THE WHITE ROSES.

As soon as our regiment—thus wrote Captain R— to his mother had entered the grand duchy of Posen, I hastened, according to your desire, to Kalisch, in quest of your unfortunate friend: but all my inquiries after the widow of the Prussian captain, Tannenberg, and her daughter, proved in vain. Though I knew that this officer had fallen at Auerstädt; that he had left his wife, a native of Silesia, but who had no longer any opulent relations there, together with a grown-up daughter of extraordinary beauty, totally unprovided for; that both of them, zealous professors of the Catholic religion, and acquainted with the Polish language, had resolved to remain in Poland, and to remove from the little town where the captain's squadron had formerly been quartered, to Kalisch; though, I say, I was acquainted with all these circumstances, they did not furnish me with the least clue. Partly, however, from a wish to survey the environs of Kalisch, which are not wholly destitute of interest in a military point of view, and partly because it had been suggested to me, that your friend might pos

sibly be living in some Polish family of distinction as companion or governess, I determined to stay here a few days, and to endeavour to make some acquaintance in the neighbourhood.

In a ride which I took with this design, I met with a man on horseback, who seemed to have the same object with myself. He was a Prussian, who, at the time this country belonged to the Prussian monarchy, had settled here with his father. He told me that his name was Müller, and that he had business with Salinski, the chamberlain, whose elegant mansion he pointed out to me in the distance, which would not detain him above half an hour. As I was pleased with the young man, and he seemed to be not displeased with me, it was soon agreed that I should accompany him, and wait for him at the inn, and that we should return together.

On our way thither he was as talkative and cheerful, as on our return he was pensive and reserved. I would not be obtrusive, and thus for some time we rode silently along. My companion at length addressed me. "I trust," said he, "that you will pardon my neglect. I have been to see a most unfortunate man, whose son I esteemed and loved. The young man had received an excellent education; he had studied at a Prussian university; and from the excellence of his character and his superior talents, he might have calculated upon one of the highest appointments under government, had we continued to belong to Prussia, to which state he was warmly

attached. The loss of this flattering prospect caused him no small mortification. He fixed his residence on a small estate bequeathed to him by a relative, where he devoted himself to the cultivation of the sciences; and at my father's house he accidentally became acquainted with a friend of my sister's, a young lady of equal beauty and worth. He had attained, as he thought, the object of his wishes, when his proud and hard-hearted father dissolved the connection. The excellent girl died of grief, and poor William, my play-fellow and school-fellow, is, as I have just been informed by his father, worse than dead."

During this explanation we approached the city. Müller invited me to call at his father's the following day. A considerable part of the afternoon was yet left, and I resolved to employ it in examining the churches of the city. I found little to admire in them. So much the more was I struck by the appearance of a young lady, who was engaged in tying up to sticks some white rosetrees that were planted on a grave. She had a sweetly interesting countenance, and her fine eyes exhibited traces of recent tears. My sympathy was deeply excited. Unfortunate girl, thought I, how many of thy fair hopes perhaps, slumber in this grave! The sexton, to whom I had given a small gratuity, and who accompanied me out of civility, remarked my attention. "This lady," said he, "is the daughter of a German merchant; her name is Müller." The name penetrated to my heart.

Perhaps, thought I, the sister of my new acquaintance; and on mentioning to the sexton the direction I had received, I found that I was right in my conjecture.

"And it is her lover, I suppose, who is interred here?"

O, no! a poor young lady, pious and virtuous as a saint. Miss Müller planted the roses on this grave, and tends them with particular care."

I waited with the more impatience for the arrival of the hour of my intended visit to this family. I was received with great cordiality. As soon as decorum permitted, I turned to the daughter. "I had yesterday," said I, "the good fortune to meet accidentally with your brother, and soon afterwards I enjoyed the pleasure of making your acquaintance also.". "Mine?" asked Maria, with some surprise; on which I related that I had seen her in the church-yard, and in what manner I had learned her name.

"Oh!" said her father, "that grave is a favourite spot with my daughter; and much as I wish that she would not continue to seek fresh food there for her sorrow, so little can I find fault with her for the affection which she cherishes for her excellent and unfortunate deceased friend."

"I have already heard much in praise of the lady, but am not acquainted with the circumstances which rendered her so unfortunate."

"If," said Maria, in a solemn and pathetic tone, "the

disappointment of the fairest hopes on earth-of those to which our whole soul cleaves-renders a person unhappy, then she was so in a supreme degree: but if a conviction that one is the victim of duty affords high consolationif a manifest token of the favour of heaven alleviates the hour of death

She seemed to recollect herself, and paused. My curiosity was too strongly excited, and I begged her to proceed, and to communicate to me the history of her friend. Her brother seconded my entreaties, and she thus began:

"In those turbulent times, when, on the arrival of the French army, the insurrection commenced in South Prussia, Madame Berg removed hither with her daughter Hannah, and took a small house near the church-yard. Both soon became known for the excellent quality of their works, by the sale of which they lived. I was desirous of learning some of these kinds of work, and hence originated my acquaintance with these worthy people, whose manners and whole demeanor convinced every one at first sight that they were destined for a higher lot. They seemed to be fond of solitude, never went abroad but to church, and kept no company: but when, as I had occasion to go often to them for the sake of instruction in the works to which I have alluded, my love for both increased daily, and the strongest friendship soon united me to Hannah : still it was not without the greatest difficulty, and after repeated solicitations from my father,