Withered Leaves: A Novel. Vol. 1 (of 3)Gottschall, Rudolf von
General
Withered Leaves: A Novel. Vol. 1 (of 3)
Gottschall, Rudolf von
German fiction -- Translations into English
"For one thing, it is a species of pilgrimage to the city of Pure
Reason, where Herbart stood so long upon Kant's rostrum, with his blue
frock coat, and elegant riding-boots; secondly, he followed a friend's
invitation. You, of course, know that worthy Herbartian who always goes
to his lectures with a red umbrella, such as the late Lampe, Kant's
servant, carried, and looks upon this red umbrella which he places upon
a bench, and which gradually transforms itself by some optical delusion
into a living being, as the third person, in order to form a college.
At present he is bathing; the only student, who is accustomed to listen
to him, is also bathing, only the red umbrella is missing; otherwise
the college would be complete in the waves of the East Sea."
"You triumph, you Hegelites," replied Kuhl, solemnly; "but the day will
come, when even Hegel will be expounded to empty benches:
'When this Imperial Troy
And Priam's race and Priam's royal self
Shall in one common ruin be o'erthrown.'"
Kuhl was soon introduced to Professor Baute and the seven girls. The
upholder of polygamy was naturally not in the least degree confused by
this female Pleiades. He took advantage of the knowledge which he had
already gained as to how the land lay, for very adroit man[oe]uvres by
which to win the seven ladies' good-will.
He spoke of the Caucasian beauties' plaits interwoven with pearls with
Euphrasia, with Ophelia of the gentle rustle of the weeping birches in
the hollow way in the evening's crimson light, with Emma of the
worthlessness of the Neukuhren laundresses, especially with respect to
shirt fronts; in a short time he was even so successful as to cause
Albertina to interrupt her inflexible silence by some silliness, which
fully explained her taciturnity; Lori, with great tact, made an
allusion to both the Fräuleins Dornau, acknowledged by Doctor Kuhl with
a slight bow; Gretchen to say she would learn French, and Marie catch
butterflies with him; in short, when the Doctor took leave, all seven
voices were unanimous in declaring that he was a most charming man, and
Doctor Reising was sadly placed in the shade by him.
The latter perceived this himself, but when he was becoming irritable
about it, Kuhl consoled him with saying he should work for his friend
in future, so soon as he had discovered the right girl, and established
himself firmly in her favour.
Kuhl had hardly risen from table when Blanden, with his friend von
Wegen, in a beaming, rosy, wine-flushed mood, went towards him and
invited him to come to his Ordensburg in three days' time. Kuhl
accepted, and Blanden promised then to recount his adventures in
Warnicken, for which place he should set out that night on foot.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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