Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-09-23


GOOD evening, Herr Amrhein, she called
out merrily, darting away from the waters
edge He stood upright, watching her vanish
turned round with sigh, and began to tie up
the boat.
Christian Amrhein and wittwe Rothier lived
within a stones throw of each other. The little
village, after making bold front by the waters
edge. and showing OFF its best inn with green
shutters, and great tubs Of oleanders, and
creamy white, heayy-scented daturas ranged
along under the balcony, ran backward and up
ward toward the mountain, in a kind of stray
ging piCturesqueness. A little stream danced
merrtiy down over n rocky bed; the houses were
chiefly Of wood, all had rough sun-shutters, and
dtnS, meadows Of long grass bright with pink
and blue flowers, and great walnut and cherry
meadows were kept for the hay crop; the goats
and cows were kept up in the Semen Alps,
finding their summer pastures. This year they
had been unusually delayed. The winter had
returned again and again. snow had fallen on
the mountains at "a time when old Wilhemn
Sturm, the oldest peasant of the commune, de-
clared il to have been hitherto unknown; since
then, cold, bleak weather had kept the snow
from melting, until suddenly a burst OF glorious
sunshine brought on the backward season with
fairy-hke rapidity. The lupins were springing
dairies in activity the walnut mills set in order
the schools broken up. Every one was hard at
work, digging, herding, or making butter and
cheeses. Elsie had been with the other girls at
the pasturage, for Wittwe Rother had but one
COW, and her produce went into the common
stock; Christians cows we're on the Alps with
the rest, and his mother and sister and two
stout girls of the household besides, but he him.
self had his own work on the farm to do. Elsie,
who was under Frau Amrhein's care, came
down for few days, because her mother was
alling and wanted her; and then, in the midst of
all the sweet busy pastoral work, Christian con-
triyed this little holiday for his beloved. She
had long desired to 90 to Lucerne and to hear
the famous organ, and he could not resist giving
IlA thnrr rrbf .,,ll L.. ia
gether delightful to row her across the lake and
to see her happy face OF surprise.
And now 1t seemed as If there had been a
great deal that was not delight mingled with it.
Never before had he been so conscious of a
wall between himself and Else. Her happiness,
perhaps, lay in a world where he could never
unite? He thought of it sadly, without one
tinge OF bitterness; his serious, sweet temper
never resented her little fits Of impatience but
with all the humility which accepted sights
from her hand, he possessed also a solid COM
nonsense, which kept him from sinking into q
false position. Elsie had consented to marry
him, but If he were not clever enough for her to
love, such a marriage should never be.
He had come out OF his house, and walked
through a meadow ankle-deep in grass and
flowers, up toward the little torrent, thinking
these thoughts as he went. just as he reached
a spot where a rough trough carried off some
of the clear, sparkling, rushing water toward a
meadow on the other side of the village, he saw
Else. She had come out from her mothers cot
tage, and seeing Christian she stopped.
"COme. Elsie" he said. .
Art thou going to the pasture, them" she
asked, YEARLY.
He stood and looked at her for a moment be-
fore he answered. She wore dark stuff skirt
short, with an ornamental bodice; the sombre-
colored material set off her fair face, the shin
ing light hair, and the cleaning silver arrow
among the plaits. She had never looked more
beautiful in his eyes, and yet it struck him with
a sharp, intolerable pang.
Yes, am going-this once" he muttered,
under his breath, so that Elsie did not hear
The two, going away together, walked side by
side silently. All the imaginative part in Else's
nature had been quckened and thrilled by the
music OF the DAY before-the strange, sweet hu-
man voices answering the crash of the tempest
She wanted some vent for her feeling; Christian
could not understand it, and she wished him
away and herself alone with the grass, the trees
and the rushing torrent And he had a purpose
which made him draw his breath tightly, and
crush down the passionate leaping of his heart
with stern determination not often excited in
him. 1t kept him from speaking for a while.
They went up scrambling path into an open
SPACE. and then through sort of fr-glade.
Here in the warm sunlight, with Elsie by his
side, it seemed to Christian, poor fellow, as if a
subtle, delicious charm was about him. And
yet, although they were together, were they not
separated?
''He is thinking of the brook" said Elsie to
herself, glancing at him and yaynng.
Unfortunately at this moment, Christians
thoughts did not take that turn. Certainly
the SHOWS must be melting fast" he said, medi-
tatiyely.
Always the same,'' thought the young girl,
provoked. Aloud, she said, with a certain de
fance, ." 1wish they would melt faster,
Then the stream would overflow"
'.Why not?''
land the crops at least would be spoiled"
said Christian, with increasing gravity.
- At all events that would make a little va
riety."
He looked at her in mute wonder. To pro-
pound such sentiment was so utterly out of ma
tIre that Christian forgot his perplexities in
sheer amaZement
ut would" she burst out, passionately. 81
am sick of hearing but one subject from morn
ing TIL night. Are there no creatures in this
beautiful world but cows and goats? Is it to be
always the same, always the same? All, dear
Heaven, what is this to live for? 1 wish L were
dead" she cried suddenly stopping in her rapid
walk. But the moment he approached her She
started on again. :. No, Christian, no nv
friend" she said, more kindly than she had vet
spoken, ''tbou canst not understand. L do not
know what ails me to-day am tired-cross-it
ls nothing" And then in very undignified
fashion she began 10 cry.
Christian was very pale. Elsie's trouble was
more petulance than sOrrOw-the complex. un-
reasonable working OF a girls fanciful nature
but IN his eyes 1t was all deep and sacred, and IL
moved him ineXpressibly. III only he might
have comiorted her in any way but this What
would he have given TO have taken this dear one
to his Iitiful heart and hushed her sobs in his
arms. Alas, was IL not rather the putting her
wanted?
Else" he said in a low voice which made
her look suddenly at him, and turn a little pale
tcO-it Is not very often in a lifetime that a
heart speaks without any veil between us and
IL, but when II does, 1t compels us to listen
something ais thee, what isit?''
al do not know" she answered in a tone as
low as his own. She had so long been accus-
toned TO think of Christian as unable to under
stand anything below the surface, that she won
deTed a little over his discovery. Andh words
were true. She did not really know what was
the matter with her. 90 do not know :" she re-
Ieated dreamily, keeping her face turned away.
81 can tell, - said Christian, sadly; ssmy love
Is too heavy burden for thee. Wehave known
each other always, and so L fancied thou might
est have cared enough for me to be happy if we
were husband and wife. That was my mistake"
said the poor fellow, with his straightforward
humility. " / might have guessed / was not
clever enough for thee. / have come with thee
to-day TO tell thee thou art Free Then he
stopped. He meant to have said more, but
something ehoked him.
As for Elsie, she was startled altogether,
startled and, it must be confessed. a little pi-
qued- A certain sense of freedom flashed upon
her, il IL true. She had been fretting against
her chains, and, behold! they were suddenly
lifted of. But then-that Christian could do
without her! She raised her head and walked
on steadily under the fr-trees.
"What have L done to displeasei" she said
with a certain defiant hardness in her tone.
"Displease!" he cried passionately. And then
checking himself, he went on gravely. 50
have thought il before, but only yesterday