Year: 1859

the game for he never threw less than five
or six balls. Occasionally a strange humor
seized him. 1t happened, more than once,
that he rushed like an arrow down among the
nine-pins with one of the balls, making a
dreadful racket, and when he made a spare or
ten-strike. the fancy sometimes came over
him to stand erect on his nicely-curled head,
and extend his legs high into the air or If
a carriage happened to pass, before one knew
what he was about, he would be seen sitting
on the top of the vehicle, making the most
ludicrous grimaces. and, after riding ona short
distance. return. with prodigious leaps and
bounds. to the party he had quilted.


The old gentleman, at such incidents as
these, was wont to beg ten thousand pardons
Of the burgomaster and the other gentlemen,
for his nephew's ecccntricitcs. They, in re-
ply. would laugh, ascribe such conduct to his
youthful spirits. declare they had been just
the same in their youth and admire the young
springal as they called him. immensely.


In this way the nephew of the stranger
came, before long, to be held in high favor in
the city and environs. No one could recall
ever having seen young man like him in
Gruuwiosel before and he was. indeed. the
strangest apparation which had ever visited
their borders No one could accuse him of
cultivation of any possible kind, except, per-
haps, a little dancing Latin and Greek were
both Greek to him. At round game at the
burgomaster's house, it once fell TO his lot to
be obliged to write something. and it was
found that he could not even sign his name.
In geography he made the most stupendous
bunders for he made no hesitation in locat-
ing German city in France. or a Danish one
in Poland He had read nothing; he had
studied nothing and the priest often shook
his head Significantly over the dreadful ignor-
ancc Of the young gentleman. Still, in spite
of this. everything he said and did was held
70 be excellent; for he was impudent enough
to insist always on being right, and the last
words of every remark he made were Il un-
derstand this much better than you


The scenes Of his greatest trumphs. how
ever, were the Grunwiesel balls. No one
danced so pcrseveringy, none SO vigorously
as he: no one made such bold, such graceful
jumps His uncle dressed him for such oc-
casions in the newest and handsomest FASH
ions and, although it was impossible to
make his clothes &C., vet everybody considered
bis dress charming The gentlemen, to be
sure. took offence. at these balls. at the new
style which he introduced Hitherto the
burgomaster had always opened the ball in
person. and the most highly-born young men
exercised the right of regulating the rest OF
the dances but since the young English
mans arrival total change had been brought
about He would seize the prettiest girl by
the hand without leave or license, take his
place with her in the figure, manage every
thing precisely as he pleased, and constitute
himself. without ceremony. lord, master. and
king of the bail. But as the ladies fonn6
these manners extremely elegant the youu


men dared not venture on resistance, and tn


eccentric nephew retained unopposed his self
assumed dignity and rank.


Such was the behavior adopted by the ne
phew at balls and parties in Grunwcisel As


is too often the case in other matters, bad
habits come into vogue much easier than good
ones. and a new and striking fashion, especi-
ally ifit be ridiculous. has ever something in
it highly attractive for the young, who have
not vet formed an accurate or sensible iudg-
ment of themselves and the world So it was
in Grunwiescl with the nephew and his eX-
traordinary manners. For when the young
er world perceived that the young stranger
won more admiration than he incurred rebuke
for his awkward habits, his loud laughter, and
his insolent answers to his seniors, and that
these passed merely as evidences Of his spr-
itual nature, they thought to themselves
Nothing is easier than to make myself ex-
actly such another spiritual brute They
had formerly been industrious. clever youths
but now they thought: "Of what use is learn
ing. when ignorance carries man so much
further :" So. abandoning their books, they
spent their time in dissipation on the streets


Till now, the Grunwiesel young men had
entertained proper dislike to a rough and vul-
gar demeanor now they sang all sorts OF
vile songs, smoked huge pipes of tobacco,
and spent much time in low pot-houses, for
with them they resembled the young English
man. At home, or on a visit, they lay down
in boots and spurs on the ottomans; at as
sembies they tilted their chairs, or put both
elbows on the table. In vain their Older
friends represented to them how foolish, how
disgraceful this behavior was they referred
to the shining example of the nephew. 1t
was said to them, in vain, that a certain de-
gree of rudeness must be forgiven in the ne
phew. in consideration of his English birth


the Young Grunwieselonians declared that
they had as good a right as the best English
man in the world to be vulgar in a spiritual
way In short, it was general complaint
that gentlemanly breeding and behavior had
been entirely eradicated from Grunwiesel by
the evil example Of the young stranger.


But the pleasure Of the young men, in their
rude and reckless life, was of short dura.
ton, for the following incident changed the
whole aspect of affairs great concert was
resolved upon. to close the winter amuse-
ments. to be given partly by the regular city
musicians, partly by skilful amateurs of Grun
wissel. The burgomaster played the violin
cello, the doctor the bassoon, with great skill
the apothecary, though he had no ear, blew
the flute, several young ladies of the city had
studied arias, and every preliminary had beer
carefully arranged. The old stranger express
ed the opinion, that, though doubtless tn,
concert would be admirable as it was, he no
tced that no duet was included in the pro
gramme, and that duet was, as every one
knew, necessary element of every concert
, This opinion occasioned good deal of embar
rassment The burgomasters daughter, t.
be sure, sang like a nightngale but wher'
was the gentleman who could sing duet will
her They thought at last, of falling bacl
on the organist, who had sung an excellen
bass in former days; but the stranger an
nounced that all this anxiety was needless, TO
, his nephew had a voice Of surprising cultiva
, tion and mower The duet, therefore. wa