The Northern Light

The Northern Light

The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Northern Light, by E. Werner,
Translated by Mrs. D. M. Lowrey
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: The Northern Light
Author: E. Werner

Release Date: June 20, 2005 [eBook #16095]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
NORTHERN LIGHT***
E-text prepared by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Mary Meehan, and the
Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
(http://www.pgdp.net)

THE NORTHERN LIGHT
From the German of E. WERNER
Author of "At a High Price," "His Word of Honor," etc.
Translated by MRS. D. M. LOWREY
1891

CHAPTER I.
The grey mist of an autumn morning lay upon forest and field. Through
its shadowy vapors a swarm of birds were sweeping by, on their

Southward way, now dipping low over the tops of the tall fir forest, as
if giving a last greeting to their summer homes, and then rising high in
the air; turning their flight due South, they disappeared slowly through
the fog.
At the window of a large manor-house, which lay at the edge of the
forest, two men stood, watching the course of the birds and conversing
earnestly with each other. One was a tall, stalwart figure, whose firm
and erect bearing betokened the soldier fully as much as the uniform he
wore. He was blonde and blue-eyed, not handsome, but with a strong
and speaking countenance; a typical German in form and feature. Yet
something like a shadow lay upon the man's face, and there were,
wrinkles, on his brow which surely were not the result of age, for he
was yet in the prime of life.
"The birds have started already on their journey to the south," said he,
after watching the flight attentively until they had finally disappeared in
the cloud of mist. "The autumn has come to nature and to our lives as
well."
"Not to yours yet," objected his companion. "You are just in the
hey-day of life, in the full strength of your manhood."
"True enough, as to years, but I have a feeling that age will overtake me
sooner than others. I often feel as if it were autumn with me now."
The other man, who might have been a few years the speaker's senior,
was slender, and of middle height, and clad in civilian's dress. He
shook his head impatiently at his companion's last observation. He
appeared insignificant when compared with the strong, well-built
officer near him; but his pale, sharply cut face wore a look of cold,
superior repose, and the sarcastic expression around the thin lips,
together with his aristocratic air and bearing, suggested a hidden
strength behind a feeble exterior.
"You take life too hard, Falkenried," he said reprovingly. "You have
changed strangely in the last few years. Who would recognize in you
now, the gay young officer of other days? And what's the reason of it

all? The shadow which once darkened your life has long since
disappeared. You are a soldier, heart and soul, and have repeatedly
distinguished yourself in your profession. A high position awaits you in
the future, and the thing above all others is--you have your son."
Falkenried did not answer; he folded his arms and looked out again into
the mist, while the other continued: "The boy has grown handsome as a
god in the last few years. I was quite overcome with surprise when I
saw him again, and you yourself, told me that he was unusually gifted
and in many things showed great talent."
"I would that Hartmut had fewer talents and more character," said
Falkenried, in an almost acrid tone. "He can make verses quick enough,
and to learn a language is child's play to him, but as soon as he tries
some earnest science, he's behind all the others, and in military tactics I
can make nothing of him at all. You cannot comprehend, Wallmoden,
what iron severity I am constantly compelled to employ."
"I fear you accomplish little by this same severity," interrupted
Wallmoden. "You should take my advice and leave your son to his
studies. He has not the qualifications for a soldier. You must see that
for yourself by this time."
"He shall and must acquire those qualifications. It is the only possible
career for such an intractable nature as his, which revolts at every
restraint and to which every duty is a burden. The life of a student at
the university would give him unrestrained liberty; only the iron
dicipline of the service will force him to bend."
"The only