The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 02, No. 13, November, 1858: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and PoliticsVarious
History
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 02, No. 13, November, 1858: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics
Various
American periodicals
The sailor and his prisoner both started to their feet; and the
burgomaster, coming to the open window, lost the last faint hopes he
had had that this said French officer might not, after all, be the
French officer at whose escape he, the respected burgomaster and
butcher, had assisted.
"Mr. Burgomaster, here is a French prisoner,--and I hand him to you
as the fit personage to place him in the hands of the commander."
Thus spoke Daniel, and, as he spoke, Bertha appeared at the door of
her room, and with her Doome, who hearing this little speech, all her
liking for the sailor vanished on the instant. She was ready to
utterly exterminate him, and more than ready to cry, which she did,
straightway.
As this is only a little comedy, and by no means tragical, we pass
over the next scene, and simply state, that Bertha, before all those
neighbors, forgot everybody but her husband,--if he may be called so,
--and the church had said so; that Daniel felt great remorse at what
he had done; that he told Doome again that he wished the shark had
finished him; that Doome didn't or wouldn't hear, for her idol was
broken,--and so was Doome's heart, nearly.
The authorities took away the prisoner, and left Bertha and Doome
wretched and alone. As for Daniel, he went out wandering by himself,
--for he rather felt ashamed to look upon anybody.
At this time, a little boat with a white flag at its prow put off
from the French fleet, and bravely approached the bristling fort of
Rügen. Nearer and nearer it comes,--nearer and nearer; and in half an
hour there is great cheering over the island of Rügen, for peace
between Prussia and France is declared.
'Tis true, the peace did not last very long; but it lasted long
enough to save the French officer. He was set at liberty at once,
and an hour afterwards Daniel could look people in the face again,
--all except Doome, who would not cease to be incensed.
"But then," said Daniel, "you know I'd been waiting six years."
"How?" exclaimed Bertha.
"Yes, Bertha,--I'm the real Daniel. Look here!"--and half a little
silver cross came forward.
"And you didn't say it when you came!--and you actually gave her to
him!--and you saved his life!--and oh! you, you CAPTAIN of a man!"
Thus Doome spoke and was comforted.
And Bertha went up to her old sweetheart and kissed him, saying, she
thought she knew of a better wife for him than she could ever have
made,--for, now that Ernest (the French officer) had suffered so
much for her sake, she had no right to leave him. And, indeed, they
were re-married that day.
It was after Bertha had said she knew of a better wife for him, that
Daniel looked at Doome, who, picking up that pipe of his, handed it
to him.
"Will you take care of it, Doome?"
"Save when you want it."
"Oh! I mean to come with it."
"'Tis the handsomest pipe in all Germany,--and--and I won't part
with it till I part with you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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