New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-12-09

before he knew any thing about it,"
As the night wore on, stories gave place to songs,
and the Forester, insisting on chorus, gave bout
fortout with my friend, and revived many OF the
popular ballads Of those times. There was dro
eetch ridiculirg the Tyrolese, of which only re-
pember the following:
"wfats the drink Of tn. Tyrol,se'
What's their drhk1
Nothing but water and sour wine
Which they swil like thirsty swine.
Say what smoke the Tyrole.e,
What do they nnoko1
Fine tohN co they 'rnohe q be sure
IL smells no better than stable msnure.
Where are the beds Of the Tyrolesel
Where their bedsi
Among the calves and among the cows,' &c.
About midnight our supply Of logs, large as it
was, began to fail. We had been too prodgal in
our holocaust, and the Forester recommended re-
treat into the lodge, the floor of which was covered
with straw while the backs of the old chairs turned
bottom upward, supplied the place Of pillows. l
will not say that we slept particularly WELL but we
rose all the earlier for that. The meadows were
snow-wbite with frost, and the Autumnal woods
shone brilliant in the rising sun. Opposite us was
the Horseberg, where the Frau Venus $50 called
by the German peasantry) continued to haunt the
earth as late as the twelfth century. Many q
knight went into the cavern the northern side of
the mountain, to seek Der, but none ever returned.
The faithful EckaIt, the squire of the last adven
tuer, still sits at the entrance and waits for his
master.
We walked over the mountain to the village of
Ruhs, celebrated for it's leDg b, it's wealth, aud its
pretty girlr. "Ab," said the Forster, as we came
out Of the woods and looked over the wide sweep
Of sun. illumined hills, "such days as this are
blessing of Heaven. / remember the time when
Just sunny morning made me 90 happy that
did not know what to do with myself. One day
in Spring, as went through the woods aud saw the
shadows of the young leave, upon the moss and
smelt tie buds of the frs and larches and thought
to myself, All thy life is to be spent in the spen-
did Forest I actually threw myself down and
rolled in the grass Ike dog, over and over crazy
with joy. have longed to have the same feeling
once more in life but it never comes back again"
"Oh," said /, "a man who has such lively blood in
his veins does not get old SO soon." 81 am grow
ing old, nevertheless" he answered; "ny sight is
not 50 keen as it was, and lately was obliged to
feel ashamed before my deg l shot at partridge,
and missed; the beast turned around and looked me
full in the face but l couldn't meet his lOOk-I
turned my head away, and blushed. l have no
doubt the poor dog tries to account for my failure
to this day, but he can't make it cut"
We cane home again the same night, after prom
isirg TO return TO Thai the following week, when
the Krmse would be celebrated. This is an annual
festival of the peasantry of very remote origin. 1t
oil IN EalI 4 80
between Summer and Winter work, and lasts from
| two to three days. Formerly the Kirmsc was ush-
| cred in with many ceremonies which are now al.
| most entirely obsolete. The young men and girls
in holiday dress, formed in procession, and after
cock had been killed by the leader, marched to the
church, where an appropriate service was per-
| formed A sheep was then slaughtered and roasted
and the Kirmse was thoroughly inaugurated by the
repast which followed.
The church service is still retained, and in
this respect the festival bears some resemblance
to our Thanksgiving. The preparations arc mado
by a con mittee Of the young peasants, who are
called Kbmse.bOys, and elect leader whose
comm and is law. Each boy chooses maiden az
his partner and the latter is bound purchase him
gay silk cravat (Which he pins upon his right
shoulder while danciDe), well as to furnish him
with food and drink during the three days. This
costs the girls from two to three thalers ($2)
apiece, a considerable sum in these parts, but they
manage to curtail their expenses by hiring q
common eating room, and evyDs contributions Of
meal, potatoes, sausages and beer upon all the
families in the neighborhocd The boys furnish
the music, the dancing.h hall and the schnaps
winch they pay for from the fees exacted from
those who do not belong to the committee The
Kirmse is, in fact, sort of carnival for the Ger.
nan peasantry, aud they allow themselves all sorts
Of liberties while it lasts In the ducal meadows
near COburg, for instance, the Duke and Duchess
attend, and any Kirlnse-boy is privileged TO call
out the latter, While the Duke, in his turn walzes
with the prettiest peasant girls.
We went again TO Thai on the last day of the
KiImse. The fine weather was past, the air
threatened snow, and the revelers were beginning
to show signs of fatigue; but the Forester com
for,ed US with the assurance that in the evening all
would be merry enough. Soon after our arrival
the village band appeared and performed uelan-
choly serenade under the window. 1t was followed
by an awkward and riotous company, who proved
to be masqueraders-the boys being girls in male
sstire, and vice versa. Having paid our initiation
fees TO these visitor, they withdrew, and We took
advantage of the temporary quiet TO climb to the
tower of the Scharfeostein. We found nothing left
except The tower whose walls were Of remarkable
thickness and sOlidity. and fragment of wal