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The Author of "Moosehead Jounal: Preside Dravels' ke.

PUTNAM'S MONTHLY.

A Magazine of Literature, Science, and Art.

VOL. IV.-DEC. 1854.-NO. XXIV.

THE WINDHARP.

TREASURE in secret some long, fine hair
Of tenderest brown, but so inwardly golden

I half used to fancy the sunshine there,—

So shy, so shifting, so waywardly rare,

Was only caught for the moment and holden
While I could say Dearest! and kiss it, and then
In pity let go to the summer again.

I twisted this magic in gossamer strings
Over a windharp's Delphian hollow;

Then called to the idle breeze that swings
All day in the pine-tops, and clings, and sings
'Mid the musical leaves, and said, "Oh, follow
The will of these tears that deepen my words
And fly to my window to waken these chords!"

So they trembled to life, and doubtfully

Feeling their way to my sense, sang--"Say whether
They sit all day 'neath the greenwood tree,

The lover and loved, as it wont to be

When we

but grief conquered, and all together They swelled such weird murmur as haunts a shore

Of some planet dispeopled," Nevermore!"

Then from deep in the past, as seemed to me,

The strings gathered sorrow and sang forsaken,—

"One lover still waits 'neath the greenwood tree,
But 'tis dark"-and they shuddered-" where lieth she,
Dark and cold! For ever must one be taken?"

But I groaned,-" O, harp of all ruth bereft,
This scripture is sadder,-the other left!"

There murmured, as if one strove to speak,

And tears came instead; then the sad tones wandered

And faltered among the uncertain chords

In a troubled doubt between sorrow and words;

At last, with themselves, they questioned and pondered, "Hereafter?- who knoweth ?" and so they sighed

'Down the long steps that lead to silence, and died.

VOL. IV.-37

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His Wedding Disappointment-Death of Catherine-Accession of Paul-Stedingk negotiates the Armed Neutrality of 1800-Dinner at the Swedish Embassy-Private Treaty between Paul and Stedingk-Project of Russian and French Conquest of India-Character of Paul-Anecdotes of Stedingk and Paul-Murder of Paul-Grief of the Emperor Alexander as privately shown to Stedingk-M. Thiers-Russian Invasion of Finland-Stedingk in the Swedish Regency-Misfortunes of Gustavus IV.-Loss of Finland-Stedingk's Remonstrances-The King draws his Sword upon Stedingk-His Deposition and Banishment-Charles XIII.-Stedingk negotiates the Peace of Frederickshamn-Cession of Finland and Aland-Stedingk returns to the Embassy in Russia-His Honors and Dignities-He is made a Count and Field-MarshalDispatches-Napoleon disappointed in a Russian Princess-Marriage Gossip-Election of Bernadotte to the Swedish Throne-Stedingk's Surprise-Baron Mörner first Projector of this Event-Sketch of Mörner's Narrative-First Interview with Bernadotte-Intrigues at Paris-Mörner threatened and driven from Stockholm-Arrest-His Fearlessness and Activity-Portrait of Prince Oscar-Vote of the Diet-Triumph.

A

DARLING project of the empress was now disclosed to our hero. She had long treasured the hope that her beautiful grand-daughter should be Queen of Sweden. Negotiations prospered rapidly. A splendid hospitality awaited a royal traveller, and the princess, gifted with surpassing beauty and a charming wit, completely captured the heart of her youthful visitor. The regent, although a friend neither to Catherine nor to Russia, found no fault with his enamored nephew, and the marriage contract was drawn up. There had been difficulty about certain religious clauses which roused the suspicions fa Swe ish bishop, the tutor of Gus vus;

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these were apparently adjusted, and the wedding day arrived. Evening came, and the imperial halls were ablaze with light and splendor. The great empress sat upon her throne, surrounded by the most gorgeous court in Europe, impatiently awaiting the bridal procession. Where was Gustavus, the simple boy of eighteen, whom the wily Russian had led to the verge of the snare? An innocent bride trembled at the thought of a faithless lover, when Gustavus, rustling in his wedding suit, demands to see the marriage contract. It had been withheld from him under various excuses. The young king demands at the last hour that it be produced, and lo!·

bold treachery comes to light. He sees himself about to be pledged to make war upon the French,-he, the first ally of their republic; and what amazed him even more, he is to give his royal warrant to the Greek faith of a Swedish queen. Enraged at a monstrous stratagem, he tore himself from love and hope, sacrificing all for country, and the humbled empress was the victim of the plot. A funeral pageant usurped the splendor of the wedding feast. Rage, mortified pride, unspeakable disappointment reaped the whirlwind, and the sorrowing bridegroom had scarcely regained his home, before the heart of the mighty empress was still for ever.

Let us hasten to acquit Stedingk. No hand of his had meddled in these sad nuptials. Special ambassadors had been their master's stewards; and we read of Russian gold, of course, among the persuasive arts of this as of other periods. Stedingk had a far more difficult task. He was to allay the troubled waters. Success would have been later, had Catherine lived; but happily the new Emperor Paul was tractable. He loved Stedingk; his " preux chevalier," as he always styled him. Reconciliation was not long delayed, and the young Gustavus was comforted with a fairhaired German bride, the most lovely queen, we are told, that had yet adorned the Swedish throne.

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A prominent event in the career of Stedingk during the reign of Paul, was his negotiation with Rostopchin of a famous treaty of armed neutrality. It was signed at St. Petersburg, on the 16th December, 1800, and although destined to be blown to atoms at Copenhagen by the guns of Nelson, its influence in the world's affairs will ultimately surpass the naval victory. The sublime justice which our own Franklin urged upon the nations, and which this famous treaty meant to engraft upon general law is admitted, at last, by its late arch

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" "mais quel ex

une très bonne soupe, cellent caviar," were already buzzing about the table, when the host received a pressing summons to the palace. Excusing himself to his guests he hurried away,and found the emperor impatiently waiting in his cabinet. "Well, well,

camp.

well," he exclaimed, before Stedingk was fairly in the room, "here is a pretty business. I must not lose a moment to fly to the assistance of my friend, your good king. He shall have fifty thousand Russians. I name you their commander, and my son Constantine your aide-deYou shall march to-morrow. Sit there and write out a treaty; you and I will sign it." Stedingk knew his friend well. There was but one way to manage his impetuosity-it must run itself out. Paul dictated, and Stedingk (impransus) wrote. The emperor and the ambassadors signed the treaty within the hour. The Grand Duke Constantine was summoned, and readily accepted service under the Swedish general. The emperor looked happy, and when he settled quietly to repose after the excitement, Stedingk ventured to propose that the troops should wait Paul for confirmation of the rumor. unwillingly consented, and presently came news that the whole story of revolt was false. The troops were countermanded; and on the following Thursday the guests at the Swedish embassy did not dine without their host. The treaty, completed and signed, a singular diplomatic curiosity, was brought away by Stedingk, and preserved, a legacy to his family.

Another interesting document found among the Stedingk papers, was a detailed account of Napoleon's winning the partisanship of this unhappy Paul. His fantastic imagination was completely won away from Great Britain by the First consul gravely proposing a Russian and French conquest of India. A plan for the expedition was written out, and at the time of his death, Paul had absolutely ordered troops for the service. A scheme so wild and senseless might well shake the confidence of all about the emperor's person, and already, indeed, after a long series of folly and tyranny combined, his deposition had come to be regarded as a state necessity. His son, the Grand Duke Alexander, suffered himself to join the conspiracy, persuading himself of patriotism, and historians release him from the charge of parricide. Stedingk had long been

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