Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-10-24
WHOLE NO. 1878

more silently as our fatigue increased,
we found the pine forests gradually
drawing nearer, till by and by they
enclosed us on every side, and our
road lay through the midst Of them.
Here in the wood, all was dark-all
was silent-not breath stirred. The
moon was rising fast but the shadows
of the pines lay long and dense upon
the road, with only a sharp, silvery
patch breaking through here and there.
BY and by we came upon a broad
space Of clearing, dotted over with
stacys of brushwood and great sym
metrical piles of barked trunks. Then
followed another tract of close forest.
Then our road suddenly emerged into
the full moonlight, and sometimes
descending abruptly, sometimes keep
inc at dead level for half mile
together, continued to skirt the forest
on the left.
II see group of buildings down
yonder," said Gergheim, pointing to
spot deep in the shadow ofthe hillside.
| could see nothing resemblinS
buildings, but he stuck to his opin-
ion.
"That they are buildings" he said,
81 am positive. More cannot tell by
this uncertain light. Itmay be a mere
cluster of cottages, or it may be a
farmhouse, with stacks and sheds
close by. Think it is the latter"
Animated by this hope, we now
pushed on more rapidly. For some
minutes our road carried us out of
sight of the spot: but when we next
saw it, long, white fronted house,
and some other smaller buildings,
were distinctly visible.
a mountain farmstead by all the
gods of Olympus!" exclaimed Bergh-
elm, .ioyously. "This is good fortune!
And they are not gone to bed yet,
either
"IIow do you know that ?" asked.
"Because / saw a light"
"But suppose they do not wish to
take us ing | suggested.
Suppose an impossibility! Who
ever heard of inhospitality among our
Black Forrest folk p
"Black Forestw | repeated "Do
Won call this the Black Forest p
"Undoubtedly. All these wooded
hills south of Heidelberg and the
Odenwald are outlying spurs and
patches of the old legendary Schwartz
wald-now dwindiing year by year.
Hark the dogs have found us out al
ready
As he spoke, dog barked loudly
in the direction Of the farm, and then
another and another. Bergheim an
swered them with shout Suddenly
a bright light flashed across the dark
ness--hitted vaguely fora moment to
and fro, and then came steadily to-
wards us; resolving itself presently
into lanthern carried by man,
We hurried eagerly to meet him-a
tall square built, heavy-browed peas
ant about forty years Of age.
''Who goes there?" he said, holding
the lanthern high above his head, and
shading bis eyes with his hand.
Travellers" replied my companion.
" Travellers wanting food and shelter
for the night
The man looked at us for moment
in silence.
"You travel late, he said at length.
"Aye-and we must have on still
later, if we had not came upon your
house. We were bound for Rothes-
kirche. Can you take us in?"
"Yes," he said sullenly, Il sup
pose so. This way"
And, swinging the lanthern as he
went, he turned on his heel abruptly,
and led the way back to the house.
"a boorish fellow enough" said |,
as we followed.
"Nav-a mere peasant !" replied
Bergheim. "A mere peasant-rough
but kindly
As we drew near the house, two
large mastiff pups came rushing out
from yard somewhere at the back,
and a huge, tawny dog chained up in
an open shed close by, strained at his
collar and yelled savagely.
"Down Casper! Down Schwartz!
growled our conductor, with an oath.
And immediately the pups skunk
back into the yard, and the dog in
the shed dropped into low snarl,
eyeing us fercely as we passed.
The house-door opened straight
upon large low-rattered kitchen,
with cavenous fireplace at the fur
their end, fanked on each side by a
high-backed settle. The settles, the
long table in the middle Of the room,
the stools and chairs ranged round the
walls, the heavy beams overhead from
which hung strings of dried herbs,
ropes of opions, hams, and the like
were all Of old, dark oak. The cell
ing was black with the smoke of a
century. An oak dresser laden with
rough blue and grey ware and rows of
metal hden drinking mugs; an old
blunderbuss and horn-handled riding
whip over the chimney piece couple
of hatchets, spade, and fishing
rod behind the door, and Swiss
clock in the corner, completed the
furniture of the room. A couple of
halfcharred logs smothered on ithe
hearth. An oil lamp flared upon the
middle of the table, az one corner of