🧚 Legends and Tales., part 4

But let us not be too hard on the Baron in this respect, for the English often make as ludicrous errors in German.1 The writer heard a young lady in Cologne order Himmelfleisch, meaning Hammelfleisch.2 She intended to ask for mutton, but in reality ordered heaven's meat.3 And the waiter, with his solemn, impenetrable face, replied, "I regret we have not that dish."4

A gentleman in Leipzig ordered Kinderbraten and Pantoffel--child roast and slippers!5 He wanted Rinderbraten and Kartoffel--roast beef and potatoes!6

People who drop their H's in English do the same in German.7 An English girl driving away from Ballenstedt, cried out, "Farewell, Arz!"8

At the hotel by the Radau waterfall an old man ordered the Kellner to bring beer, and called after him, "Aber ell!"9 Hell he meant--clear or white in contrast to brown beer.10

He had been parading about and ordering the Kellner as if he owned the whole place, which made his missing h all the more amusing.11

But to return to the Baron.12 May spoke of the towered village church nestling so confidingly in the rich foliage, and regretted she had not yet seen the interior, but hoped to the following Sunday.13

"Pray, Miss Rosenmore, you do not keep up that absurd idea of going to church?14 I have not been in a church for five years.15 While they insist on preaching the old fables that nobody believes any more, I shall not go.16 I can attend to my religion much better in my own room, or in the woods, where the trees form nobler Gothic arches than any cathedral, from Köln and Halberstadt down.17 Even meine Mutter told me not to trouble myself about the Bible, for there was no truth in it."18

"Woe to any mother who could give such advice!" cried May, in great excitement.19 She spoke of some of the strongest proofs of the Divine origin of the Bible, and asked the Baron if he could explain why it was that Christian nations were the most elevated, those without the light of revelation being the degraded ones.20

"Oh!" said he, "such a view has something beautiful in it; but it is only a delusion, a transition period in the history and development of mind, I might say, the Raupenkleid--chrysalis--of education, out of which the splendid and brilliant butterfly of free thought breaks forth, and Science unfolds her golden wings, and in her commanding presence, the old orthodox Bible-faith can never again lift its head.21

"There is an endless primeval matter, I may say the Urkraft--first cause--of all things, which is scattered in countless atoms in eternal space.22

"From this primeval matter, during the course of millions on millions of ages, slowly and gradually unfolded beings, from the most insignificant to the highest.23 From a scrap of mud, through the effect of light and heat, perhaps by contact with some other body, a frog was produced.24 Nearest related to the frog stands the Labyrinthodonten, whose hand-like foot-tracks have been found in the sandstone, and which is decidedly the transition between these animals and the higher species of the ape; and from the ape, during impossible-to-comprehend ages, man has sprung, at first rough and animal, as we see to-day in savage races, from step to step unfolding and rising, till we have the Mensch of our present civilization and refinement."25

All this was said with a foppish, self-satisfied air, as if he were a personification of wisdom.26 May looked at him in amazement, wondering at his shallowness.27

At length she said, "Concerning origin and ancestors I will not now dispute.28 If you deny the Bible, we have no common ground of argument; and if your argument be true, we have after this life--nothing.29 Let proud Science beware lest she scorch her 'golden wings' in the avenging fire of Divine wrath.30

"If you are content with the doctrine of man's descent from an ape, originally, according to your own argument, from a frog!31 I deny its truth, and claim mine from an eternal, omnipotent and holy Creator, and personal Father, not simply an eviges Sein--eternal state of being--but something infinitely and incomprehensibly more exalted."32

Here the conversation was interrupted by the approach of the Baronin, accompanied by a tall noble-looking lady attired in black.33

May started, for it was the lady in the photo of the lost sketch-book.34 Her friend introduced the stranger as the Countess von Omnesky, a lady of Russian birth, but who had been partly educated in England, her father having long filled an official position there under the Russian Government.35

The Countess was still young, only five-and-twenty, of a pale, melancholy, but highly intelligent countenance, and her sapphire blue eyes had a mournful, far-away look in them, that touched one deeply.36

Their conversation turned on the beauties of Harz scenery, and its romantic ruins, and the Countess remarked she had only the other day visited the Regenstein, and during the day had lost an object, to her of great value--a sketch-book, filled by her late husband, with the exception of the last sketch, which she had herself sketched after his death.37

May drew forth the sketch-book, which she had purposely carried in her pocket, and handed it to her, remarking she had recognized her from the photo at the first glance, and explained how it had come into her possession.38

The Countess turned to the sketch in the arbour, remarking, "We were sitting thus, when Karl was summoned to join his regiment at the breaking out of the last war between France and Germany.39 We had only been married three weeks when France declared war, and my joy was broken for ever.40 If you will not be wearied, I will tell you the history."41

May assured her of her deep interest and sympathy, and they seated themselves under a magnificent oak near the lake.42

"My sister Olga and I were married on the same day to two brothers, German officers, just three weeks before the commencement of the war.43 We were in Switzerland at the time of the mobilization of the German army, and hastening to obey the call, we repaired to Berlin, where we took leave of one another, never again all to meet in this world.44

"Olga and I remained a short time in Berlin, but after the reports of the battle _bei_ Worth we grew too excited to stay so far from the scene of action; and accordingly went to Baden, taking only our maid with us, and not wishing to go to an hotel, we took apartments in a private _pension_ kept by a family from Edinburgh, two old maids and their brother, Mac Stab by name; and though I have travelled over nearly all Europe their equal I have never met, and have reason to believe Scotland or Germany could produce few such creatures.45

"You may imagine the difficulties of travelling in time of war, with soldiers being transported to active service, and the sick and wounded to hospitals; and we lost our luggage, consisting only of two trunks.46

"We explained to the elder Miss Mac Stab, who wore a couple of pig-tail curls each side of her face, that our trunks were lost, but we hoped would be found in a day or two.47

"The second day passed, but our missing trunks did not appear--in fact never did--and the third morning, as poor Olga was descending the stairs for breakfast, Miss Mac Stab attacked her crying out, 'See the painted Jezebel! with her curls and diamond rings!48 The impostor seeks to deceive honest folk with her pretended wedding ring and tales of lost luggage!'49