DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.62134#0154
146
AN ART-STUDENT IN MUNICH.
surrounded by a circle of diamond stars. The Egyptians
have been burning with desire to see the great man for
these months past, and to-night my father has arranged
them meeting with him.”
The company seemed now pretty nearly to have all
assembled. The Frau von-suddenly stood before
Isabel and myself, holding by the hand a very amiable-
looking gentleman,—“ The Father !” said she: and we were
most kindly welcomed by the master of the house.
“Wilhelm !” exclaimed the eldest son of the house., to a
young musician who had just arrived among the other
guests, “ thou art an artist; seat thyself at the piano, and
let us have our mother’s dance round the tree !—and you,
Hildegard, Emilia, Rose, Hugo, Angelo, come, all of you
join hands; let us dance our mother’s dance round the
tree—she must have her Christmas circle !” And the five
sisters and the three brothers—from the womanly, calm
Hildegard and the heavenly-eyed Emilia, down to the fair-
haired children, Angelo and Hugo—formed a wide circle,
joining hands, and slowly to the sound of music moved
round the tree. The father and mother stood side by side
in front of them guests, looking on.
“ But ah ! there is one wanting in the circle,—my beauti-
ful Ludmilla !” half whispered the mother, with a low sigh,
and tears swam in the clear eyes of the sisters. A portrait
of the beloved and departed one hung in the adjoining
saloon. It was the portrait of a golden-haired young
creature with, clear eyes, and with an unusually spiritual
grace about her. Last Christmas she had been among
them. The sisters talked much to us about her in the
evening; they said she had been from her childhood the
most richly-endowed of them all; and with the tenderest
love they pointed out to us her portrait when a child,
AN ART-STUDENT IN MUNICH.
surrounded by a circle of diamond stars. The Egyptians
have been burning with desire to see the great man for
these months past, and to-night my father has arranged
them meeting with him.”
The company seemed now pretty nearly to have all
assembled. The Frau von-suddenly stood before
Isabel and myself, holding by the hand a very amiable-
looking gentleman,—“ The Father !” said she: and we were
most kindly welcomed by the master of the house.
“Wilhelm !” exclaimed the eldest son of the house., to a
young musician who had just arrived among the other
guests, “ thou art an artist; seat thyself at the piano, and
let us have our mother’s dance round the tree !—and you,
Hildegard, Emilia, Rose, Hugo, Angelo, come, all of you
join hands; let us dance our mother’s dance round the
tree—she must have her Christmas circle !” And the five
sisters and the three brothers—from the womanly, calm
Hildegard and the heavenly-eyed Emilia, down to the fair-
haired children, Angelo and Hugo—formed a wide circle,
joining hands, and slowly to the sound of music moved
round the tree. The father and mother stood side by side
in front of them guests, looking on.
“ But ah ! there is one wanting in the circle,—my beauti-
ful Ludmilla !” half whispered the mother, with a low sigh,
and tears swam in the clear eyes of the sisters. A portrait
of the beloved and departed one hung in the adjoining
saloon. It was the portrait of a golden-haired young
creature with, clear eyes, and with an unusually spiritual
grace about her. Last Christmas she had been among
them. The sisters talked much to us about her in the
evening; they said she had been from her childhood the
most richly-endowed of them all; and with the tenderest
love they pointed out to us her portrait when a child,