Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-10-24

'But have you not been coming on
of your way ?"
"No: | have only taken a short GU
inland, and avoided the dull part o
the river, You kew the Neckar, o
course?"
"Only as far as Neckar-gemund
but ! have heard that higher up it is
almost as fine as the Rhine"
Hadn't you better join me?" | said
as we adjusted our knapsacks and pre-
pared to resume our journey.
He shook his head, smiling
May" he replied, "my route lea1'
me by Buchen and Darmstadt, | have
no business to go round by lleideI.
berg,
"It would be worth the det0W."
"Ah, yes; but it would throw me
two days later"
"Not if you made up for lost time
by taking the train from Heidelberg
lie neSllaIeu.
81 should like it," he said.
"Then why not do it ?"
"Well-yes-I will do it. | will G,
with you, There let us shake hands
on it, and be friends"
So we shook hands, and it was set
tied.
The shadows were now beginning
to lengthen; but the sun still blazod
in the heavens with unabated intensity
Bergheim, however, strobe on as light
ly, and chatted as gaily as ifhis day.
work was only just beginning. Nevel
was there so simple, so open-heartec
a fellow. He wore his heart literally
upon his sleeve, and, as we went along
told me all his little history how, fol
instances, his elder sister, having beer
betro he'd to his friend Fritz, had kept
single ever since for his sake how he
was himself an only son, and the lido
of his mother, now how he had resol
we'd never to leave either her or hi;
maiden sister ;bu. intended when he
married to take larger house, anC
bring his wifeinto their common home,
how Frederika's father had at first op
posed their engagement for that rca
son; how Frederika (being, as he haC
already said, an angeD had won The
fathers consent last New Years Day
and how happy he was now and how
happy his mother was and how hap
py they should all be in the good time
coming; together with much more tC
the same effect.
To all this | listened, and smiled
and assented putting in a word here
and there, as occasion offered, and en-
couraging him to talk on to his hearts
content.
And now, with every mile that
brought us nearer to NiederSdort, the
signs of fair-time increased and multi
piled. First came Struggling group
ofhomeward-bound peasants-old men
and women tottering under the bur
den of newly-purchased household
goods; little children laden with gin
gerbread young men and women il
their holiday-best-the latter witt
garIands of oak leaves bound abou
their hats Then came an open car
full of laughing girls; then more pc
destrians then an old man driving ;
particularly unwilling big ; then roy
stering party of foot soldiers, and SC
on, till not only the road, but the field:
on either side and every patch in sigh
swalmed with a double stream Of way
farers-the one coming from the fair
the other setting toward it.
Presently, through the clouds o
dust and tobacco-smoke that foulcc
the air, a steeple and some cottage
became visible; and then, quite sud
denly we found ourselves in the mids
of the fair.
Here a compact, noisy, smoking
staring, laughing, steaming crowd cir
culated among the booths some push
ing one way, some another-some i'll
tent on buying-some on eating anc
drinking-some on love-making anc
dancing. In one place we come upol
rows Of little open stalls for the salt
Of every commodity under heaven. Ii
another, we peeped into great res
taurant booth full ofcountry folks de.
molishing pyramids of German sau
sage and seas Of Bairische beer. Yon
der, on a raised stage in front Of {
temporary theatre, strutted a party o
strolling players in their gaudy tinsel'
and ballet-dresses. The noise, the
smells, the elbowing, the praying Of
brass bands, the insuferable heat and
Glamour, made us glad to push oul
way through as fas: as possible, anc
take refuge at the village Inn. Bu'
even here we could scarcely get mo
ment's attention. There were parties
dining and drinking in every room ii
the house-even in the bedrooms
while the passages, the bar, and the
little gardens, front and back, were
all full of soldiers, free-shooters, and
farmers.
Having with difficulty succeeded in
capturing couple of plates of bread
and meat and a measure of beer, We
went round to the stable yard, which
was crowded with charrettes, elm.
spamers, and country carts ofall kinds
The drivers Of some of these were
asleep in their vehicler; others were
gambling for kreutzers on the ground
none were willing to put their horses
to for the purpose of driving us to
Rotheskirche-on-the Neekar.