Year: 1879

Where the heavy-leaved grapevine
thickest about the quantity
carved balcony that overhung the
Rhine on the western side of Sperling.
stein Castle, the Princess Amalie and
her lover, the young Baron Anseim,
laid their heads together to talk over a
weighty and profound matter.


This was no other than their ap-
preaching marriage. The Princess had
reached her twentieth year, and her
prospects presented no match more
brilliant than one with the gay young
Baron, whose wealth, purity of blood,
popularity, and future promise were
standing themes of conversation
throughout the whole Rhine country.


AS was befitting one so beautiful and
beloved, the Princess Amalie had ex-
traordinary attentions shown her on
her birthday. The ancient halls Of
the castle were made gay with banners
and armor and lights and music, and
noble guests, who gave themselves up
to the epidemic hilarity of the occa-
sion. Every thing wore holiday as
pect, and even the servents and retain
ers were allowed to have their fill of
feasting and merriment in honor of
their fair mistress. Never, in the whole
Dukedom, had there been a more sue
cessful or magnificent high tide.


But after the great dinner, when the
festivities were at their maddest, mer-
riest height, the lovers, wearying of
the noise and glare within, stole out
upon the vine-embowered balcony, to
chat over their coming happiness in
the cool, soft twilight.


The Princess Amalie had acceded to
the fashion of the day, at her fathers
request, and had arrayed herself in all
the cumbrous paraphernalia of her
state robes. The splendid crimson
velvet and ermine of her dress did not
SO well become her gracious blonde
beauty as the simple style she ordinar-
lily affected, nor was the braided gold
of her hair enhanced by the coronet of
jewels that sat regally upon her fair
forehead. Still, her father had willed
it, and the etiquette of the court de-
manded it, as show of respect to the
guests, so she submitted.


But the coronet was heavy-they did
good, massive jewelry work in those
days-and she wished to enjoy the
pure evening air that whispered mu-
sically among the vine-leaves and
swayed the lindens below. Baron An
selm gayly assisted her to remove the
flashing mass Of gems and gold that
oppressed her brow, and laid it care
fully upon the broad stone balustrade
that surrounded the balcony.


1T is good, Amalie," }" said the young
man, ,"that our ancient and noble house
should he allied. We thus regain our
ancient strength and dignity. Our
forefathers, years and years ago, held
bitter feuds, which destroyed much of
the power of both families. but this
happy alliance restores all that their
enmity cost them"


She turned her eyes upon him with
a fond and lingering gaze.


Peace and happiness always bring
more strength than strife and sor-
row., she said.


"That is true; yet the old knights
and worriors battled manfully. See
yonder, where the sun has set, beyond
the Thranenthal, leaving a golden
glory in the sky to mark his path. All
that broad country was once held by
my sires. and was wrested from them
by yours in a long and unjust struggle.
On the other hand, my ancestors took
the Rosenbergen, with the castle be-
longing to the estate"


"Ay, there was doubtless much in
justice on both sides, and many bleed
ing hearts to atone for it.'


Yet your forefathers seem to have
been the most vindictive, for they pur-
sued us to death every where that we
were found weak in numbers, and
when our castles were taken they were
pillaged and burned"


"The fortunes of war"


"Worse than that, I think. All
Amalie, the blood has greatly changed
since those days of robbery and out
rage"


But cannot think that my sire,
were brigands and robbers. Are thes'
traditions verified?''


"They have been handed down care