Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-07-31
MORNING LEADER.
The ChamOis Hunter
TaoN be FnEscH or ENnE souvEsrnr.

lMO OHulilUie llullttf
FROM the FRENCH OF EMILE soUyEsrRE.
AT the iootsof the narrow gorge Of the
Enge, not far from the village ofGrindelwald,
is chalet now abandoned, but well known
as having been the home Of one Of the few
flmilies who still preserved the heroic tradi7
tons Of the chamois hunter. To the Hausers
1 Of Enge, the mountain had always been their
true home they had preferred above every
thing the wild liberty ofthe heights, the glory
Of this war against mountains and abysses,
/ whish Is a sort Of perpetual defiance Of DEATH
Some years AGO, in the early days Of March,
I a Young girl was leaning against the wall Of
1 this chalet near a small window, the panes Of
which were thicllened by the strong frost;
her hands joined, her head hanging, her
whole attitude expressing sorrow, At her
| feet sat young man, who seizing one Of her
Z hands, said in desponding tone, $50 Il
I true, Freneli, whilst ] have been working
hard at adistance in the hope of having you
for my wife, your grandmother, Trina, has
destined you for my cousin bans y
"Itis too true, Ulrich'
But she has not said anything either to
you or 70 him. II you tell her that ysur
heart is turned another way, she viii, perhaps,
change her projects"
Freneh shook her head.
" My grandmother is as firm in her purpose
as the Eiger is on its base; and it would be
more easy to overthrow the moutain than to
change her will
But are you sure that Hans loves you,
Freneh27
Yes replied the girl, with shade of
bitterness, "as he loves the chRmois he hunts
on the peaks. Do you think be asks its con-
sent2 lam in bis eye preyi he believes l
belong TO him only because he wishes it and
he vii treat whoever tries to carry me away
rom him as the hunter treats the man who
rohs him Of bis camel"
So everybody here is against me el' said
Ulrich sadly.
There IS one who is your friend-that is
Uncle Job. Though he loves the mountain.
and regrets that you have thrown away your
hunter rife, he never speaks Of you but with
affection. He is now seeking his plants and
crystals on the heights, but hope he viii
return this evening
All, Welll do not return to Meyringen
until tomorrow; will see i'll have anything
to hope from my uncle" Then approaching
Frenei, he put his arm round her And
you, said he, "do you love me so little that
you could be happy with Hans p
Houknow the contrary too well, replied
she, with emotion, trying to disengage her
self
So you viii help me Frenei?'
''As much as a poor girl can, Ulrioh"
'But if your grandmother and Hans per-
sist 2''
'Then, replied she, weeping, "we shall
be very unhappy
Frenelis grandmother had known how to
preserve all the dignity of her position as
head of the household Brought up by her
her great nephews, Hans and Ulrich, had
learnt never TO question her will up to the
age when they became chamois hunters. But
Ulrich had none Of the feverish passion neces-
sary for this wild existence. Every time he
crossed the valleysof Lauterbrunen or Hasli,
be would stop for hours watching the shep-
herds carving the yew and the maple; and
in the hours Of the chase he would drop his
rife at his feet, to cut out some new imagin-
alton in bit Of wood taken from the roof of
a chalet. At length a carver at Meyringen
offered to take him, and feeling certain that
it would secure n far more comfortable sub
sistence to Freneh than hunting, he gave his
rife to Uncle Job, and set out Two years Of
hard work had given him the first place
among the Oberland sculptors, and he amassed
the sum necessary for the realization of his
dearest hopes. We have seen how the pro-
iects of the grandmother had been revealed
To him at the moment when he thought he
had gained his end. They were still talking
when Trina entered; she was about seventy
years Of age, little, thin, and bent under the
weight of years; but her gray eyes still re-
tanned the penetrating fxity of those of
bird of prey. Hardly had she crossed the
threshold when her glance rested on Freneli
and Ulrich, who were visibly embarrassed.
aAhl ah said she, "here is company -
Y on here you -
"God protect you, aunt replied Ulrich.
II have just come from Meyringea-I came
to ask after you"
'.And you are quietly asking Neli' said
Trina. "Hans has not returned, then? He
never rests said she, pointedly; che must
earn the bread which is eaten here on the
glaciers You did well to choose another
occupation; the ehamOis ran too fast for feet
which like to be stretched at the freside"
''So I have cause, every day, to rejoice at
"a AItNA AAAAAoAAIAf ASt1ALSA 1AANAAf hAthDAk
guessing the irony concealed under the seri-
Gus tone Of Trina. II can earn as much in
day as Hans in a month-not to speak of
the death which is always at the elbow of
the hunter. Ny wife will not tremble every
time the echo Of the avalanche sounds from
the Shreck-horn or the Wetter-horn.
The old woman gave him a look which
made him cast down his eyes; "Ah that is
what you have just been making Nell under
stand, said she.
at is true l have spoken to her of it,
said he, with emotion; ''and, since you have
guessed it there is no further reason to be 81
lent in your presence. Ihave always wished
for this marriage; for three years past we
have both thought of it. You have known
me from the cradle have been brought up
as your son; you know have neither cow
ardice nor malice in my disposition, and my
wife will not have husband without heart
May God punish me if she ever weeps for my
faults Let Freneli and me be happy, Aunt
Trina, and we will thank you on our knees.
He had taken the hand of the young girl,
and stood before the grandmother in suppli-
eating attitude. She looked upon them like
a vulture on two turtle doves; then, shaking
her head, q Do you know Freneli's dowry2 2"
asked she of Ulrich.
Her dOwry?" repeated the young man;
g ! never thought she had one. What matters
a dowry to meP
''But it matters to me; for il is not to en-
rich; but to honor"
Then, going to a worm eaten cupboard, she
took rusty key from her pocket and with
difficulty turned the lock, throwing open the
/ folding doors, within which were several
/ skulls of the chamois, surmounted with the
/ branching horns.
i. @ What Is this aunt p cried Tlrich whilst