The Litchfield County post., 1826-11-28

som s' A'A-
II was a triumphant one, and scarce the
hand and heart of Clara Meyer could have
alorded Franz more exquisite satisfaction
.flah he telt, when able to display to the
transported maiden the horn and skeleton
OF the Channels, and large portion of the
sh'h' yet knotted together by the feet into
.he species OF natural wallet before descr;.
Ded' thereby satisfactorily distinpu;sb;no
the remains from those, of an animal L;iIaS
as was not unfrequent) by falling from ~.
heights during struggle with the feroc;o,,s
Hammer Geyer. Had any c;rcntnst.,,os
been wantingto indemnity it with the ons
abandoned by the humanity of Allows m
irresistible one presented itself on eyano; ~
ing the skim. Entangled in the small
cord .py winch the feet had been secured
together, was the sheath of the hunting.
6hiie Alloys had hastily used to cut the
stronger one which bound it to his shout
ders. ~
The joy Of Clara on beholding these nne.
qayocai testimonies of her lovers ;nno-
cence and veracity, proved more overDow-
.er'ng than all her previous perils and "a
tigues, and she sank on the ground beside
the torrent, whose refreshing waters afford
ed opportune assistance in restoring her..
With returning consciousness, however
returned all the native strength of Clara,s
noble character, and her expressions If
gratitude to her disnterested compan;on
were only exceededsin energy, whose in
spired by higher power,
During pause from toll and av.;..
ment' sweetened by thepures feel;ngs &c
our nature, It occurred to Franz, (who had.
When a boy, passed the summer amid ths
huntsmen OF Mount Bernina, that b. n,ir.
suing to its upper end the valley into wh;ch
they had descended, they might erneroes
through narrow and frightfnl defile on
the skirts of the mountain. witho,t aa,;,
rogaining its higher elevations. -
Clara" said he, am not afraid to
propose to you encoun;ering any horrors
which gloomy uninhabited gorge can
present; for your trust IS in Him who can
make yet darker valley lose its terrors:
put from what | have experienced Of the
bodily fatigue of ascending yonder cliff. as
Wen as It's unspeakable difficulty. trem-
pie to think Of your attempting it. be-
lieve remember enough of the aGrabso-
s!s"t to undertake for its leading to oursob-
lect, and though it well deserves its dismal .
tItle,, the gates of death we know lead "a
Paradise.n I'd : g
Ciafa gave Her WIRING assent, and with
hearts and steps so light that the additional
burden OF the relics Of the Channels, and
the huge pinions Of the Lammer Geysr,
was unfelt, the joyous pair proceeded by
an easy and even pleasant path up the val
ley. After some hours of almost insensi-
BILE but continued ascent, Franz deemed
himself fortunate in discovering towards
sunset, from well-remembered indications,
that theyscould not now be far distant from
the Chdlets formerly mentioned, 1.-THE only
habitations the mountains afforded) and
which the incredible fatigues and anxieties
of the day would now render truly well 4
come haven. These however, were not q
destined yet to terminate. ~
The valley they wore ascending became,
as usual, much narrower towards its upper Z
extremity |; it at length contracted toa
frightful defle, overhung on both sides by
gigantic ramifcations Of Mount Rernina.
and in some places not above a few faith
.oms wide. The path had insensibly wound
to much greater height above the torrent,
and it was only through the gloomy fir
trees scattered on the rocks beneath them. n
that the travellers caught partial glimpses
of its white foam, as with fearfully increas-
ing rapidity,i it darted like an arrow through
the chasm. There was something ominous,
however, in its sullen roar. The chill of
evening stole over them, and with il that
vague inquietude which so often precedes
impending danger; when one of the sud-
den gusts of wind, so common in similar
situations began to rise, and the clouds ac-
cumulated round the setting sun to assume
astormy and perilous appearance.
A great deal of light and recent snow
lay on the rocks, Enthusiastically piled above
their heads, and ere the unprepared, but.
alas not unbalanced travellers, could fad
place of shelter from the fury of the blast.
an impetuous whirlwlnd (well known>in
the Alps by the various names of 10rmsn.
ia or GOuren) was mingling falling and fall
len, snow in mass resembling d dense
cloud piercing with its subtle fakes the UNI
protected faces of the way-worn pilgrims,
and binding them to the path which It was
TO be feared would itself soon be- oblitera-
ted. Both were aware Of the peril, and
knew it to be imminent beyond description.
The road, at all times hazardous, was un-
known to them; ten minutes more of the
hurricane yVonld Snffice to coyar IL entire.