Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-01-01

All the people whom be met.
going into the place we're stFan-
gers to him, we're i~ndiileFently
dressed, and even spoke in . diff
ferent style to his old neighbors.
When he asked about his goats,
they only stared at him, and lxed
their eyes upon his chin.a He pnt
his hand nnconseiOusly to his
mouth, and TO bis great surprise
found that he had q beard q foot
long. He now began to think
that both he and all the world
about him we're In a dream, and
yet he knew the mountain for
that Of the KyfEhausen flor he
had just come down III well
enough. And there we're the cot
tages with their grass.plots, much
as he had left them. Besides, the
lads who had all collected around
him, answered to the inquiry Of q
passenger, what place it was,
"SittendOrf, sir"
Still shaking his head, he went
further into the village to look for
his own house. lie found it, but
greatly altered for the worse; a
strange goatherd in an old tat.
tered frock lay before the door,
and near him his old dog, which
, growled and showed its teeth at
Peter, when he called him. He
went through the entrance, which
had once u door, but all within
was empty and deserted. Peter
staggered out of. the house and
called for his wife and children
by their names. But no one
heard HIM and no one gave him
any answer.
Soon, however, q crowd Of wO-
men and children got around the
inquisitive stranger, with the
long, hoary beard, and asked him
what it was he wanted Now Pc.
ter thought it was such a strange
kind Of thing to stand before his
own house, inquiring for his own
wife and children, as well as about
himself, that, without answering
their question, he pronounced the
first name that came into his head
kurt Steffen, the blacksmith p
Most Of the spectators were ST.
lent, and only looked at him visit.
fully, till an old woman at last
said why, for these twelve
years he has been at Sachsenburg
whence, ! suppose, you are moi
come to-day"
a where Is Valentine Meier, tht
tailor"
"All," cried another old woman
leaning upon her crutch, ''he ha.
been lying more than these fifteen
years in q house he will nevel
leave"
| Peter recognized in the speakers
two OF his young neighbors, who
seemed 10 have grown old vefl
uddenly, but he had no inclinS
ton to inquire any farther, A
this moment there appeared
making her way through the GROVE
/ of spectators, q sprightly younl
r woman, with u year old baby ii
| her arms, and q girl about Gou
4 takinga hold Of her hand, all tire
/ as like his wife he was seekin.
h for as possible.
!, "What are your names ?" H
= inquired, In n tone Of great sur
prise. "NIinc is Maria" "An,
your fathers 2" continued Petel
$ "Peter Klaus, to be sure. IL i
now twenty years ago since W
we're all looking for him day an
p? night upon Kyfhausen for hi
| flock came home without hrm, an
/ was then" continued the woman
"only seven years old"
n The g%oathcrd could no lOnge
Y bear this! IL am Peter Klaus,
4 he said, "Peter and no other an,
Il he took his daughters child an
L kissed it.
8 The spectators appeared struc
dumb with establishment, until iirs
one and then another began
; say, ayes indeed, this Is Pete
p Klaus. Welcome, good neighbo.
o after twenty years absence; We
Y come home.
II -'"@9@ss