonely life, for her father ad-
mitted few visitors to the castle, and
no one was supposed to enter without
making a pledge not to give evidence
Of having noticed Hildegarde's beauty.
nor was the girl ever permitted to leave
the castle.
Baron Korner as he grew older and
his daughters splendid beauty grew
more transcendent formed a plan
when Hildegarde came to a marriage
able age of marrying her to husband
who should keep up his policy with
regard to her. Having no son, he Sc
lected a younger son of neighboring
baron to wed her and take his place
at his death as lord Of the domain.
Carl Won Ehrenstein was the chosen
man, but not before he had sworn a
solemn oath to surround his wife with
the same barriers to which she had
been accustomed
Soon after the celebration of the nup-
tials the baron was killed by a fall
from his horse while hunting. and Carl
Ehrenstein became the lord of the cas-
tie. He deeply loved his wife and was
very proud of her beauty, but he had
been thoroughly informed by the late
baron Of all he had suffered on account
Of her mothers vanity and was intent
to prevent it in Hildegarde. But she
was now twenty years old, and it was
not so easy for her husband to keep
her shut up In the castle as 1t had
been for her father to imprison child.
No sooner had there come an end to
the late baron's obsequies than Hide
garde began to evince desire to see
the world.
Now, Hildegarde's nurse when her
young mistress emerged from child
hood became her maid. and the young
baron consulted with her as to taking
his wife outside the castle and still
keeping around her the safeguards to
which she had been accustomed. The
| maid. Gretchen, thought that the bar
oness could be taken on tour without
seeing a reflection of her person. Mir
rors were not so common In those days
as now, and Gretchen promised to
| watch for them and guard against her
mistress being brought face to face
with one. SO the baron yielded to his
wife's persuasions and set out with
her. attended by her maid to show her
| the world.
The young husband was in terror
| from the first. Every person who
passed them started on seeing Hide
garde and looked at her rapturously.
"Why do these persons stare at me
thus?" she asked.
'Tt is because, never having been out
into the world, which is filed with
wickedness," replied her husband,
"your features show that the innocence
to which you were born Is still in you"
Hildegarde was pleased with this.
but not satisfied. They were at the
time passing through different scenes
from those to which her vision had
| been limited. and she was delighted
| with them.
"Shall / become wicked now that l
have left the castleT' she asked.
mot If you remain with me and
| Gretchen and do not mingle with the
| throng."
Hildegarde meditated for some time
| over this and at last said:
~ don't care to be perfect think
shall risk being corrupted by min
| Cling with few persons"