登陆注册
5426900000103

第103章

"Oh, how beautiful, how beautiful!" murmured Haydn. "Why can I not exhale with this sigh of joy my old life, which is no longer good for any thing? Why can I not die with this prayer of gratitude toward God on my lips, and waft my soul up to heaven, as that bird yonder is at this moment soaring toward the sun!""Oh, sir, why do you talk already of dying?" cried Conrad, anxiously; "you must live yet a long while, a joy to mankind, and honored and esteemed by the whole world.""And a burden to myself," sighed Haydn. "I am exhausted, Conrad; Ihave no longer strength enough to live. This unfortunate war crushed to the ground and broke my poor heart. [Footnote: Haydn's own words.--"Zeitgenossen," vol. iv., p. 36.] When Napoleon made his second entrance into Vienna, and our good Emperor Francis had to escape again from the capital, I felt as though my heart were rent asunder, and this rent will never heal again. The misfortunes of my fatherland will cause me to bleed to death! Ah, how dreadful it is that Austria and my emperor were humiliated so profoundly, and that they had to bow to the Emperor of the French! I cannot comprehend why the Lord permits it, and why He does not hurl down His thunderbolts upon the head of this hypocritical French emperor, who throws the firebrand of war into all parts of Europe, who always has pharisaical words of peace in his mouth, and gives himself the appearance of wishing to reconcile all, when he is intent only on setting all at variance. Oh, Conrad, when I think of this Emperor Napoleon, of the innocent blood which he has already shed, and of the many thousand victims which have already fallen to his ambition, my heart swells up in boundless exasperation, and I begin to doubt even the goodness and justice of God!--But hush, hush, my wild heart," he interrupted himself, lifting his eyes with a beseeching glance to heaven. "God will manage everything for the best. He will one day, with a beck of His hand, hurl the French usurper from his throne, and cause Austria to rise great and powerful from her humiliating position. He will protect Germany from the wrongs inflicted upon her by France, and avenge the disgrace which every German has to suffer at the bands of the French. That is the hope which I shall take with me into my grave; that is the confidence Ihave in Thee, O my God!"

He lifted both his hands toward heaven, and prayed in a low voice.

Then he rose slowly from his chair, and turned his head with smiling greetings on all sides.

"Conrad," he said, gently, "I take leave of Nature to-day, for it seems to me as if I never should see again my dear little garden, the flowers and birds, the sun and the sky. Oh, farewell, then, great and holy Nature! I have loved thee passionately all my life, and glorified thee in my works to the best of the power which God imparted to me. Farewell, Nature! farewell, sunshine and fragrant flowers! Joseph Haydn takes leave of you, for his task is fulfilled, and his soul is weary. Come, my old Conrad, conduct me back to the house. I will return to my room. I am tired, ah, so exceedingly tired!"He passed his arm around Conrad's neck, and, leaning his other hand on his cane, walked slowly and pantingly up the narrow path. At this moment the nightingale in the elder-bush recommenced its jubilant song, and at the same time the parrot raised its shrill voice, and began to whistle the sweet notes of the air from Haydn's "Creation."Haydn stood still and listened. "Conrad," he said, in a low voice, "we will now consult an oracle as to my life and death. If the parrot pauses first, I shall die soon; if the nightingale pauses, God will permit me to live a while longer."He lifted his eyes devoutly to the sky, over whose azure plain white cloudlets were scudding like silver swans, and his lips muttered a low prayer.

The nightingale still sang its wonderful love-songs, and the parrot tried to drown its notes with Haydn's beautiful melody.

Conrad smiled blissfully. "My Paperl has a long breath," he said, "and the nightingale will be unable to cope with him; Rupert will out-sing it."But the nightingale, as if irritated by this rivalry, now seemed to put forth its whole art and strength. The ringing trills were followed by long, sweet, flute-notes, which filled the air like a joyous hymn of tenderness, drowning the voices of all other birds, and the sighing breeze, and seemed to arouse the flowers from their sweet slumber, till they trembled with blissful transports, and softly raised their flowery crowns toward the blooming elder, in whose dark foliage was concealed the nightingale, Nature's great and yet modest artiste.

Yes, all Nature seemed to listen with blissful attention to this wonderful song of the nightingale, and even the parrot could no longer resist the charm. Paperl hesitated, then commenced again, hesitated a second time, and was silent.

Haydn dropped his clasped hands slowly, and turned his eyes from heaven to earth. "I knew it full well," he murmured; "the oracle has decided my fate, and Joseph Haydn's 'Creation' is silenced by God's creation. Come into the house, Conrad; I am cold and tired. But first give me a few of my fragrant friends, my dear flowers. They shall speak to me in my room of the splendor and beauty of the world."Conrad gathered hastily a full bouquet of roses, pinks, and elder-flowers, dried the tears filling his eyes, and conducted his master carefully back into the house.

He had just seated him in his easy-chair, and placed the embroidered cushion under his feet, when the shrill street-bell resounded in the hall.

"Go and see who is there," said Haydn, holding the bouquet in both his hands, and contemplating it with loving eyes.

Conrad slipped out of the room and returned in a few minutes.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 佛说老女人经

    佛说老女人经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 古典舞大佬在现代

    古典舞大佬在现代

    当明玉发现自己穿越了的时候,其实是不想活了的。前世国破家亡,哀莫大于心死。然后她就见到了她前世死去的哥哥活蹦乱跳地出现在她面前……活着简直太好啦!明玉临死前曾发誓,若有来生再不跳舞。和哥哥重聚没几天就面临重大升学压力的她表示:嘻嘻,跳舞真好,我爱跳舞!【古穿今】这其实就是一个从小浸淫舞蹈的女子穿越到现代,将古典舞发扬光大的故事。
  • 挥手再见

    挥手再见

    挥手再见,挥手再见!- 在离别的黄昏,你的回眸让我心痛- 夕阳下的天空,抹去了你远去的背影- 我坐在路边数着灯光忽明忽暗- 仿佛又听见你说- 离别是躲不掉的宿命。 挥手再见,挥手再见!- 少了你的身旁,我独自看着云浮过- 下雨的日子里,不再有人为我撑伞- 梦中惊醒,记得你忧伤的看着花谢化飞- 月光唱着淡淡的忧伤如匆匆过往。 挥手再见,挥手再见!- 地上还留着半支没抽完的烟- 雨声潺潺,黄叶堆积一片- 风带走了昔日的烟云消失不见 你说, 我会在那片陌生的土地上孤独的舞蹈。-
  • 岁月如歌

    岁月如歌

    一场金融风暴的变故,从公主一夜之间落魄到灰姑娘的富家千金陆知青,被债主们从家里赶了出去。她的男朋友在媒体和陆知青面前分饰角色,打着保护陆知青的旗号,将陆知青手上仅存的一点儿债券全部搜刮到手之后,她最后的一点活下去的希望泯灭。太平盛世时候的陆知青,是个恶魔一样存在的女人,她冰冷喜新厌旧甚至不懂得怜悯周遭的任何人,她的脑子里只有吃喝玩乐,她认为有限的生命之中如果不消遣,那就真是白白的浪费了,然而她不知道的是一场暴风雨过后出现的彩虹,竟然也能让将她推至地狱。未婚夫、表妹、同学等于背叛。“输?什么是输?我这辈子对任何事情,对任何人,从来都没有输,这一次我当然也不会输。”
  • 相门庶女:弃妃有毒

    相门庶女:弃妃有毒

    一次不寻常的穿越,死去又重生,是恐怖,是悲剧,还是庆幸?这个男人为尊的万恶旧社会,徒有一个白富美空壳的原主,生前却为何被亲生父亲抛弃、娘亲家人的各种不待见,屡屡遭挫,不堪一击?不!既然我的灵魂已经住进这柔弱的身体,我就要改变这一切,我要变强,俯瞰天下,变成最强的弃女!神马拉风的王爷、世子、大少爷,不怕本姑娘有毒的话,也不是不可以迁就一下.....
  • 周末读点美学(文化周末丛书)

    周末读点美学(文化周末丛书)

    本书是一本关于美学的普及读物,通过通俗易懂的文字,对美学进行了介绍和解读,带领我们走进美学的神秘殿堂。对于何为美学,如何认识美,美感来自何处这些令人倍感困惑的问题,作者并没有给出直接的答案,而是通过与读者促膝闲谈的方式,使读者学会审美地观看世界,学会以独特的方式领域生活中的美好,让审美照亮人生前进的方向。
  • 我的燃

    我的燃

    想我泱泱中华,和其庞大!尔等就跪等唱征服吧!!!
  • 周游仙武世界

    周游仙武世界

    流星划破长空,雷霆闪耀苍穹,地星枯竭的天地灵气逐渐复苏,古老的修行焕发出全新的活力……仙路漫漫,武道茫茫。周游诸界,上下求索。
  • 日子的味道

    日子的味道

    村子宁静极了,月色染在塬畔上,远近的树木、花草以及稼禾,显得清亮又柔美,透着原始朴素的风韵,散发出淡淡的清香。院中的几棵果树,经日头一昼的照晒,此时,也纹丝不动地入眠了;只有草丛间的虫呓,伴着柳婶和山菊的低泣,颤漾在夜色中。
  • 摄影技巧指南(家庭实用生活百科丛书)

    摄影技巧指南(家庭实用生活百科丛书)

    摄影是一门随着传统摄影技术的形成和发展而产生的摄影应用科学,它以摄影光学、摄影化学和电子技术为基础,在长期实践中形成了独特的拍摄体系。本书主要介绍了摄影基础知识。给摄影爱好者带来了福音。