Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-10-31

been drank. Then he went to the
inner door; called to Frederick to
bring a schoppen of the Bairisch, and
went away, shutting the door after
him. From the sound of his foot
steps, it seemed to us as if he also was
gone upstairs, but into some more dis
tant part of the house. Presently the
younger brother re-appeared with the
beer, placed it before us in silence, and
went away us before.
"The most forbidding disagreeable,
unclvil par ] ever saw in my life"
said |.
"They're not fascinating, I admit,
said Berghcim, leaning back in his
chair with the air Of a man whose ap-
petite is somewhat appeased II
don't know which is the worse-their
wine or their manners"
Aud then he yawned tremendously,
and pushed out his plate, which |
heaped atresh with ham and eggs.
When he had swallowed a few mouth
fuls, he leaned his head upon his hand,
and declared he was too tired to eat
more.
"And yet" he added, II am still
hungry"
"Nonsense !" I said; eat enough
now You are about it, How is the
beer?"
He took pull at the schoppen.
"CapitaI,"x he said. "Now I can
go on again.
The next instant he was nodding
over lbs plate,
II am ashamed to be so stupid" he
said, rousing himself presen ly "but |
am over-powered with fatigue, Let
us have the coffee; it will wake me
up abit.'
But he had no sooner said this than
his chin dropped on his breast, and he
was sound asleep.
tely, I let him sleep, and went on
quietly with my supper. Just as |
had done, however, the brothers came
back together, Friedrich bringing the
collective large cups on tray. The
elder, standing by the table, looked
down at Bergheim with his uniriendly
frown.
Your friend is tired" he said.
Yes, he has walked far to-day
much farther than have"
" Hnmph! you will be glad to 90
"lndeed we shall. Are our rooms
ready p
Yes"
l took one of the cups, and put the
other beside Bergheim plate,
:" Here, Bcrgheim," l said, "wake
up ; the coffee is waiting"
But he slept on, and never heard
me.
| then lifted my own cup to my lips
it down untasted. 1T
had an odd, pungent smell that | did
not like.
"What is the matter with it?" Il
said, Kit does not smell like pure cof-
ee."
The brothers exchanged a rapid
glance,
"It is the kirschenwasser," said
Karl, "We always put it in our black
coffee"
| tasted it, but the favour of the
coffee was quite drowned in that Of
the coarse, fiery spirit.
do yon not like it?" asked the
younger brother.
at is very strong" said,
But it is very good" replied. he ;
"real Black Forest hirsch--the bes
thing in the world, if one is tired after
a journey, Drink it off, meio Herr; it
is Of no use to sip it. 1t will make
you sleep"
This was the longest speech either
of them had yet made.
"Thanks." | said, pulling out my
"but this stuff is too pow
crful to be drunk at draught. |
shall make it last out a cigar or two"
"And your friend?'
"He is better without the kirsch,
and may sleep till | am ready to go to
bed"
Again they looked at each other.
"You need not sit up" | said i'm.
for it annoyed me, some
how, to have them standing there, one
at each side of the table, alternately
at me and at each other. IL
will call the madchen to show us to
our rooms when we are ready"
Good" said the elder brother, af-
ter moments hesitation. "Come
Friedrich" "
friedrich turned at once to follow
him, and they both left the room.
| listened. | heard them for while
to and fro in the inner kitchen;
then the sound of their double foot
steps gong up the stairs; then the
of their voices somewhere
above, yet not exactly overhead ; then
silence.
| felt more comfortable, now that
they were fairly gone and not likely |
to return. breathed more freely. |
had disliked the brothers from the
first. had felt uneasy from the mo-
ment | crossed their threshold. Moth
ing, | told myself, should induce me
at any time or under any circumstan-
ces to put up under their roof again.
Pondering thus, | smoked on and
took another sip Of the coffee. 1t was
not on hot now and Soma of the |