"Christmas-tide,When in the wood the snow shines bright." OEHLENSCHL腉ER'S Helge
We again let several weeks pass by; it was Christmas Eve, whichbrings us the beautiful Christmas festival. We find the two friendstaking a walk.
Describe to an inhabitant of the south a country where the earthappears covered with the purest Carrara marble, where the treetwigs resemble white branches of coral sprinkled with diamonds, andabove a sky as blue as that belonging to the south, and he will saythat is a fairy land. Couldst thou suddenly remove him from hisdark cypresses and olive-trees to the north, where the fresh snowlies upon the earth, where the white hoar-frost has powdered thetrees over, and the sun shines down from the blue heaven, thenwould he recognize the description and call the north a fairy land.
This was the splendor which the friends admired. The large treesupon the fortification-walls appeared crystallized when seenagainst the blue sky. The Sound was not yet frozen over; vessels,illuminated by the red evening sun, glided past with spread sails.The Swedish coast seemed to have approached nearer; one might seeindividual houses in Landskrona. It was lovely, and on this accountthere were many promenaders upon the walls and the Langelinie.
"Sweden seems so near that one might swim over to it!" saidWilhelm.
"The distance would be too far," answered Otto; "but I should loveto plunge among the deep blue waters yonder."
"How refreshing it is," said Wilhelm, "when the water plays aboutone's cheeks! Whilst I was at home, I always swam in the GreatBelt. Yes, you are certainly half a fish when you come into thewater."
"I!" repeated Otto, and was silent; but immediately added, with akind of embarrassment which was at other times quite foreign tohim, and from which one might infer how unpleasant confessing anyimperfection was to him, "I do not swim."
"That must be learned in summer!" said Wilhelm.
"There is so much to learn," answered Otto; "swimming willcertainly be the last thing." He now suddenly turned toward thefortress, and stood still. "Only see how melancholy and quiet!"said he, and led the conversation again to the surrounding scenery."The sentinel before the prison paces so quietly up and down, thesun shines upon his bayonet! How this reminds me of a sweet littlepoem of Heine's; it is just as though he described this fortressand this soldier, but in the warmth of summer: one sees the picturelivingly before one, as here; the weapon glances in the sun, andthe part ends so touchingly,--'Ich wollt', er sch鰏se mich todt!'It is here so romantically beautiful! on the right the animatedpromenade, and the view over the Sund; on the left, the desolatesquare, where the military criminals are shot, and close upon itthe prison with its beam-fence. The sun scarcely shines throughthose windows. Yet, without doubt, the prisoner can see us walkinghere upon the wall."
"And envy our golden freedom!" said Wilhelm.
"Perhaps he derides it," answered Otto. "He is confined to hischamber and the small courts behind the beam-lattice; we areconfined to the coast; we cannot fly forth with the ships into themighty, glorious world. We are also fastened with a chain, onlyours is somewhat longer than that of the prisoner. But we will notthink of this; let us go down to where the beautiful ladies arewalking."
"To see and to be seen," cried Wilhelm. "'Spectatum veniunt;veniunt spectentur ut ipsae,' as Ovid says."
The friends quitted the wall.
"There comes my scholar, little Jonas!" cried Wilhelm. "The boy wasbetter dressed than at his last appearance; quickly he pulled hislittle cap off and stood still: a young girl in a wretched garbheld him by the hand.
"Good day, my clever lad!" said Wilhelm, and his glance rested onthe girl: she was of a singularly elegant form; had she onlycarried herself better she would have been a perfect beauty. It wasPsyche herself who stood beside Cupid. She smiled in a friendlymanner; the little lad had certainly told her who the gentlemenwere; but she became crimson, and cast down her eyes when Wilhelmlooked back after her: he beckoned to Jonas, who immediately cameto him. The girl was his sister, he said, and was called Eva.Wilhelm nodded to her, and the friends went on.
"That was a beautiful girl!" said Wilhelm, and looked back oncemore. "A rosebud that one could kiss until it became a full blownrose!"
"During the experiment the rosebud might easily be broken!"answered Otto; "at least such is the case with the real flower. Butdo not look back again, that is a sin!"
"Sin?" repeated Wilhelm; "no, then it is a very innocent sin!Believe me, it flatters the little creature that we should admireher beauty. I can well imagine how enchanting a loving look from arich young gentleman may be for a weak, feminine mind. The sweetwords which one can say are as poison which enters the blood. Ihave still a clear conscience. Not ONE innocent soul have Ipoisoned!"
"And yet you are rich and young enough to do so," returned Otto,not without bitterness. "Our friends precede us with a goodexample: here come some of our own age; they are acquainted withthe roses!"
"Good evening, thou good fellow!" was the greeting Wilhelm receivedfrom three or four of the young men.
"Are you on Thou-terms with all these?" inquired Otto.
"Yes," answered Wilhelm; "we became so at a carouse. There alldrank the Thou-brotherhood. I could not draw myself back. At othertimes I do not willingly give my 'thou' to any but my nearestfriends. Thou has something to my mind affectionate and holy.Many people fling it to the first person with whom they drink aglass. At the carouse I could not say no."
"And wherefore not?" returned Otto; "that would never have troubledme."
The friends now wandered on, arm-in-arm. Later in the evening weagain meet with them together, and that at the house of a noblefamily, whose name and rank are to be found in the "Danish CourtCalendar;" on which account it would be wanting in delicacy tomention the same, even in a story the events of which lie so nearour hearts.
Large companies are most wearisome. In these there are two kinds ofrank. Either you are riveted to a card-table, or placed against thewall where you must stand with your hat in your hand, or, later inthe evening, with it at your feet, nay, even must stand duringsupper. But this house was one of the most intellectual. Thou whodost recognize the house wilt also recognize that it is not to bereckoned with those,--
"Where each day's gossiping stale fish Is served up daily for thy dish."
This evening we do not become acquainted with the family, but onlywith their beautiful Christmas festival.
The company was assembled in a large apartment; the shaded lampburned dimly, but this was with the intention of increasing theeffect when the drawing-room doors should open and the childrenjoyfully press in together.
Wilhelm now stepped to the piano-forte; a few chords producedstillness and attention. To the sounds of low music there steppedforth from the side-doors three maidens arrayed in white; each worea long veil depending from the back of her head,--one blue, theother red, and the third white. Each carried in her arms an urn,and thus they represented fortune-tellers from the East. Theybrought good or ill luck, which each related in a little verse.People were to draw a number, and according to this would hereceive his gift from the Christmas-tree. One of the maidensbrought blanks--but which of them? now it was proved whether youwere a child of fortune. All, even the children, drew theiruncertain numbers: exception was only made with the familyphysician and a few elderly ladies of the family; these had aparticular number stuck into their hands--their presents had beensettled beforehand.
"Who brings me good luck?" inquired Otto, as the three pretty younggirls approached him. The one with a white veil was Wilhelm'seldest sister, Miss Sophie, who was this winter paying a visit tothe family. She resembled her brother. The white drapery about herhead increased the expression of her countenance. She rested hergaze firmly upon Otto, and, perhaps, because he was the friend ofher brother, she raised her finger. Did she wish to warn or tochallenge him? Otto regarded it as a challenge, thrust his handinto the urn, and drew out number 33. All were now provided. Thegirls disappeared, and the folding-doors of the drawing-room wereopened.
A dazzling light streamed toward the guests. A splendid fir-tree,covered with burning tapers, and hung over with tinsel-gold, gilteggs and apples, almonds and grapes, dazzled the eye. On eitherside of the tree were grottoes of fir-trees and moss, hung with redand blue paper lamps. In each grotto was an altar; upon one stoodJohn of Bologna's floating Mercury; upon the other, a reduced castin plaster of Thorwaldsen's Shepherd-boy. The steps were coveredwith presents, to which were attached the different numbers.
"Superbe! lovely!" resounded from all sides; and the happy childrenshouted for joy. People arranged themselves in a half-circle, onerow behind the other. One of the cousins of the family now steppedforth, a young poet, who, if we mistake not, has since thenappeared among the Anonymouses in "The New Year's Gift of DanishPoets." He was appareled this evening as one of the Magi, andrecited a little poem which declared that, as each one had himselfdrawn out of the urn of Fate, no one could be angry, let him haveprocured for himself honor or derision--Fate, and not Merit, beinghere the ruler. Two little boys, with huge butterfly wings and inflowing garments, bore the presents to the guests. A number, whichhad been purposely given to one of the elder ladies, was now calledout, and the boys brought forward a large, heavy, brown earthenjug. To the same hung a direction the length of two sheets ofpaper, upon which was written, "A remedy against frost." The jugwas opened, and a very nice boa taken out and presented to thelady.
"What number have you?" inquired Otto of Wilhelm's sister, who,freed from her long veil, now entered the room and took her placenear him.
"Number 34," she answered. "I was to keep the number which remainedover when the others had drawn."
"We are, then, neighbors in the chain of Fate," returned Otto; "Ihave number 33."
"Then one of us will receive something very bad!" said Sophie."For, as much as I know, only every other number is good." At thismoment their numbers were called out. The accompanying poemdeclared that only a poetical, noble mind deserved this gift. Itconsisted of an illuminated French print, the subject a simple buttouching idea. You saw a frozen lake, nothing but one expanse ofice as far as the horizon. The ice was broken, and near to theopening lay a hat with a red lining, and beside it sat a dog withgrave eyes, still and expectant. Around the broken opening in theice were seen traces of the dog having scratched into the hardcrust of ice. "Il attend toujours" was the simple motto.
"That is glorious!" exclaimed Otto. "An affecting thought! Hismaster has sunk in the depth, and the faithful log yet awaits him.Had that picture only fallen to my lot!"
"It is lovely!" said Sophie, and a melancholy glance made the younggirl still more beautiful.
Soon after Wilhelm's turn came.
"Open the packet, thou shalt see The very fairest gaze on thee!"
ran the verse. He opened the packet, and found within a smallmirror. "Yes, that was intended for a lady," said he; "in that caseit would have spoken the truth! in my hands it makes a fool of me.
"For me nothing certainly remains but my number!" said Otto to hisneighbor, as all the gifts appeared to be distributed.
"The last is number 33," said the cousin, and drew forth a roll ofpaper, which had been hidden among the moss. It was unrolled. Itwas an old pedigree of an extinct race. Quite at the bottom lay theknight with shield and armor, and out of his breast grew the many-branchedtree with its shields and names. Probably it had been bought, with otherrubbish, at some auction, and now at Christmas, when every hole andcorner was rummaged for whatever could be converted into fun orearnest, it had been brought out for the Christmas tree. The cousinread the following verse:--
"Art thou not noble?--then it in far better; This tree unto thy father is not debtor; Thyself alone is thy ancestral crown. From thee shall spring forth branches of renown, And if thou come where blood gives honor's place, This tree shall prove thee first of all thy race! From this hour forth thy soul high rank hath won her, Not will forget thy knighthood and thy honor."
"I congratulate you," said Wilhelm, laughing. "Now you will have topay the nobility-tax!"
Several of the ladies who stood near him, smiling, also offered akind of congratulation. Sophie alone remained silent, and examinedthe present of another lady--a pretty pincushion in the form of agay butterfly.
The first row now rose to examine more nearly how beautifully theChristmas tree was adorned. Sophie drew one of the ladies away withher.
"Let us look at the beautiful statues," said she; "the Shepherd-boyand the Mercury."
"That is not proper," whispered the lady; "but look there at thesplendid large raisins on the tree!"
Sophie stepped before Thorwaldsen's Shepherd-boy. The ladywhispered to a friend, "It looks so odd that she should examine thefigures!"
"Ah!" replied the other, "she is a lover of the fine arts, as youwell know. Only think! at the last exhibition she went with herbrother into the great hall where all the plaster-casts stand, andlooked at them!--the Hercules, as well as the other indecentfigures! they were excellent, she said. That is being so natural;otherwise she is a nice girl."
"It is a pity she is a little awry."
Sophie approached them; both ladies made room for her, and invitedher most lovingly to sit clown beside them. "Thou sweet girl!" theyflatteringly exclaimed.