Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-11-08
Under the Mountains.


money and entering and scattering them
selves about the church. No service wa,
gong on it was an hour during which tn,
famous organ was being played When tb,
cathedral was pretty full the music began
the organst pulled out whole forest q
stops; there were great crashes and rair
| thunderings and hail storms Suddenly q
pause Every one held their breath. anC
then as it seemed from some far away dis
tance, swelled up soft professional hymn
/ the famous vOX human stop which all the
world goes to hear. 1t was not Eolitar,
voice, but a chorus, sometimes a little yelled
| IN which one could distinguish the high treble
OF the boys, the tenors striking in, and the
/ deep bass undertOnes.
\ girl and a young man had stood motion
I less by a pillar the whole time Il lasted
/ She was pretty girl with fair hair rIaited
/ thickly, twisted round and round, and fast
cned up with silver arrow. She never
once looked at her companion, but he
watched her eyes softening or glowing with
the music as 1t changed, and when it ceased
/ pc 'entured to draw little nearer 70 her.
and TO say in a subdued tone Else : -
\ She did not answer except by a kind Of
/ impatient gesture, which had the effect Of
keeping him silent for a few minutes LONGER
when he repeated more timidly-'s Best
Else; 1T Is time to be going. The church is
nearly cleared"
/ She turned quickly upon him
| " Al, heaven, Christian she said. with
a touch Of childish petulence. now thou
! hast spoilt 1t all had It in my heart. and
/ thy foolish words have frightened il ont.
/ D1st thou suppose that such music as this
comes t. one every day that it need be driv-
en- away? Do hold thy peace
/ The young man looked at her with a little
I nd q. i.,f+ -
potuou~ TRADE whispering under her breath.
Nothing could be more ungratefuI of Else. 1t
was Christian : thoughts of giving i3v To
his beloved which had brought him there
Al. the time he had lett her t0 herself. only
Watc ing the little fair head ana the raptur-
GUS eyes, IN which every change i'm the mu-
sic reflected itself lie could not understand
it,. but he rcvcreuced it none tie less AID
now her hdsty words smOte him with q eort
of duh pain. He only answered them with
a wistful, humble look which ought u have
touched her, but which was, perhaps. as
much beyond her comprehension as the mu-
sic was beyond his. After a while, however
her heart rcproachcd her. 1t wac Il foolish
dreamy little heart nevertheless there lay
IN Its depths tenderness which hated t.
give pain, and alre idy she repeuted of her
Pettishncss to poor Chrstian-C Christian.
who bIundered a hundred times a dav, and
was 80 good all the time. She went Up 10
HIM penitently. and put her hand on his
arm It i time T. =. as thou saycst. -
was all she vOuch-afeI; but Caristian was
radiant
lie followed Else when she went into the
cioistcr-, and stood by her side looking out
through one Of the oueniu5s OF the lake and
the mountains beyond
Alb but it was heavenly" she cried
raptur0usly. e [ viii never believe il was
not real. think they Lad put the choir up
there in some hidden recess
- NJ. no. that Is not 50. - answered Chris
tiau. shaking his head :. The deceit would
be soon found out Besides, the uncle
Knocked me well when [ thought as thou
once upon time
This matter-of-f5ct tone provoked Else
80 Thou art too wise, she ret0rtcd satari-
cally. Poor Christian thought IL was a lit
tie bit of praise, and went on e It's sweet.
though, as thou sald's II sounded To me
as ID t might be angels music
% That DC i not cried the girl. pettish
again IS and nobody but thou would be 81
stupid os % say SD. Angels singing would
not have had so much To Do with ourselves
would not lave gone straight into the hearts .
Do would have made us wonder and wOrAhlr.
hut not feel like that Il was not sweet
enough for angels D0st theu not under
stand. Christian, that 1t was ike the face in
the pictures under the bridge. which
showed thce to-day one of Us. only more
beautitul-th.u knOwe-t which me lu2'
-- Tho-tte Abbott =" Laz4rded Christian.
thus driven 70 bay.
.. The Abbot
Else turned away from him, and drummed
with her fingers ON the stone. The poor teI-
low had put the last touch On her dlspe1s-
ure. lie was so dense lie could never un-
dcrs-and anything
b. am real blockhcad at a ] this sort of
thing. ! know, ne said, looking at her wist-
fully but she was not mOlIfed She went
away our ot the cloister. where the sun was
shining on the graves and Christian walked
down after her t. the little pier. All the
boats were drawn az in bright rel, blue and
green files Else stepped majestically into
one not 50 gay as the rest and clumslly built.
On the seat there lay withcrcd bunch of
the mountain torgct-me-nOt. The poor
things had been scorchod all day by the sun.
and with d naughty intention Of vcxing
Christian, who had gathered them. Else
caught them up and dropped them into the
water. When she had done il she lO0kei
quickly at him under her cyelashes but
Christian, although be had seen the little
action did not guess the motive Since the
flowers were dead. il was best they should
be thrown away. All the vexation she had
desired to create recOied upon Else. She
would not even look at him, but sat with her
head turned away, her eyes upon the Oppo-
site shore and Ter hand over the side Of the
boat, letting the beautiful Eluc-green water
ripple through her fingers, while Christian.
with a few powerful strokes. sent mis- boat
from out among the little fleet of vessels
toward the middle of the lake.
Christian Ingercl over his strokes for,
F4E O., 4
himself the plcasurco Of watching her Even
ing was drawing on the boat ripIled gently
over the soft, green water all around the
quiet mountains kept their sentinel watch !;
the trees took somber colors the graceful
spire OF the cathedral rose high above the
other buildings; a little light twinkled from
the Rigbi-kulm a stronger one from the
summit Of Pilatus flung a quiyering light
upon the lake; soon more lights flashed out
at Lucerne stars shone overhead : innUmc-
rabe golden strcaks broke the still surface
O. the water; the great bell doomed out
from the cathedral, and everything was in
describably soft and peaceful.
EIses nature was too impassIOnable to re-
main unaffected by tie beautiful repOse. She
knew she had been cross, and she felt the
anger dying out Of her beart, she thought
she was conquering it, whereas she was only
allowing herself to be conquered by new
set of feelings
:. Dear heaven, how pretty it is " said
Else, clapping her hands softly. She knew
that Christian ; face would brighten, as 1t
did only there still remained behind sad-
ness which she did not see Once or twice,
/ imperceptibly he shook his head, even while
tender smile at her vagaries rested on his
/ lips For the girl had fallen into playful
mood. which lartcd until he had brought the
} hon. unJer the Ltudinr-pIacc of one OF the
/ little VILLAGES which stud the borders of the
akc, and she had sprung on shore, laughing
1 before he had time to 50 much as bold out
] l.