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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1885)
180 THE WEST SHORE. her superior, a buing bo far above herself that in bis presonoe even rank and unspotted pedigree stood aloof and would not lift up their head By Lise's couch she passed the hours till a calm sun set gave place to starry twilight When the moon rose there was little change in Line. She lay still and white; her hnlf-open eyes wore glazed. The breath came imper ceptibly from botweon her parted lips. To the watchers the doctor, who sat by the shadod lamp on one side of the lied, and the countess and the Frau Pastorin, who were together on the other she looked more and more like a oorjwe. The window was opon; a broad band of red light streamed uon the lawn bolow, occasionally broken by a flitting shadow; and sulxlinxl murmurs of voices were hoard in the silence of the sick chamber. In the sitting nxim bolow the pastor was helping the miser able hours to pass, was trying to distract the attention of tho count and Itarmann one alworbod in thoughts of his only sou, tho other enduring agonies of suspense because of his one dear daughter. None slept, or attempted to Bleep, in the cottage that night. Messages went backwards and forwards to the castlo at intervals. Tho doctor invontod requiroruenta if only to give tho watchers something to da lie know the castle storerooms, and evory now and then ho would sug gest some item which would bo required "when the jMitient reooverod consciousness." All the time he said to himself, "She is dying -slowly but dying," and he dreaded the scene in store for him with the unhappy parents, when he should have to toll the trutli. The gray dawn was fighting with the night shadows, all lights began to have a sickly hue, tho count had fallon asleep on the sitting room sofa, and the pastor's heavy eyelids would cle in spite of him as he leant back in an arm-chair talking to Barmann, who incessantly paced the room, when a footstep was heard on the stair, and the counties rushed in, saying, in a hoarso voice, "All is lost -she is dying." In an instant the men were up and out of the room, and she was alone in the gray dawn, weeping and wring! ing her hands; calling upon the Almighty to pity her for her interference; it was well meant; blaming herself for this catastrophe; bewailing the awful moment when Alexis should come to find Lise doad. There was a cruel silence everywhere; and with the suddenness of a shot fired in the dead of night came a sound in tho far distance. She started to her foot aud listened, stilling her very breath-what was it? At first it was indistinct, like the rattle of a dog's chain; then it grew louder aud plainer-it was the rattle of hoofs upon the hard road. " My boy," she said, with an awful calmness, aud Bat down to await eveuU as if she wore turuod to stone. She heard Uie bell, Katehou hurry out-quirk foot. st, the sound of Alexis' voice, thou all was still again. l or a few tuiuuU she Mt as if she were alone with death, cut off from life, love, hope-suspended in the dark list of eturual d.Hjw. S.iiuo out) cimn to her, aud she felt a hand on her shoulder; but she only shook her head faintly. But Ulrich, for it was ha spoke firmly and cheerfully, ' I bring good news." "Good news?" She repeated the words vacantly. They conveyed no sense to the dazed, suffering mind. But as he told her in Bimple, plain words that Lise had come out of her stupor, had recognized them all, and that the doctor had said she would live, she began to under stand, and when the count came in and embraced her, and Barmann sobbed incoherent thanks, she awoke to the fact that she had not only been spared lifelong remorse, but had been spared perhaps to joys as yet undreamt of. But she turned from the count, who would have sup ported her to the sick room, and appealed to Franz, clinging to him in her weakness as she would have clung to a far loftier, holier presence. He took her carefully and kindly to the door of the room, then the pastor, grave but smiling, drew her in, and she saw Lise supported by the Frau Pastorin, and Alexis on his knees by the Bide of the bed then, some how, she was there, too, and a faint, weak voice said, "Mother." When the excitement had subsided they all inquired for Ulrich. But he had gone, leaving a note directed to Alexis. This contained the ring Lise had given him at their betrothal, wrapped in a paper on which he had written, "Those whom God has joined together, let not man attempt to put asunder." And this was the last they heard of him for some time. Lise sieedily got well, and Alexis did not join the Black Deaths. But his own regiment was ordered to the seat of war, and he went through the campaign, Lise re maining at the castle, the comfort of his parents. As booh as peace was proclaimed, they were married, and Lise accompanied her young husband to Breslau. Franz Ulrich remains a bachelor, in spite of his father's constant suggestions to him that he should marry; suggestions to which he replies that there are other matters here below even of greater and more vital interest than "marriage, and giving in marriage," as, indeed, there are to souls like his, which are, as it were, eyes steadfastly fixed upon eternity. Temple Bar. With the recent improvements in materials and ap paratus for photographing, there has come a great acces. smu to the ranks of those who find in this interesting study a pleasurable, inexpensive and sometimes lucrative employment As is the case, however, in almost every widemmbracing field of activity, there is no noticeable success attained except by those who make diligent and mte ligout application, and this is particularly true with the large number of amateur photographers, who find it so easy to learn the principal elements of what is neces sary to make sun picture before they realize how impor tant it is to have also some artistic taste aud education. Ihis is abundantly indicated in the discussions which Uke place before the numerous socirtie. of nmMenr pho K'raphcrs, now springing up in all sections.