Rudolph and Alice [pp. 263-275]

264 udolplt and Alice. AV,
Around, through rocks and vallies, where no
one would suspect his path, must Rudolph find his
way, and too well did Alice remember the hands omge standard-bearer, to be frightened when, for
the first time, hlie appeared from the low rocks behind her father's house, and stood before her. From
that time, the young people were as much together
as possible, and had the least spark of desire for
the cloister ever gleamed in Rudolph's breastthese visits would have destroyed it. He declared
his opinion to his father, but named not the powerful obstacle that dissatisfied hinm with his pious profession. But what he thought he had so carefully concealed, envy and chance betrayed. His
father burnt with rage; he threatened Rudolph with
his curse and eternal banishment from his presence, if he ever visited or ever more thought of
the beggar girl in the woods. Next morning, Rudolph must not only return to school, but must commence his novitiate. Master Christolph had spoken
to the abbot, that his son should dwell in the cloister, sleep there, and be under his authority as a
candidate for holy orders. In the same night was
Rudolph gone. The first alarm was softened to
his father by the thought, the boy could not have
gone far, and by a free use of his gold, he should
be able to find him again. In vain was every hut,
throughout the woods, and every place where the
runaway could conceal himself, searched; no traces of him could be found. Then came a report,
that, in a neighboring village, there was a man,
giving handfulls of gold, and seeking recruits for
the arch-dukle's service,-who feared the coming
of the Swedes, and that they would march through
and desolate Bohemia. This news fell like a heavy
blow on the heart of Rudolph's father;-he re membered his son's love for a soldier's life-and
truly not one month had passed, when a traveller
; from Bohemnia stopped at the market place and
related frightful deeds of the Sweedes. The ter rifled Christolph spoke to him, and prayers from a
m father's soul and inquiries for his son broke forth.
When the colonel mustered his troops before
, Prague, the traveller had seen Rudolph, and won derful deeds he told of the handsome recruit. Now
I were Christolph's hopes destroyed; he no longer
t thought of making a spirited stand; he thought
- only of the life of his son, who, in the first battle,
, might fal! Gladly now would the father his proud
3 hopes give up, to have his son back again. lie
- got the abbot to write to the colonel; but the regi- ment was already gone, and in these times of dani ger no discharge was to be had for any man. Three
- years passed away. Travellers, showmen, and
pedlars, who attended the yearly market, brought
f news from Rudolph. He had learned in the mo, nastery to write; of this knowledge he availed
f himself to give his father and his Alice tokens of
s his living and of his warm regard. Heavy and
sad to Alice, was the separation; she trembled,
.Rudolph and Alice.
[MAY,
261
and returned to her place. The image of this
maiden left Rudolph's heart no more; and, notwithstanding his studies and the watchfulness exercised over him, he learned who she was, where
she lived, and then, though seldorn, and not without danger, would he see and speak to her.
Nigh oln the mountain which rose at the left of
the sea, stood her father's lonely hut, in which,
poor and neglected, he lived, supporting himself
by the work of his hands and the produce of his
small field.