spectable magistrate, resident in Brunswick; and with that purpose 1 sold off all my property in Naples, and have undertaken a long journey. We have travelled by short stages; for so as we were varying the scene, our object was answered. We staid at Constance nearly a month; and having last night reached the inn in the valley here, to our astonishment we heard the history of the death of Baron Waggenheim, whom I so well remember, and the more extraordinary account of your being here, and the successor to his property. That," added Von Doddle, giving his old head a significant shake, "is no more than it ought to be." Fritz, who was standing behind his chair, drew his hand across his mouth, and made a kind of snuffling noise with his nose; and Bertha looked at me as affectionately as ever. I caught her hand-she did not draw it back-she had resisted and rejected the attentions of a Neapolitan nobleman-her heart was, perhaps, still mine. 66 "Excellent man," said I to the pastor, you have heard at your inn the details of what has occurred here. You find me in possession of fortune and estates. Now, to prove to you what was the chief object of my hopes and ambition under the great change in my circumstances and position, read that letter." Saying which, I placed before him the epistle I had just finished, the contents of which are already known. I entered into a faltering conversation with Bertha, who had, in growing up, fully justified the expectations her earlier beauty had excited; but neither of us could talk. I knew, and she, I think, guessed the contents of the paper. I watched the old man's countenance as he read it, and saw in its expression his delight at its purport. Having finished it, he said, nearly overcome by emotion, "Bertha, my beloved, this letter, although addressed to me, concerns you--read it" and here his eyes filled with tears; "read it, my child, and answer it;" and, throwing the letter towards his daughter, his head fell upon his hands, and he sobbed convulsively. Bertha, trembling like a leaf, took it up-my eyes were riveted on her, when, to my surprise, Fritz, who had been standing behind the pastor's chair, and had taken the privilege of an old servant (half worn into a friend), by reading every syllable of it, started forward, and, grasping the fair hand of his young mistress, threw himself upon his knees, and, bursting into tears, said to her, "Miss Bertha, I know it all-I know what it's about-that noble young man wants to make you Baroness Widdlezig. Now I know how you have talked of him, thought of him, praised him, and lamented him while absent-don't-don't be shy-don't break his heart." I confess I was a good deal startled by the homeliness of Fritz's earnest appeal in my behalf; but I knew how to appreciate his warmth and energy, which even broke through the rules of decorum, and, moreover, substantiated the fact that he had been peeping. The abruptness, however, proved neither ill-timed nor misplaced, for it afforded Bertha an opportunity of expressing her consent to my proposal in the quickest and simplest manner. "Good Fritz,"said the dear creature, affecting composure and placidity, "do not agitate yourself-whatever my father wishes, that will I do." I answered that I thought the acceptance was couched in rather cold terms-but it was an answer to a servant, and it was an acceptance. "Then," said I, "I am the happiest of men." At these words I clasped the dear girl to my heart, and was delighted to perceive that Fritz, who was evidently a clever negotiator, nudged Mr. Von Doddle by the sleeve, and led him out of the room to catch the fresh air, which his friendly servant seemed to think necessary for his recovery from his fit of agitation. Bertha and I were then left alone-and in ten minutes I discovered that I had been during my absence the sole object of her affections, and that other offers, besides the Neapolitan nobleman, had been rejected for my sake. Things having arrived at this point, there was but one more move to make; and accordingly, having written to summon Mr. Von Doddle, of Brunswick, to be present at the ceremony, all due preparations were made for our marriage, which was celebrated in about three weeks after the arrival of my beautiful bride. The whole Chateau assumed a new appearance. The miners themselves joined in our gaieties, and some of them confessed to me their entire belief, that although prejudice ran strongly in favour of goblins, they believed that the worst demon that ever existed there, was the housekeeper Caroline, who is, for all I know, to this moment beating hemp and picking oakum in one of the Houses of Correction, much famed for its exceedingly wholesome dietary. Upon this history-which, however, I have been most unwillingly forced considerably to abridge-I mean as regards a number of minor incidents, all conducing to the same point-the erudite Dr. Zlippzlopp greatly relies for the soundness of his doctrine touching small things and great. If Widdlezig's mother had not been devoted to her dog, Widdlezig would not have been left at Naples to be brought up by Mr. and Mrs. Von Doddle; if Mr. and Mrs. Von Doddle had not had a daughter fond of zoology, Widdlezig would not, in his anxiety to please her, and fill her little museum, have hunted the beautiful butterfly; if he had not hunted the beautiful butterfly, he would not have been snapped up by the robbers and immured in a cave; if, when he got out of the cave, he had followed his nose instead of sitting down upon a stone, he would not have fallen in with Whango Jang and the wild beasts; if the tiger belonging to Whango Jang had not eaten up a little boy two days. before, Whango Jang would not have wanted him; if the Porcupine had not died, and the natural history of animals become the subject of conversation between Widdlezig and the black man, Widdlezig would not have killed the Ostrich; if Widdlezig had not killed the Ostrich, the black man never would have flogged Widdlezig; if the black man had not flogged Widdlezig, he would not have run away from him; and if it had not thundered and lightened in the forest when he did run away from him, he would not have run for shelter into the cottage by the road-side. If he had not run for shelter into the cottage by the road-side, he would not have seen the Baron Waggenheim; if he had not seen the Baron Waggenheim, he never would have seen his house, or been made an officer of the mines; if he had never been made an officer of the mines, he never would have excited the jealousy of the Housekeeper Caroline and her two boys; if he had never excited the jealousy of Caroline and her two boys, she never would have got him turned out of the mines; if he never had been turned out of the mines, he never would have become Ranger of the park of Prince Felderstein ; if he had never been Ranger of the park of Prince Felderstein, the hole in the park-wall would have been mended, and the wolf would not have eaten up the Spanish sheep; if the Spanish sheep had not been eaten up, Widdlezig would not have been sent to prison; and if he had not been sent to prison, and liberated only on the Prince's birthday, he would not have thought of returning to Waggenheim; and if he had not thought of returning to Waggenheim, he would not have passed the thicket, in which the assassins were murdering the Baron, at the precise moment to save him. If he had not been there, at the precise moment to save him, he never would have known of his relationship to him; and if he had never known of that relationship, he of course would never have succeeded to his property; and if he had not succeeded to his property, he would not have been residing on it at the time when Von Doddle and his daughter were passing through the country towards Brunswick. "Hence," says Dr. Zlippzlopp, "we perceive that all the events here recorded of the life of Widdlezig, with many others (which, as I have already said, I have been compelled to omit), arose from nothing more nor less, than the affection of a FINE LADY for a POODLE DOG." THE POLAR STAR. This star sinks below the horizon in certain latitudes. I watched it sink lower and lower every night, till at last it disappeared. A STAR has left the kindling sky A lovely northern light- I miss its bright familiar face, It rose upon our English sky, It seemed to answer to my thought, And with its welcome presence brought NIGHT AT SEA. THE lovely purple of the noon's bestowing 'Tis night, and overhead the sky is gleaming, My friends, my absent friends! Do you think of me, as I think of you? By each dark wave around the vessel sweeping, I did not know how much you were beloved. Kind looks, kind words, rise half reproachful now! Hurried and anxious, my vexed life has speeded, And memory wears a soft accusing brow. My friends, my absent friends! The very stars are strangers, as I catch them Athwart the shadowy sails that swell above; O'er each home pillow, midnight is declining, Do you think of me, as I think of you? Yesterday has a charm, to-day could never Fling o'er the mind, which knows not till it parts To fix the past within the heart of hearts. The strengthener of affection, while it reaches My friends, my absent friends! Do you think of me, as I think of you? |