New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-12-09
Taylor in Northern Europe
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rig IN THE THURINGIAN FOREST.

-l;~h can only be Ieacnea tnf""S" "
. -, With the domestic lie Of the country.
-. al. no less than the costume and manners
=, an. Middle Ases, have already disappeared from
,.rt. .f Germany, but fragments of them
I'm nn.a, in the more secluded districts-in the
-. -;,,s..s hidden in mountain valleys which no
-. ,..a trsver,es aud in all those hooks and
.s,. If the land which are not yet represented IN
a.. cn;6ebooks. Hero, one who speaks the
-. and uuders lands the character Of the
,.c,,e and fraternses with them as traveller
s,.sh will find his life enriched with many
.-u,;,t and picturesque experience The ihurng'ss
ro,..t wen known to Germans, but rarely visited
A. c.,e;ouers ia one of these regions and my VISITS
~ IL valleys have furnished me with few pictures
# pesssnt. life, which l propose to sketch ior
American eyes.
", .eousintance with the Forest dates from
a., years back, when, in company with my friend,
snsut eight or ten days in exploring 1t from end 70
..S. On that occasion ! first met the Forester.
"A was at twilight, high on the mountain, az
Hvntnp.lodge in the woods called the king . HOUSE
uou we t;ndled fire of logs, how we sat TIL
nat midnight in the open air, telling stories ard
roasting potatoes in the ashes, and no" we siep'
aide Nv aide on bundle Of straw, are thngs wcicn
NO ,eep in choicest memory, and yon need NOT
900. me to reveal them. Suffice it to say, that
,isht the Forester and became friends, and when,
ne next morning. his gray mustache brushed my
cheek at parting, promised to return to the kings
Hou,e after few years, and spend another night
With him by the mp-fre.
A fortnight ago, when the mornings were bright
and frosty, and the days bracing and cloudless we
net out for the FOresters home In the little village
M Thai The old man was on the lockout for u.s.
and long before we reached the patriirchal linden
which stands at the entrance Vi the village, ives
his sunburnt face bis thick gray moustache and
his green hunting coat on the way to meet us.
"Ah,n he cried as he welcomed Us with leu
TOME embrace, Il have been on burning Goals Tor
the last two hours, for fear you would not come;
the wood is all ready for our fire, up yonder
Schmidt has gone ahead with the beer and pota-
toes, and if you have brought your cigars, there
IL nothing more wanting" But first we must 60
into bis house, distinguished above all Others in
tAe village by the head of an antlered buck nailed
spon its front. The little room had an air OF COM
fort and elegance: pots of flowers filled the win
dows, and a glossy ivy-plant was trained to run
along the jOists of the ceiling. case with glass
doors contained bis armory, which was in thorough
order; chintz sofa, broad enough for Turkish
2iyan, occupied the other end of the room, and a
stove, big as the tower of Babel, stood between
His daughter had coffee in readiness and while we
were enjoying it after our walk, the house maid,
Katarina, was dispatched into the forest, with the
remainder of our provisions and equipments upon
her sturdy back.
We shortly followed, up iislle dell between the
Two bills which guard tao ~ tho Schossbeg
with its rocky cavern, and the scharfenberg, with
the tower of Castle Schsrfenstein on its summit.
The meadows were still fresh as 10 Summer, the tall
slders shading the brook were dark green, but the
woods of oak and beech on the hills wore the dark
purple.brown hues of German Autumn. Our
path led upward through alternate forests and
mountain meadow for nearly three miles to the
Kings House, which we reached as the broad land
seape, stretching away for forty or fifty miles to the
northward, began to grow dusky in the twilight
Schmidt had just kindled his fire under the lee of
high bank, and great pile of split logs at his back
save cheering promise for the night. huge jug
Of beer, with turnip for stopper, leaned against
the house; loaf of brown bread, bag of potatoe:
and pot Of butter lay upon the rude table before
the door, and the sight of these prepar Atons gave
IN additional whet to our appetite, already sharp
ened by the keen mountain air. "GOd knows,
said the Forester (than whom there Is no man les
profsne), "this is what have been wanting to sex
for the last four years. This is a night to be re
menbered"
We piled on the logs until the flames rose hgi
and red, and snapped in the frosty wind. Schmidt
at the Foresters order went into the wood for greer
Rr-bougbs, which cracked resinously, and sent VI
clouds of brilliant sparks. But it was long darl
before our potatoes were boiled and the sausage'
done sputteripg upon the gridiron. We ate in thu
open air, with the thermometer below the freezing
point. The meal was royal; but how long it lasted
h q secret not to be revealed, except among the
freenasony of hunters and trappers "Now,
said my friend, as the last potato disappeared, "le
us turn to nobler indugences." Four faded, an
sique chairs were brought from the lodge, the For
cater, my friend, sailor and self took our seat:
around the fire, and Schmidt, with the pipe hanging
from his teeth, picked up q burning stick snd
pointed out the way that we should go. The wind
had fallen and the roaring logs difiased warm
atmosphere around the house; beams of lsh,
streamed between the tree.trunks, and tarned the
yellow leaves to rudy gold; the stars looked down
rs their turns came and twinkled with good-humor.
La short, peace was upon the earth, and ESQ far as
We were coacerned) goodwill toward men.
h oh lin and IN