Three men examine a locket
This seemed sensible, and in a half-hour the men were at hand and the pipe was drawn down to the level of the organ-loft and laid horizontally. The workmen had been informed of the nature of their work, and all were under intense excitement. The pipe was very long, and the body was at least five feet from the top. One of the workmen reached in a pole having a hook at the end, and the next minute drew forth the dead body of the sinister old organist, Baptiste Lacombe.There was a pause of silent horror. Nobody cared particularly for the dead man, but the manner of his death was terrible.“How did it happen?” whispered one.“Perhaps it was suicide,” answered another.They began more closely to examine the huge tube. François Tegot, who, although thus far cooler than the others, now seemed unable to stand, pointed to the hand of the dead man, which was tightly clenched upon a small cord. One of the workmen approached, and with some difficulty drew out the line: and a new thrill of expectation went through the silent company when they saw, attached to the end of the line, an old leather bundle covered with dust.Young Tegot now seemed to master himself by a great effort, and, motioning the workman back, he advanced, and, lifting the bag tenderly out into a more convenient position, he said solemnly, as if to himself, “I have long suspected something was wrong, and now I shall know.”Then he examined the bag, and at length took from his pocket a knife and carefully cut open one side.Despite the fact that he expected the revelation that now came, he started back, for the opening revealed a piece of cloth,—a coat, which even the town official could recollect to be the coat of the long-lost organist, Raoul Tegot, François’s father.The young man stepped back and sank again into his seat, and the others, coming forward, laid the bag quite open, and drew forth a watch and an embroidered vest; in a pocket of the coat was found a purse. “Here is an odd treasure,” said one of the workmen, holding up a locket of dull gold.François seized it and opened it. The color forsook his face and his eyes filled with tears. He simply said,—“My mother.”The town official now whispered to the surprised organ-builder, that the villanous Lacombe had killed poor Tegot on the morning of the trial, and had secreted the body in some unknown place and hidden the valuables here. Frightened by the fear of discovery, he had attempted to remove the treasures, had fallen into the pipe, and had thus met a horrible death.“There is nothing secret,” said François, “but shall be revealed. Sin is its own detector, and its secrets cannot rest.”The excitement among the townspeople was for many days even greater than it had been at the time of Tegot’s disappearance, and many and bitter were the reproaches heaped upon the wicked organist’s memory.François was immediately chosen organist, and held the position during his entire life.
This seemed sensible, and in a half-hour the men were at hand and the pipe was drawn down to the level of the organ-loft and laid horizontally. The workmen had been informed of the nature of their work, and all were under intense excitement. The pipe was very long, and the body was at least five feet from the top. One of the workmen reached in a pole having a hook at the end, and the next minute drew forth the dead body of the sinister old organist, Baptiste Lacombe.
There was a pause of silent horror. Nobody cared particularly for the dead man, but the manner of his death was terrible.
“How did it happen?” whispered one.
“Perhaps it was suicide,” answered another.
They began more closely to examine the huge tube. François Tegot, who, although thus far cooler than the others, now seemed unable to stand, pointed to the hand of the dead man, which was tightly clenched upon a small cord. One of the workmen approached, and with some difficulty drew out the line: and a new thrill of expectation went through the silent company when they saw, attached to the end of the line, an old leather bundle covered with dust.
Young Tegot now seemed to master himself by a great effort, and, motioning the workman back, he advanced, and, lifting the bag tenderly out into a more convenient position, he said solemnly, as if to himself, “I have long suspected something was wrong, and now I shall know.”
Then he examined the bag, and at length took from his pocket a knife and carefully cut open one side.
Despite the fact that he expected the revelation that now came, he started back, for the opening revealed a piece of cloth,—a coat, which even the town official could recollect to be the coat of the long-lost organist, Raoul Tegot, François’s father.
The young man stepped back and sank again into his seat, and the others, coming forward, laid the bag quite open, and drew forth a watch and an embroidered vest; in a pocket of the coat was found a purse. “Here is an odd treasure,” said one of the workmen, holding up a locket of dull gold.
François seized it and opened it. The color forsook his face and his eyes filled with tears. He simply said,—
“My mother.”
The town official now whispered to the surprised organ-builder, that the villanous Lacombe had killed poor Tegot on the morning of the trial, and had secreted the body in some unknown place and hidden the valuables here. Frightened by the fear of discovery, he had attempted to remove the treasures, had fallen into the pipe, and had thus met a horrible death.
“There is nothing secret,” said François, “but shall be revealed. Sin is its own detector, and its secrets cannot rest.”
The excitement among the townspeople was for many days even greater than it had been at the time of Tegot’s disappearance, and many and bitter were the reproaches heaped upon the wicked organist’s memory.
François was immediately chosen organist, and held the position during his entire life.
Seven Nights on the Rhine:—Heidelberg.—Students.—Student Songs.—The Story of Little Mook.—The Queer Old Lady who went to College.
HEIDELBERG,” said Mr. Beal, “stands bright and clear beside Neckar, a branch of the Rhine, as though it loved the river. It is semicircled with blue mountain-walls, and is full of balmy air and cheerful faces. The streets have an atmosphere of hospitality. Its history dates from the Roman monuments on its hills, and is associated with the romantic times of the counts-palatine of the Rhine.
“The world-wide fame of Heidelberg arises from its university. This was founded in 1386, and is the oldest in Germany. It made Heidelberg a student-town; there art flourished and free thought grew, and it became the gem of German cities.
“The ancient Castle of Heidelberg is one of the wonders of Germany. It is like a ruined town of palaces, and historic and poetic associations are as thick as are the violets among its ruins. It is said that Michael Angelo designed it: we cannot tell. The names of the masters who upreared the pile of magnificence for centuries and peopled it with statues are lost. The ivy creeps over their conceptions in stone and marble, and the traveller exclaims in awe, ‘Can it be that all this glory was created for destruction?’
PALACE AT HEIDELBERG.
“We visited the castle at noon. A ruin green with ivy rose beforeus. The sunlight fell through the open doorways, and the swallows flitted in and out of the window-frames into roofless chambers.
“I was dreaming of the past: of the counts-palatine of the Rhine, of stately dames, orange-gardens, and splendid festivals, when one of the boys recalled my thoughts to the present.
“‘Where is the tun?’
“‘What tun?’
“‘The onewe have come to see,—the big wine-cask. It is said to hold two hundred and thirty-six thousand bottles of wine, or did in the days of the nobles.’
“‘I remember: when I was a boy my mental picture of Heidelberg was a big wine-cask.’
“‘Yes; well, please, sir, I am a boy now.’”
Mr. Beal then gave a brief account of
The town of Heidelberg nestles in one of the loveliest valleys in Europe. The Neckar winds between a series of steep, high, thickly wooded hills.It is amid such pleasant scenes that the famous university is situated, and that several hundred German students are gathered to pursue their studies.One of my chief objects in visiting Heidelberg was to see the university, and to observe the curious student customs of which I had heard so much; and my journey was amply repaid by what I saw.The university itself was far less imposing than I had imagined; compared with the picturesque and hoary old college palaces of Oxford and Cambridge, or even with our own cosey Harvard and Yale edifices and greens, it seemed very insignificant.The buildings occupy a cheerless square in a central part of the quaint old German town. They are very plain, modest, and unpretending. The lecture-rooms are on one side of the square; in the rear are the museum and reading room, while opposite the lecture-rooms is a row of jewelry, clothing, confectionery, and other shops. I was most interested, however, in the students and their ways.As soon as you enter the town and pass up the main street, you espy groups of the students here and there. You are at once struck with the contrast they present to American or English students. Very odd to American eyes are their dress and manners. Let me describe one to you as an example.
The town of Heidelberg nestles in one of the loveliest valleys in Europe. The Neckar winds between a series of steep, high, thickly wooded hills.
It is amid such pleasant scenes that the famous university is situated, and that several hundred German students are gathered to pursue their studies.
One of my chief objects in visiting Heidelberg was to see the university, and to observe the curious student customs of which I had heard so much; and my journey was amply repaid by what I saw.
The university itself was far less imposing than I had imagined; compared with the picturesque and hoary old college palaces of Oxford and Cambridge, or even with our own cosey Harvard and Yale edifices and greens, it seemed very insignificant.
The buildings occupy a cheerless square in a central part of the quaint old German town. They are very plain, modest, and unpretending. The lecture-rooms are on one side of the square; in the rear are the museum and reading room, while opposite the lecture-rooms is a row of jewelry, clothing, confectionery, and other shops. I was most interested, however, in the students and their ways.
As soon as you enter the town and pass up the main street, you espy groups of the students here and there. You are at once struck with the contrast they present to American or English students. Very odd to American eyes are their dress and manners. Let me describe one to you as an example.
The Heidelberg student is a rather large, heavy-looking fellow, with round face, broad shoulders, and a very awkward gait. His hair is cropped close to his head, and on one side of the head, in jaunty fashion, he wears a small round cap,—too small by far to cover it, as caps generally do. It is of red or blue or green, and worked with fanciful figures of gold or silver thread.On his feet are heavy boots, which rise, outside his trousers, nearly to the knees. His body is covered with a gay frock-coat, of green or gray or black. As he walks the street with his college mates, he puffs away on a very curious long pipe, the bowl being of porcelain, on which is painted some fanciful scene, or perhaps a view of the grand old castle. Sometimes the stem of the pipe is two or three feet long. In his hand he carries a cane, or rather stick (for it is too short to be used as a cane), with some curiously carved figure for a handle.
The Heidelberg student is a rather large, heavy-looking fellow, with round face, broad shoulders, and a very awkward gait. His hair is cropped close to his head, and on one side of the head, in jaunty fashion, he wears a small round cap,—too small by far to cover it, as caps generally do. It is of red or blue or green, and worked with fanciful figures of gold or silver thread.
On his feet are heavy boots, which rise, outside his trousers, nearly to the knees. His body is covered with a gay frock-coat, of green or gray or black. As he walks the street with his college mates, he puffs away on a very curious long pipe, the bowl being of porcelain, on which is painted some fanciful scene, or perhaps a view of the grand old castle. Sometimes the stem of the pipe is two or three feet long. In his hand he carries a cane, or rather stick (for it is too short to be used as a cane), with some curiously carved figure for a handle.
GERMAN STUDENT.
Many of the Heidelberg students are attended, wherever they go, by a companion who is apt to produce fear and dislike in those who are not accustomed to him. This is a small, blear-eyed, bullet-headed, bloodthirsty-looking bull-dog, with red eyes and snarling mouth. You see such dogs everywhere with the students, running close to their heels, and ready, at an instant’s notice, to defend their masters.
Many of the Heidelberg students are attended, wherever they go, by a companion who is apt to produce fear and dislike in those who are not accustomed to him. This is a small, blear-eyed, bullet-headed, bloodthirsty-looking bull-dog, with red eyes and snarling mouth. You see such dogs everywhere with the students, running close to their heels, and ready, at an instant’s notice, to defend their masters.
CASTLE AT HEIDELBERG.
Almost every Heidelberg student belongs to one of the social societies, of which some are called “Verbindungs,” and others “Corps;” and the caps they wear designate the particular societies of which they are members.These societies are both patriotic and social. The members devote themselves to “the glory of the Fatherland;” and they pledge themselves by oaths to defend and aid each other.Besides the cap, the students betray to what society they belong by various colored ribbons across their breasts or hung to their watch-chains. There is a great deal of rivalry among the societies, which results in frequent difficulties.The pastimes of the Heidelberg students are almost entirely confined to the “good times” they have in their “Verbindungs,” in which they meet two nights in the week to sing, make funny speeches, and perform certain curious ceremonies.The students often make excursions to a beautiful spot on the Neckar, called “Wolfsbrunnen,” where they obtain trout fresh from a pond, and eat them, nicely cooked, on tables set out under the trees near the river-side.Another frequent recreation is to attend the peasant fairs in the neighboring villages, and to take jaunts to the lovely Swetzingen gardens, or to the top of the Konigsthul hill, back of the castle, from which a most beautiful view of the Black Forest and Hartz Mountains, with the broad valley of the Rhine, is to be seen.On this hill is an inn where many resort to drink whey. Many of the students are too poor to enjoy the pastimes of the others, or even to live at the university without doing something to support themselves.These go wandering about the country in vacation time, on foot, singing in the villages, and receiving money from the kindly disposed, with which to pay the expenses of their education. As you pass through Germany you frequently meet parties of these poor students, who go about merrily; and to give them a few kreuzers is always a pleasure.
Almost every Heidelberg student belongs to one of the social societies, of which some are called “Verbindungs,” and others “Corps;” and the caps they wear designate the particular societies of which they are members.
These societies are both patriotic and social. The members devote themselves to “the glory of the Fatherland;” and they pledge themselves by oaths to defend and aid each other.
Besides the cap, the students betray to what society they belong by various colored ribbons across their breasts or hung to their watch-chains. There is a great deal of rivalry among the societies, which results in frequent difficulties.
The pastimes of the Heidelberg students are almost entirely confined to the “good times” they have in their “Verbindungs,” in which they meet two nights in the week to sing, make funny speeches, and perform certain curious ceremonies.
The students often make excursions to a beautiful spot on the Neckar, called “Wolfsbrunnen,” where they obtain trout fresh from a pond, and eat them, nicely cooked, on tables set out under the trees near the river-side.
Another frequent recreation is to attend the peasant fairs in the neighboring villages, and to take jaunts to the lovely Swetzingen gardens, or to the top of the Konigsthul hill, back of the castle, from which a most beautiful view of the Black Forest and Hartz Mountains, with the broad valley of the Rhine, is to be seen.
On this hill is an inn where many resort to drink whey. Many of the students are too poor to enjoy the pastimes of the others, or even to live at the university without doing something to support themselves.
These go wandering about the country in vacation time, on foot, singing in the villages, and receiving money from the kindly disposed, with which to pay the expenses of their education. As you pass through Germany you frequently meet parties of these poor students, who go about merrily; and to give them a few kreuzers is always a pleasure.
Mr. Beal gave from translations a few specimens of these German student songs. The first was
Let us then rejoice, ere youthFrom our grasp hath hurried;After cheerful youth is past,After cheerless age, at last,In the earth we’re buried.Where are those who lived of yore,Men whose days are over?To the realms above thee go,Thence unto the shades below,An’ thou wilt discover.Short and fleeting is our life,—Swift away ’tis wearing;Swiftly, too, will death be here,Cruel, us away to tear,Naught that liveth sparing.Long live Academia,—And our tutors clever;All our comrades long live they,And our female comrades gay,May they bloom forever.Long live every maiden true,Who has worth and beauty;And may every matron whoKind and good is, flourish, too,—Each who does her duty.Long may also live our state,And the king who guides us;Long may live our town, and fateProsper each Mecænas great,Who good things provides us.Perish melancholy woe,Perish who derides us;Perish fiend, and perish soEvery antiburschian foeWho for laughing chides us.
Let us then rejoice, ere youthFrom our grasp hath hurried;After cheerful youth is past,After cheerless age, at last,In the earth we’re buried.
Where are those who lived of yore,Men whose days are over?To the realms above thee go,Thence unto the shades below,An’ thou wilt discover.
Short and fleeting is our life,—Swift away ’tis wearing;Swiftly, too, will death be here,Cruel, us away to tear,Naught that liveth sparing.
Long live Academia,—And our tutors clever;All our comrades long live they,And our female comrades gay,May they bloom forever.
Long live every maiden true,Who has worth and beauty;And may every matron whoKind and good is, flourish, too,—Each who does her duty.
Long may also live our state,And the king who guides us;Long may live our town, and fateProsper each Mecænas great,Who good things provides us.
Perish melancholy woe,Perish who derides us;Perish fiend, and perish soEvery antiburschian foeWho for laughing chides us.
GERMAN STUDENTS.
Mr. Beal, finding the Class interested, continued the subject by some account of one of the most popular writers of German songs.
The songs of Heine are unmatched in German literature, and have been translated into all European tongues. Their beauty of expression, and suggestiveand evasive meanings, have made them household words in Germany, and favorite quotations in France and England.The career of Heine was exceptionably brilliant, and he won tributes of admiration that have seldom been equalled. It is said that on the appearance of his “Reisebilder” in 1826-31, “young Germany became intoxicated with enthusiasm.” His writings on republicanism not only won the heart of the people, but carried his influence into other countries.From his youth Heine was troubled by thoughts of personal religious responsibility. There were periods when he earnestly sought to know man’s true relations to God. He sought the evidence of truth, however, more from nature, philosophy, and history, than by the prayers and the faith which God’s Word inculcates.He was born a Jew, but abandoned Judaism and was baptized in the Lutheran Church. Then he became a free-thinker. He studied various philosophies and systems of belief, but was not able to arrive at any satisfactory conclusions.In 1847 he was attacked by a strange disease. It paralyzed his body, and confined him for many years to his chair. For seven years he was propped up by pillows, and read his praises on a couch of suffering, and they made his life more sad.“What good,” he said, in despair, “does it do me to hear that my health is drunk in cups of gold, when I can only wet my lips with barley-water?”In this condition he read “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” It revealed to him the truth that religion is a matter of experience rather than philosophy, and that the humblest may receive the evidence of its truth through simple faith in Christ.“With all my learning,” he said, “the poor negro knew more about religion than I do now, and I must come to a knowledge of the truth in the same humble way as poor Uncle Tom.”He left this testimony in his will: “I have cast aside all philosophical pride, and have again felt the power of religious truth.”I will recite to you one of the songs of Heine, which is popular among the German students.
The songs of Heine are unmatched in German literature, and have been translated into all European tongues. Their beauty of expression, and suggestiveand evasive meanings, have made them household words in Germany, and favorite quotations in France and England.
The career of Heine was exceptionably brilliant, and he won tributes of admiration that have seldom been equalled. It is said that on the appearance of his “Reisebilder” in 1826-31, “young Germany became intoxicated with enthusiasm.” His writings on republicanism not only won the heart of the people, but carried his influence into other countries.
From his youth Heine was troubled by thoughts of personal religious responsibility. There were periods when he earnestly sought to know man’s true relations to God. He sought the evidence of truth, however, more from nature, philosophy, and history, than by the prayers and the faith which God’s Word inculcates.
He was born a Jew, but abandoned Judaism and was baptized in the Lutheran Church. Then he became a free-thinker. He studied various philosophies and systems of belief, but was not able to arrive at any satisfactory conclusions.
In 1847 he was attacked by a strange disease. It paralyzed his body, and confined him for many years to his chair. For seven years he was propped up by pillows, and read his praises on a couch of suffering, and they made his life more sad.
“What good,” he said, in despair, “does it do me to hear that my health is drunk in cups of gold, when I can only wet my lips with barley-water?”
In this condition he read “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” It revealed to him the truth that religion is a matter of experience rather than philosophy, and that the humblest may receive the evidence of its truth through simple faith in Christ.
“With all my learning,” he said, “the poor negro knew more about religion than I do now, and I must come to a knowledge of the truth in the same humble way as poor Uncle Tom.”
He left this testimony in his will: “I have cast aside all philosophical pride, and have again felt the power of religious truth.”
I will recite to you one of the songs of Heine, which is popular among the German students.
I know not whence it rises,This thought so full of woe;But a tale of times departedHaunts me, and will not go.The air is cool, and it darkens,And calmly flows the Rhine;The mountain-peaks are sparklingIn the sunny evening-shine.And yonder sits a maiden,The fairest of the fair;With gold is her garment glittering,And she combs her golden hair:With a golden comb she combs it;And a wild song singeth she,That melts the heart with a wondrousAnd powerful melody.The boatman feels his bosomWith a nameless longing move;He sees not the gulfs before him,His gaze is fixed above,Till over boat and boatmanThe Rhine’s deep waters run:And this, with her magic singing,The Lorelei has done!
I know not whence it rises,This thought so full of woe;But a tale of times departedHaunts me, and will not go.
The air is cool, and it darkens,And calmly flows the Rhine;The mountain-peaks are sparklingIn the sunny evening-shine.
And yonder sits a maiden,The fairest of the fair;With gold is her garment glittering,And she combs her golden hair:
With a golden comb she combs it;And a wild song singeth she,That melts the heart with a wondrousAnd powerful melody.
The boatman feels his bosomWith a nameless longing move;He sees not the gulfs before him,His gaze is fixed above,
Till over boat and boatmanThe Rhine’s deep waters run:And this, with her magic singing,The Lorelei has done!
Among the pleasing stories related on this evening was “Little Mook,” by Hauff, and a poetic account of a “Queer Old Lady who went to College.”
There once lived a dwarf in the town of Niceu, whom the people called Little Mook. He lived alone, and was thought to be rich. He had a very small body and a very large head, and he wore an enormous turban.He seldom went into the streets, for the reason that ill-bred children there followed and annoyed him. They used to cry after him,—“Little Mook, O Little Mook,Turn, oh, turn about and look!Once a month you leave your room,With your head like a balloon:Try to catch us, if you can;Turn and look, my little man.”
There once lived a dwarf in the town of Niceu, whom the people called Little Mook. He lived alone, and was thought to be rich. He had a very small body and a very large head, and he wore an enormous turban.
He seldom went into the streets, for the reason that ill-bred children there followed and annoyed him. They used to cry after him,—
“Little Mook, O Little Mook,Turn, oh, turn about and look!Once a month you leave your room,With your head like a balloon:Try to catch us, if you can;Turn and look, my little man.”
“Little Mook, O Little Mook,Turn, oh, turn about and look!Once a month you leave your room,With your head like a balloon:Try to catch us, if you can;Turn and look, my little man.”
ENTRANCE TO HEIDELBERG CASTLE.
I will tell you his history.His father was a hard-hearted man, and treated him unkindly because he was deformed. The old man at last died, and his relatives drove the dwarf away from his home.He wandered into the strange world with a cheerful spirit, for the strange world was more kind to him than his kin had been.He came at last to a strange town, and looked around for some face that should seem pitiful and friendly. He saw an old house, into whose door a great number of cats were passing. “If the people here are so good to cats, they may be kind to me,” he thought, and so he followed them. He was met by an old woman, who asked him what he wanted.He told his sad story.“I don’t cook any but for my darling pussy cats,” said the beldame; “but I pity your hard lot, and you may make your home with me until you can find a better.”So Little Mook was employed to look after the cats and kittens.
I will tell you his history.
His father was a hard-hearted man, and treated him unkindly because he was deformed. The old man at last died, and his relatives drove the dwarf away from his home.
He wandered into the strange world with a cheerful spirit, for the strange world was more kind to him than his kin had been.
He came at last to a strange town, and looked around for some face that should seem pitiful and friendly. He saw an old house, into whose door a great number of cats were passing. “If the people here are so good to cats, they may be kind to me,” he thought, and so he followed them. He was met by an old woman, who asked him what he wanted.
He told his sad story.
“I don’t cook any but for my darling pussy cats,” said the beldame; “but I pity your hard lot, and you may make your home with me until you can find a better.”
So Little Mook was employed to look after the cats and kittens.
LITTLE MOOK.
The kittens, I am sorry to say, used to behave very badly when the old dame went abroad; and when she came home and found the house in confusion, and bowls and vases broken, she used to berate Little Mook for what he could not help.While in the old lady’s service he discovered a secret room in which were magic articles, among them a pair of enormous slippers.One day when the old lady was out the little dog broke a crystal vase. Little Mook knew that he would be held responsible for the accident, and he resolved to escape and try his fortune in the world again. He would need good shoes, for the journey might be long; so he put on the big slippers and ran away.Ran? What wonderful slippers those were! He had only to say to them, “Go!” and they would impel him forward with the rapidity of the wind. They seemed to him like wings.“I will become a courier,” said Little Mook, “and so make my fortune, sure.”So Little Mook went to the palace in order to apply to the king.He first met the messenger-in-ordinary.“What!” said he, “you want to be the king’s messenger,—you with your little feet and great slippers!”“Will you allow me to make a trial of speed with your swiftest runner?” asked Little Mook.The messenger-in-ordinary told the king about the little man and his application.“We will have some fun with him,” said the king. “Let him run a race with my first messenger for the sport of the court.”So it was arranged that Little Mook should try his speed with the swiftest messenger.Now the king’s runner was a very tall man. His legs were very long and slender; he had little flesh on his body. He walked with wonderful swiftness, looking like a windmill as he strode forward. He was the telegraph of his times, and the king was very proud of him.The next day the king, who loved a jest, summoned his court to a meadow to witness the race, and to see what the bumptious pygmy could do. Everybody was on tiptoe of expectation, being sure that something amusing would follow.When Little Mook appeared he bowed to the spectators, who laughed at him. When the signal was given for the two to start, Little Mook allowed the runner to go ahead of him for a little time, but when the latter drew near the king’s seat he passed him, to the wonder of all the people, and easily won the race.The king was delighted, the princess waved her veil, and the people all shouted, “Huzza for Little Mook!”So Little Mook became the royal messenger, and surpassed all the runners in the world with his magic slippers.But Little Mook’s great success with his magic slippers excited envy, and made him bitter enemies, and at last the king himself came to believe the stories of his enemies, and turned against him and banished him from his kingdom.Little Mook wandered away, sore at heart, and as friendless as when he had left home and the house of the old woman. Just beyond the confines of the kingdom he came to a grove of fig-trees full of fruit.He stopped to rest and refresh himself with the fruit. There were two trees that bore the finest figs he had ever seen. He gathered some figs from one of them, but as he was eating them his nose and ears began togrow, and when he looked down into a clear, pure stream near by, he saw that his head had been changed into a head like a donkey.He sat down under theotherfig-tree in despair. At last he took up a fig that had fallen from this tree, and ate it. Immediately his nose and ears became smaller and smaller and resumed their natural shape. Then he perceived that the trees bore magic fruit.“Happy thought!” said Little Mook. “I will go back to the palace and sell the fruit of the first tree to the royal household, and then I will turn doctor, and give the donkeys the fruit of the second tree as medicine. But I will not give the old king any medicine.”
The kittens, I am sorry to say, used to behave very badly when the old dame went abroad; and when she came home and found the house in confusion, and bowls and vases broken, she used to berate Little Mook for what he could not help.
While in the old lady’s service he discovered a secret room in which were magic articles, among them a pair of enormous slippers.
One day when the old lady was out the little dog broke a crystal vase. Little Mook knew that he would be held responsible for the accident, and he resolved to escape and try his fortune in the world again. He would need good shoes, for the journey might be long; so he put on the big slippers and ran away.
Ran? What wonderful slippers those were! He had only to say to them, “Go!” and they would impel him forward with the rapidity of the wind. They seemed to him like wings.
“I will become a courier,” said Little Mook, “and so make my fortune, sure.”
So Little Mook went to the palace in order to apply to the king.
He first met the messenger-in-ordinary.
“What!” said he, “you want to be the king’s messenger,—you with your little feet and great slippers!”
“Will you allow me to make a trial of speed with your swiftest runner?” asked Little Mook.
The messenger-in-ordinary told the king about the little man and his application.
“We will have some fun with him,” said the king. “Let him run a race with my first messenger for the sport of the court.”
So it was arranged that Little Mook should try his speed with the swiftest messenger.
Now the king’s runner was a very tall man. His legs were very long and slender; he had little flesh on his body. He walked with wonderful swiftness, looking like a windmill as he strode forward. He was the telegraph of his times, and the king was very proud of him.
The next day the king, who loved a jest, summoned his court to a meadow to witness the race, and to see what the bumptious pygmy could do. Everybody was on tiptoe of expectation, being sure that something amusing would follow.
When Little Mook appeared he bowed to the spectators, who laughed at him. When the signal was given for the two to start, Little Mook allowed the runner to go ahead of him for a little time, but when the latter drew near the king’s seat he passed him, to the wonder of all the people, and easily won the race.
The king was delighted, the princess waved her veil, and the people all shouted, “Huzza for Little Mook!”
So Little Mook became the royal messenger, and surpassed all the runners in the world with his magic slippers.
But Little Mook’s great success with his magic slippers excited envy, and made him bitter enemies, and at last the king himself came to believe the stories of his enemies, and turned against him and banished him from his kingdom.
Little Mook wandered away, sore at heart, and as friendless as when he had left home and the house of the old woman. Just beyond the confines of the kingdom he came to a grove of fig-trees full of fruit.
He stopped to rest and refresh himself with the fruit. There were two trees that bore the finest figs he had ever seen. He gathered some figs from one of them, but as he was eating them his nose and ears began togrow, and when he looked down into a clear, pure stream near by, he saw that his head had been changed into a head like a donkey.
He sat down under theotherfig-tree in despair. At last he took up a fig that had fallen from this tree, and ate it. Immediately his nose and ears became smaller and smaller and resumed their natural shape. Then he perceived that the trees bore magic fruit.
“Happy thought!” said Little Mook. “I will go back to the palace and sell the fruit of the first tree to the royal household, and then I will turn doctor, and give the donkeys the fruit of the second tree as medicine. But I will not give the old king any medicine.”
A physician tries to amputate a sufferer's nose
Little Mook gathered the two kinds of figs, and returned to the palace and sold that of the first tree to the butler.Oh, then there was woe in the palace! The king’s family were seen wandering around with donkeys’ heads on their shoulders. Their noses and ears were as long as their arms. The physicians were sent for and they held aconsultation. They decided on amputation; but as fast as they cut off the noses and ears of the afflicted household, these troublesome members grew out again, longer than before.Then Little Mook appeared with the principles and remedies of homœopathy. He gave one by one of the sufferers the figs of thesecondtree, and they were cured. He collected his fees, and having relieved all but the king he fled, taking his homœopathic arts with him. The king wore the head of a donkey to his latest day.
Little Mook gathered the two kinds of figs, and returned to the palace and sold that of the first tree to the butler.
Oh, then there was woe in the palace! The king’s family were seen wandering around with donkeys’ heads on their shoulders. Their noses and ears were as long as their arms. The physicians were sent for and they held aconsultation. They decided on amputation; but as fast as they cut off the noses and ears of the afflicted household, these troublesome members grew out again, longer than before.
Then Little Mook appeared with the principles and remedies of homœopathy. He gave one by one of the sufferers the figs of thesecondtree, and they were cured. He collected his fees, and having relieved all but the king he fled, taking his homœopathic arts with him. The king wore the head of a donkey to his latest day.
The queer old lady who went to college
There was a queer old lady, and she had lost her youth;She bought her a new mirror,And it told to her the truth.Did she break the truthful mirror?Oh, no, no; no, no, no, no.But she bought some stays quite rare,Some false teeth and wavy hair,Some convex-concave glasses such as men of culture wear,And then she looked again,And she said, “I am not plain,—I am not plain, ’tis plain,Not very, very plain,I did not think that primps and crimpsWould change a body so.I’ll take a book on Art,And press it to my heart,And I’ll straightway go to college,Where I think I’ll catch a beau.”
There was a queer old lady, and she had lost her youth;She bought her a new mirror,And it told to her the truth.Did she break the truthful mirror?Oh, no, no; no, no, no, no.But she bought some stays quite rare,Some false teeth and wavy hair,Some convex-concave glasses such as men of culture wear,And then she looked again,And she said, “I am not plain,—I am not plain, ’tis plain,Not very, very plain,I did not think that primps and crimpsWould change a body so.I’ll take a book on Art,And press it to my heart,And I’ll straightway go to college,Where I think I’ll catch a beau.”
The old lady is unhappy
“And it told to her the truth.”
The old woman
“Not very, very plain.”
II.She made her way to college just as straight as straight could be,And she asked for the Professor of the new philosophie;He met her with a smileAnd said, “Pray rest awhile,And come into my parlor and take a cup of tea.We will talk of themes celestial,—Of the flowery nights in JuneWhen blow the gentle zephyrs;Of the circle round the moon;Of the causes of the causes.”These college men are quite and very much polite,And when you call upon them they you straightway in invite.
II.
She made her way to college just as straight as straight could be,And she asked for the Professor of the new philosophie;He met her with a smileAnd said, “Pray rest awhile,And come into my parlor and take a cup of tea.We will talk of themes celestial,—Of the flowery nights in JuneWhen blow the gentle zephyrs;Of the circle round the moon;Of the causes of the causes.”These college men are quite and very much polite,And when you call upon them they you straightway in invite.
Someone calling on a college man
“They you straightway in invite.”
III.But the lady she was modest,And she said, “You me confuse;I have come, O man of wisdom,To get a bit of news.There’s a problem of life’s problemsThat often puzzles me:Tell me true, O man of Science,When my wedding-day will be.”IV.Quick by the hand he seized her,He of the philosophie,And his answer greatly pleased herWhen they had taken tea:“’Twill be, my fair young lady,When you aretwenty-three!”
III.
But the lady she was modest,And she said, “You me confuse;I have come, O man of wisdom,To get a bit of news.There’s a problem of life’s problemsThat often puzzles me:Tell me true, O man of Science,When my wedding-day will be.”
IV.
Quick by the hand he seized her,He of the philosophie,And his answer greatly pleased herWhen they had taken tea:“’Twill be, my fair young lady,When you aretwenty-three!”
V.At her window, filled with flowers,Then she waited happy hours,Scanned the byways and the highwaysTo see what she could see.If the postman brought a letter,It was sure to greatly fret her,—Fret her so her maid she’d frighten,If a dun it proved to be.If it came not from a lover,Sadly she her face would cover,Hide her face and say in sorrow,“Trulyhewill come to-morrow,For he knew, that man of science,And I’malmosttwenty-three.”
V.
At her window, filled with flowers,Then she waited happy hours,Scanned the byways and the highwaysTo see what she could see.If the postman brought a letter,It was sure to greatly fret her,—Fret her so her maid she’d frighten,If a dun it proved to be.If it came not from a lover,Sadly she her face would cover,Hide her face and say in sorrow,“Trulyhewill come to-morrow,For he knew, that man of science,And I’malmosttwenty-three.”
VI.He deceived her, he deceived her,Oh, that too kind man deceived her,—He of compasses and lenses,He of new-found influences,He of the philosophie.Oh the chatterer, oh the flatterer,Oh the smatterer in science,To whom all things clear should be!Had he taken the old almanac,That true guide to worldly wisdom,He would have seen that there was something—Some stray figure, some lost factor,Something added the extractor—Wrong in his chronologie,In his learned chronologie.
VI.
He deceived her, he deceived her,Oh, that too kind man deceived her,—He of compasses and lenses,He of new-found influences,He of the philosophie.Oh the chatterer, oh the flatterer,Oh the smatterer in science,To whom all things clear should be!Had he taken the old almanac,That true guide to worldly wisdom,He would have seen that there was something—Some stray figure, some lost factor,Something added the extractor—Wrong in his chronologie,In his learned chronologie.
MORAL.There are few things, one, two, three,In the earth, the air, and sea,That the schoolmen do not know.When you’re going to catch a beau,And a few like occultations,In a few things here below,Men of wisdom do not know;And to them for these few itemsIt is never wise to go.
MORAL.
There are few things, one, two, three,In the earth, the air, and sea,That the schoolmen do not know.When you’re going to catch a beau,And a few like occultations,In a few things here below,Men of wisdom do not know;And to them for these few itemsIt is never wise to go.
The professor peers out of his study window
“HE OF THE PHILOSOPHIE.”
Seven Nights on the Rhine:—Worms.—Luther’s Monument.—The Story of Siegfried and the Dragon.—Mayence.—Boat Journey.—Stories of the Castles on the Middle Rhine.—The Wonderful Story of the Lorelei.—Kerner.
MR. BEAL continued the narrative of travel at the fifth meeting of the Club for the rehearsal of Rhine stories.
“We passed over a road along the right bank of the Rhine towards Worms. We journeyed amid green forests, and past fields which had heaped up harvests for a thousand years. Spires gleamed on the opposite bank, and in the flat landscape Worms came to view, the Rhine flowing calmly by.
“We stopped at Worms to see the cathedral and the Luther Monument. It is a dull town. We recalled that it was here great Cæsar stood, and Attila drove his cavalry of devastation over the Rhine. Here lived the hero of German classic song,—Siegfried. The cathedral has a monumental history. In 772 war was declared in it against the Saxons. Here was held the famous Diet of Worms at which Luther appeared, and said,—
“‘Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise. God help me.’
“The cathedral is of the style called Romanesque. It is lofty and gloomy. Worms itself is a shadowy and silent city as compared with the past.
“The Luther Monument is a history of Protestantism in stone andbronze. It is one of the noblest works of art of modern times, and its majesty and unity are a surprise to the traveller. Luther is of course the central figure. He stands with his Bible in his hands, and his face upturned to heaven. Around him are the figures of the great reformers before the Reformation: Wycliffe, of England; Waldo, of France; Huss, of Bohemia; and Savonarola, of Italy. The German princes who befriended and sustained the Reformer occupy conspicuous places, and the immense group presents a most impressive scene, associated with lofty character and commanding talent.
A BATTLE BETWEEN FRANKS AND SAXONS.
“We went to the place where Luther sat beneath a tree, when his companions sought to dissuade him from entering Worms.
“‘I would go to Worms,’ he said, ‘were there as many devils as there are tiles upon the roofs.’
“The high pitched roofs and innumerable tiles on them everywhere met our eyes, and recalled the famous declaration.
LUTHER’S HOUSE.
“I should here tell you the
The early nations of Europe seem to have come out of the northwest of Asia. The Celts or Gauls came first; other tribes followed them. These latter tribes called themselvesDeutsch, orthe people. They settled between the Alps and the Baltic Sea. In time they came to be called Ger-men, or war-men. They lived in rude huts and held the lands in common. They were strong and brave and prosperous.
The early nations of Europe seem to have come out of the northwest of Asia. The Celts or Gauls came first; other tribes followed them. These latter tribes called themselvesDeutsch, orthe people. They settled between the Alps and the Baltic Sea. In time they came to be called Ger-men, or war-men. They lived in rude huts and held the lands in common. They were strong and brave and prosperous.
A TRIBE OF GERMANS ON AN EXPEDITION.
They worshipped the great god Woden. His day of worship was the fourth of the week; hence Woden’s-day, or Wednesday.Woden was an all-wise god. Ravens carried to him the news from earth. His temples were stone altars on desolate heaths, and human sacrifices were offered to him.Woden had a celestial hall called Valhall, and thither he transported the souls of the brave; hence the name Valhalla.There were supposed to be water gods in the rivers and elves throughout the forest. The heavens were peopled with minor gods, as well as the great gods, and the spirits of the unseen world could make themselves visible or invisible to men as they chose.Most great nations have heroes of song sung by the poets, like those of Homer and Virgil. The early German hero was Siegfried, and the song or epic that celebrates his deeds is called theNibelungen Lied. Its story is as follows.In the Land of Mist there was a lovely river, where dwelt little people who could assume any form they wished. One of them was accustomed to change himself into an otter when he went to the river to fish. As he was fishing one day in this form he was caught by Loki, one of the great gods, who immediately despatched him and took off his skin.When his brothers Fafner and Reginn saw what had been done, they reproved Loki severely, and demanded of him that he should fill the otter’s skin with gold, and give it to them as an atonement for his great misdeed.“I return the otter skin and give you the treasure you ask,” said Loki; “but the gift shall bring you evil.”Their father took the treasure, and Fafner murdered his father to secure it to himself, and then turned into a dragon or serpent to guard it, and to keep his brother from finding it.Reginn had a wonderful pupil, named Siegfried, a Samson among the inhabitants of the land. He was so strong that he could catch wild lions and hang them by the tail over the walls of the castle. Reginn persuaded this pupil to attack the serpent and to slay him.Now Siegfried could understand the songs of birds; and the birds told him that Reginn intended to kill him; so he slew Reginn and himself possessed the treasure.Serpents and dragons were calledwormsin Old Deutsch, and the Germans called the town where Siegfried lived Worms.Siegfried had bathed himself in the dragon’s blood, and the bath made his skin so hard that nothing could hurt him except in one spot. A leaf had fallen on this spot as he was bathing. It was between his shoulders.Siegfried, like Samson, had a curious wife. His romances growing out of his love for this woman would fill a volume. She had learned where his one vulnerable spot lay. But she was a lovely lady, and the wedded pair lived very happily together at Worms.At last a dispute arose between them and their relatives, and the latter sought to destroy Siegfried’s life. His wife went for counsel to a supposed friend, but real enemy, named Hagen.“Your husband is invulnerable,” said Hagen.“Yes, except in one spot.”“And you know the place?”“Yes.”“Sew a patch on his garment over it, and I shall know how to protect him.”The poor wife had revealed a fatal secret. She sewed a patch on her husband’s garment between the shoulders, and now thought him doubly secure.
They worshipped the great god Woden. His day of worship was the fourth of the week; hence Woden’s-day, or Wednesday.
Woden was an all-wise god. Ravens carried to him the news from earth. His temples were stone altars on desolate heaths, and human sacrifices were offered to him.
Woden had a celestial hall called Valhall, and thither he transported the souls of the brave; hence the name Valhalla.
There were supposed to be water gods in the rivers and elves throughout the forest. The heavens were peopled with minor gods, as well as the great gods, and the spirits of the unseen world could make themselves visible or invisible to men as they chose.
Most great nations have heroes of song sung by the poets, like those of Homer and Virgil. The early German hero was Siegfried, and the song or epic that celebrates his deeds is called theNibelungen Lied. Its story is as follows.
In the Land of Mist there was a lovely river, where dwelt little people who could assume any form they wished. One of them was accustomed to change himself into an otter when he went to the river to fish. As he was fishing one day in this form he was caught by Loki, one of the great gods, who immediately despatched him and took off his skin.
When his brothers Fafner and Reginn saw what had been done, they reproved Loki severely, and demanded of him that he should fill the otter’s skin with gold, and give it to them as an atonement for his great misdeed.
“I return the otter skin and give you the treasure you ask,” said Loki; “but the gift shall bring you evil.”
Their father took the treasure, and Fafner murdered his father to secure it to himself, and then turned into a dragon or serpent to guard it, and to keep his brother from finding it.
Reginn had a wonderful pupil, named Siegfried, a Samson among the inhabitants of the land. He was so strong that he could catch wild lions and hang them by the tail over the walls of the castle. Reginn persuaded this pupil to attack the serpent and to slay him.
Now Siegfried could understand the songs of birds; and the birds told him that Reginn intended to kill him; so he slew Reginn and himself possessed the treasure.
Serpents and dragons were calledwormsin Old Deutsch, and the Germans called the town where Siegfried lived Worms.
Siegfried had bathed himself in the dragon’s blood, and the bath made his skin so hard that nothing could hurt him except in one spot. A leaf had fallen on this spot as he was bathing. It was between his shoulders.
Siegfried, like Samson, had a curious wife. His romances growing out of his love for this woman would fill a volume. She had learned where his one vulnerable spot lay. But she was a lovely lady, and the wedded pair lived very happily together at Worms.
At last a dispute arose between them and their relatives, and the latter sought to destroy Siegfried’s life. His wife went for counsel to a supposed friend, but real enemy, named Hagen.
“Your husband is invulnerable,” said Hagen.
“Yes, except in one spot.”
“And you know the place?”
“Yes.”
“Sew a patch on his garment over it, and I shall know how to protect him.”
The poor wife had revealed a fatal secret. She sewed a patch on her husband’s garment between the shoulders, and now thought him doubly secure.
THE MURDER OF SIEGFRIED.
There was to be a great hunting-match, and Siegfried entered into it as a champion. He rode forth in high spirits, but on his back was the fatal patch.Hagen contrived that the wine should be left behind.“That,” he said, “will compel the hunters to lie down on their breasts to drink from the streams when they become thirsty. Then will come my opportunity.”He was right in his conjecture.Siegfried became tired and thirsty. He rode up to a stream. He threw himself on his breast to drink, exposing his back, on which was the patch, revealing the vulnerable place.There he was stabbed by a conspirator employed by Hagen.They bore the dead body of the hero down the Rhine, and lamented the departed champion as the barque drifted on. The scene has been portrayed in art and song, and has left its impress on the poetic associations of the river. You will have occasion to recall this story again in connection with Drachenfels.
There was to be a great hunting-match, and Siegfried entered into it as a champion. He rode forth in high spirits, but on his back was the fatal patch.
Hagen contrived that the wine should be left behind.
“That,” he said, “will compel the hunters to lie down on their breasts to drink from the streams when they become thirsty. Then will come my opportunity.”
He was right in his conjecture.
Siegfried became tired and thirsty. He rode up to a stream. He threw himself on his breast to drink, exposing his back, on which was the patch, revealing the vulnerable place.
There he was stabbed by a conspirator employed by Hagen.
They bore the dead body of the hero down the Rhine, and lamented the departed champion as the barque drifted on. The scene has been portrayed in art and song, and has left its impress on the poetic associations of the river. You will have occasion to recall this story again in connection with Drachenfels.
“Our fifth night on the Rhine was passed at Mayence, at the Hôtel de Hollande, near the landing-place of the Rhine steamers. The balconies and windows of the hotel afforded fine views of the river and of the Taunus Mountains.
“Mayence is said to have arisen by magic. The sorcerer Nequam wished for a new city; he came to this point of the Rhine, spoke the word, and the city rose. It is almost as old as the Christian era. Here the Twenty-second Roman legion came, after its return from the conquest of Jerusalem, and brought Christianity with it, through some of its early converts. It was one of the grand cities of Charlemagne, who erected a palace at Lower Ingelheim, and introduced the cultivation of the vine. Here lived Bishop Hatto, of bad repute, and good Bishop Williges.
“Here rose Gutenberg, the inventor of printing, and here Thorwaldsen’s statue of the great inventor announces to the traveller what a great light of civilization appeared to the world.
“At Mayence we began the most delightful zigzag we had ever made,—a boat journey on the Rhine.
“‘If you would see the Rhine of castles and vineyards.’ said an English friend, ‘hire a boat. The most famous river scenery in the world lies between Mayence and Cologne. If you take the railroad you will merelyescapeit in a few hours; if a steamboat, your curiosity will be excited, but not gratified; it will all vanish like a dream: take a boat, my good American friend,—take a boat.’
“Between Mayence and Bingen the Rhine attains its greatest breadth. It is studded with a hundred islands. Its banks arecontinuous vineyards. Here is the famous district called the Rheingau, which extends along the right bank of the river, where the Rhine wines are produced.
Large buildings, with a statue outside
MAYENCE.
“It is all a luxurious wine-garden,—the Rheingau. The grapes purple beside ruins and convents, as well as on their low artificial trellises, and everywhere drink in the sunshine and grow luscious in the mellow air.
“Castles, palaces, ruins, towers, and quaint towns all mingle with the vineyards. A dreamy light hangs over the scene; the river is calm, and the boat drifts along in an atmosphere in which the spirit of romance seems to brood, as though indeed the world’s fairy tales were true.
“We came in sight of Bingen.
“‘We must stop there,’ said Willie Clifton.
“‘Why?’ I asked curiously.
“‘Because—well—