Frederick the Great and His Fam

offered to the eye was superb. You seemed to be suddenly transplanted as if by magic from the stiff, ceremonious court-saloons into the fresh, fragrant, blooming wor

seemed to float like gay butterflies between the trees and flowers. They threw their soft, faint, many-colored lights through these enchanting halls, on each side of which little grottoes had been formed by twining together myrtles,

t lies at the corner of the wall and has but one open side, and leafy bushes are thickly grouped about it. We have no liste

nsolation. I truly believe that the thought of you and my ardent desire to see you was a talisman which kept death afar off. It seemed to me impossible to die without seeing you once more. I had a firm conviction that I would live through the war and return to you. Thus I defie

ss for one moment, then slipped lightly

rgy and without fire; not too cold, not too warm-the tepid, lukewarm tenderness of a husband who rea

to escape, even when fairly caught in the toils. I love you just as you are, Louise; I rejoice to find you just what I left you. You will make me young agai

growling bears; good-humored but savage pets, rather too willing to learn again to dance and sing. The onl

to do this," said the major,

duty, I fear your cause is wholly lost. Come, let us

. I would much rather close your laughing, rosy lips with kisses." He drew her

," said she, "I will unfold the gay wings, of

may I not be permitted to ask my sh

no right to return as a calm, confident, self-assured husband, with his portion of home-baked tenderness; he should come timidly, as a tender, attentive, enamoured cavali

refuge in such dissimulation, w

ies out into the fresh, free air of God, floats merrily along in the midst of rejoicing, laughing Nature-will he, after years have passed, will lie, if you shall please to wish once more to imprison him, return willingly to his cage? I believe you would have to entice him a long time-to whisper soft, loving, flattering words, and place in the

, thoughtfully. "I see to-day a new talent i

ay promote your happiness, and enable you to recapture your bird. You will not at least make shipwreck on the breakers against whi

h justifies so melanch

ry. The good prince thought that because the outside war was at an end and you had made peace with your enemies, all other strifes and difficulties had ceased, and you had all entered upon an epoch of everlasting happiness; that, by the sides of your fond and faithful wives, you had nothing to do but smoke the calumet of peace. But he made a great an

udder! and my heart, which was beating

tention to his wo

o snatch that chance of happiness from the fleeting hour, which the next hour is chasing and may utterly destroy-seems the only aim. Love is an amusement, constancy a phantom, in which no one believes-which is only spoken of in nursery fairy tales. The women have learned, by experience, that their husbands and lovers did not die of longing to see them; that they themselves, after the tears of separation, which perhaps flowed freely a long time, were once quenched, could live on alone; that independence had its bright side and was both agreeable and comfortable. The history of the widow of Ephesus is repeated every day, my friend. The women wept a

d Major du Trouffle, in a sad and anxious

d with calm a

instead of the palm of peace, the apple of discord will flourish. Men no longer believe in constancy or honesty, every man suspects his neighbor and holds him guilty, even as he knows himself to be guilty. Every woman watches the conduct of other women with malicious curiosity; she seems to herself less guilty when she finds that others are no better than herself; and when, unhappily, she does not find that her friend is

ait at my door, I will kick it from me and enter my home calmly and smilingly, without havin

se, sweetly, "and that house will be ours. I welcome you in the name of our lares,

rprise,

rbed your happiness, that she stood like a dark c

ence reminded me always that you had been loved by another, h

and this is the surprise which awaited your retur

s the happy man that has undertaken to tame

ise. "He is a young, distinguished, and wealthy Englishman, Lord Elliot, an attache of the English embassy, who fulfilled th

la, did sh

ugged her

ry him; but, I believe, his presence was less agreeable and in

uade her? you did not, I hope, in order to humor my weakness, induc

e happiness of an only child. Camilla asked my consent to her marriage after she had obtained her father's permission, and I gave it. The marri

re are t

lliot has converted into a palace for his young wife. You

rer. "Ah," whispered she, lightly, "the proverb is fulfilled, 'Speak of the wolf, and he ap

ow drawn near, and stoo

ure," said Camilla, with a harsh, displeased voice. "I must l

er than you know yourself, my Camilla. Your heart, which is clear and transparent as crystal, lies ever unveiled be

I will dance, because

unshine; you know nothing of earthly and prosaic thoughts. I must bind your wings, my beauteous butterfly, and hold you down in the dust of this poor, pitiful world. Wait, only wait till you are well; when you

u promise me that you will not prevent m

s, Camilla, if you wil

my cousin, Count Kindar, will be seriously displease

t smile. "I will seek him at once, and make your excuses. Be kind enough to wait for me

t her mother held her and greeted her kindly. Camilla laughed aloud. "Ah, mother, it appears as if I am to be ever in your way; although I no longer dwell in your house, I still disturb your pleasures. But I am dis

ward me, and to greet me kindly," said Major du Trouffle, stepping

dezvous with her husband, and I have disturbed an enchanting marriage chirping. You have also listened to my married chirp, and know all my secrets. Well

oice to hear from your mother that you have made so excellent a

o not understand a word of his intellectual essays, though my lord declares that I know every thing, that I understand every thing, and have a most profound intellect. A

h all other women would envy

wish only to be a beautiful, rich young woman and to enjoy my life-. Do what I will, my husband looks at every act of folly from an ideal stand-point, and fi

committing such a folly this ev

ame at once to me and greeted me so lovingly, so tenderly; you know, mamma, we have always loved each other fondly. When I told him I was married, he turned pale and looked at me so sorrowfully, and tears were in his eyes. Oh, mamma, why was I obliged to wed Lord Elliot, who is so grave, so

handsome Kindar wished to mar

and he was a cadet. This dreadful war is the cause of all my misery; it led to his promo

d honorable cavalier, who does hono

, I am always reminded of the great windspeil you gave me once, stepfather, who had such long, high legs, I used to creep under them; and when he lies like a windspeil at my feet, and squints a

you appreciate the true dignity and beauty of a man, and his

ge; formerly I was confined in a nursery, now my prison is a temple, because my husband says I am too elevated, too angelic to come in contact with the pitiful world. Ah. I long so for the world; I am so thirsty for its pleasures, I would so gladly take full draughts of joy from its golden cup! My husband comes and offers me a crystal shell, filled with heavenly dew and ether dust, which is, I suppose, angels' food, but he does not remark that I am hungering and thirsting to death. Like King Midas, before whose thirsty lips every thing turned to gold, and who was starving in the midst of all his glory, I beseech you, stepfather, undertake the role of the barber, bore a hole and cry out in it that I have ass'

jor with a gay smile, and

aid Du Trouffle, "yo

andmother. Mamma, I could die of laughter to think of you as a grandmother. I assure you, mamma, that in the midst of all my sorrows and disappointments this

sad-I do not feel fit for society. I will await

aid Camilla, rapidly dr

er heart, as if a phantom pressed against her, and a voice whispered: "This is thy work. Oh, mother worthy of execration, you alone have caused the destruction of your daughter; through you that soul is lost, which God intrusted to you, and which was en

e herself from the stern voices which mastered her. They had so often spoken, so often awaked her in th

lf in the arms of folly and worldly pleasures, and then for long months she escaped this threatening phantom, which, with raised finger, stood behind her, which seemed to chase her, and from which she ever fled to new sins and new guilt. Sometimes she had a feeling as if Death held her in his arms, and turned her round in a wild and rapid dance, not regarding her prayers, or her panting, gasping breath; she would, oh how gladly, have rested; gladly have laid down in some dark and quiet corner, away from this wild gayety. But she could not escape from those mysterious arms which held her captiv

nging up quickly from the grass-plot-"it is cold her

advanced from the grotto she was again the gay, imperious coquette-the beautiful woman, with the cloudless brow and the sparkling eyes,

ime, and her heart trembled, she

o seek me here? Do you not know that

g at the prince and princess, have for one moment forgotten the beautiful Louise du Trouffle. I alone could not do this, and as I learned from Lady Elliot that you were here

unprejudiced ear, but they filled the heart of the vain Louise du Trouffle with

Cato and virtuous as Lucretia. He believes in me, and will cast all slander from

m the tips of her rosy f