The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-07-31
TTV!I NHdTTIt : IHTiAln
BIZ N D R OSA.
BY HENRIK ENCE-TRANSLATED BY
MRS. HOWITT.

On splendid summer dav in 1916 the dill
lgcnce was rolling along the great highway
from Antwerp to Turnhout at the regular
hour. The horses trotted. the wheels ratified.
the carriage creaked the driver cluckcd in
cessantly with his tongue, in order to quicken
the speed of his cattle, dogs barked in the
distance, birds scared up from the fields high
INTO the air, the shadow sped alongside of the
diligence, and danced alone with its peculiar
motion amongst the trees and bushes
Suddenly the conductor pulled up not far
from solitary inn. He lcaped down from
his seat, opened the door of the diligence
without SAYING word, slapped down the
step, and put ont his hand to a traveller who
with knap>ack in his hand, descended to
the road In the same silence the conductor
again put mp the step, closed the door, and
sprung again into his seat. and whistlcd CEN
fly to intimate to his horses that thew must
move. The horses trottcd on the heavy We
hicle pursued its monotonouS career.
In the meantime the traveller had entered
the inn, and seated himself at a table with a
glass of ale before him. He was man of
more than ordinary size, and appeared to be
about fifty. You might at the same time
have supposed him to be sixty, if his vigor-
ouS carriage. his quick glance. and certain
Youthful smile about his lips, had not testified
that his soul and senses were much Younger
than his appearance. His hair was crav. his
forehead and cheeks covered with wrin-
kIeS. and his complexion bore the stamp of
early aee which excessive exertion and
long-continucd care impress on the conn-
trnancc. Yet at the same time his breast
h"av"d with vi@or, he bore his head upright.
and his eyes cleaned with the fire of man.
hood. BY his dress Won would take him for
wealthy citizen; it had nothing peculiar.
except that the trock coat buttoncd to the
throat. and the large mcprschaum pine which
hung at his breast bespoke Flemish or Ger
man officer
The pconle of the house. havinr attended
70 his demands. again returned to their ocru-
pationS. without taking further notice of HIM
He saw the two daughters 90 to and fro, the
father renew the fire with wood and turf and
the mother filled the kettle with water but
not one of them addressed to him n single
word. though his ewes followed earnestly eve
rv member of the family. and although in his
friendly glance might have been read the
qucstion-"do Won recognize me ."
At this moment his attention was cannht
hv the striking of clock which hung against
the wall. As if the sound had painfully af
tccted him. an expression Of diSagrecabIc sur
prise appeared in his countcnancr, and chased
the smile from his lips. He stood mp and
contemplated the unluckv clock while it went
sounding stroke after stroke to the hour of
nine. The mother observed the Sncula,
emotion of the stranger. and placed herself
/ in wonder at his side she too looked at the
clock. as if TO discover what he found so re
markable in it.
"Thc clock has pleasant sound-has i
not :" SAID she. 1T has now gone for TWEEN
tv wears without the hand of clockmake1
touching it,
"Twcntv wears" sighed the stranger
And where then is the clock which hun.
there before? What has become of the i'm
are of the virgin which stood here upon th
mantlc-picce They are both probably bro
ken and gone
The woman looked with astonishment a
the stranger. and replied The figure of tn
Virgin Zanna broke as she played with it a
child. But it really was so pitiful, that tn
priest himself advised us to buv another
> Here stands the new one and it is muc
handsomer.'
: The traveller shook his head dissentin.l,
: And the clock" continued the hostess. 'vo
; will soon hear The wretched old thing
, always too late, and has hung from time in
memorial in the lumber room. There. no,
it is Just beginning to buzz
And, in truth, there came from the adioir
ING room peculiar croking noise 1t wa
like the hoarse notes of bird which slowl
: whcezed out "Cuckoo. cuckoo 80 But th
, extraordinary sound called into the trave
lcrS countenance a bcaming smile; accomp5
MED hv the hostess he FASTENED to the lun
Der room, and there, with glistcning ey,
cazcd on the old clock, which still had ne
got to the end of its Cuckoo, cuckoo"
Both daughters approached the strange
, with curiosity, and stared with wonder ;
, him, their large eyes turning from him
their mother, full of inquiry. The looks O
the damsels awoke the stranger to conscious
ness, and he returned to his room. tolowe
! BY the three women. His heart clearly te
very happy, for his features slowed with $
attractive an expression of pleasure and GOO
will, and his eyes, bedewed with tears. CLAM
, ed SO brightly, that the two young girls wit
evident sympathy approached him. lie sci;
their hands, and said -
. You think my conduct strange, eh, CHI
: dren: You cannot conceive "hy the vote
of the old cuckoo delights me so much. All
: too have been child. and at that time, m
r father, when he had done his work, used