Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-09-09

| the stone balcony upon which the three windowe
Of our room open, we look up the valley OF the
Aar to the south-east. and see almost continu-
ous line of nesting villages; while up the steep
hillsides on the right, stretch fields of vevety
green, and patches of yellow wheat and pale
oats. with clusters of forest-tree and farm
houses and barns in between, as thrifty and as
home-looking as Chester or New CASTLE Coun-
| ty. beautiful garden ia just below us, with
flowers and green grass and some shade; from
the grape arbor at the lower end, we could walk
| on the roofs OF the next houses for few yards,
| and then leap down a narrow gorge into the
| river.
This garden hangs out over a precipice and
commands magnificent view on three sides to
tho north sweeps eff the Aar, making just here
a complete horse shoe, round which it whirls in
a splendid rush, and dsshes over the rapid-like
| Falls with somersault and tumble. and then
gathers itself up again, and marches off under
the stone arches Of two or three bridges, and
away of farther and farther, cutting between the
mountains till it is hidden behind their broad
| shoulders. Near the upper one OF these bridges
il the :" bear house." where the sulky masters OF
the town DWELL and growl and grow fat on the
continual supply OF fruit and bits OF bread and
vegetables thrown to them by the children and
loungers who hang the parapet Of the
bridge to watch their lazy antics.
Swiss woman keeps close by show case
full Of little wooden carved bears for sale. They
are Of all descriptions and attitudes, and are
serving all sorts OF purposes; to hold pin
cushions and watch cases, m ttch-safes, and
hour-glasses, and some are just beais per sc,
without any other excuse for themselves. for
being set up on shelf to be sold Such walk
as We had down the really beautiful arcades
that line both sides of the street. and where all
the principal stores are. tho market extending
from them quite into the street, as it does i'll
Wilmington. The peasant women in their clean
and iaunty dresses, with their birrows or carts
of vegetables and fruits, the men with their
peddler's packs of knck -knacks and the dogs
and he monkeys all mingling together. and the
buyers pushing in between, made confused
but pleasant scene amid which we threaded our
way, or shot it rather, like thread follows a
shuttle for we were away down the
bridge, looking at the bears, when it was almost
on the stroke of ten o'clock and the curious time
piece on the bell tower. which We were all anx-
ious to nee in motion was away up by the Oathe-
dral in the heart OF the town. We reached there
though in good time, and saw the door on the
clock face open and the bears walk out in pro-
cession on their hind legs, (wooden ones, not
real } and the backamoor above them strike with
his mallet, the ten rather uncertain strokes
which told the hour.
We were up with the lark this morning, and
making explorations on the river bank, and
among the peasant houses, Watching the tum-
bling rapids and gathering bits of jasper, as
common here quartz is with Us. We went
iuto wide rooted cottage, that W ~ very pic
ture on the outside. with its overhanging caves
and broad windows. and found it smoky and
black aud smelling very decidedly of sour milk
II of nothing worse. There appeared to be no
conveuieno9s much less eleganoies, aud we
thought the poetry was all on the outside there;
80 summoning hatless and bootless youth OF
some six feet, we made hi in understand that il
he would row across the 'ru hing river
here no misnomer-we wonld take ourselves off
and pay him beside. lie was not slow to under
stand aud we stepped into large iat-bottomed
boat and were soon sculled across with one oar
q strong rope attached to the boat being run on
another rope stretched from shore to shore kept
us from being carried down fy the strong cur
rent.
Berne is so hilly town in this part on the riv-
er bank that we get from one street to another
by means Of long estone stair-cases, like Edin-
burgh, or as some may know better, in Quebec.
Suspicious, dark looking alley-ways load to these
sometimes and yon hesitate to follow them,
thinking you are getting into somebody's back
yard or cear-way, but you come outlntu another
CITY, down there in the courts from which you
emerge all right
Those of you who have read Louise Alcott's
book ''Shawl Straps" will remember her descrip-
tiGn of the Frencd wedding party something
like such a scene fancy, is being enacted i'll
the garden below me. There is an inviting look
ing table set in pavilion at one side; it ia late
enou IN in the afternoon for the suns rays to
shoot clear over the garden, and fall on the hill
slopes opposite, wnere the most charming OF rural
pictures is spread out; 1t is yet too early for the
dew to fall the light muslin toilettes can take
no injury from being out in the opan air. Pretty
young girls, all be-rufiied and be flo Hered, and
attentive yonng men in their first high hats, as
well some red faced older ones; magnificent
mammas anil grAcously kind papA5 old friends
and new ones evidently, with even poor rela-
ton or two all crowd into the seats, and endeav-
or to be polite and comfortable. They are very
ceremonous, aud very talkative, the servants
are extremely obseqlious and are longer than
ever getting them waited on, 80 that though they
began long before we went to dinner, they are
Nd 4 tt0l,tr
much interested in watching them from our wing
balcony, and i'll listening to their lively French
tones, we go out to the organ playing in the Ca
thedral and leave themthcre.ibut when we come
back the light are fled, and the garlands dead"
That cathedral music will live long time in
that nook OF the mind where the echoes OF grand,
sweet sounds play. Think Of dim, dingy old
church, with high vaulted roof and great pillars,
stretching like arms up through the sleepy dark
ness which the candles hung here and there OH
the walls cannot pierce yet can half illumine
with great corners filled with shadow, and with
every step on the stone floor re-eehong from the
aisles up to the roof then, AZ you tmidly sink
down on the black oaken bench, feeling all the
dim religious mystery OF the place, You will hear
the first low tones Of the organ hoat all through
the air, in wandering, uncertain way. like plrd9
who have lost their nests and again they will
peal out like the song of recovery, growing rich
or and stronger till every arch and vault ia re-
sonant with glorious sound From the midst OF
the very lowest tones that it is certainly possible
wonderful player made the clear music OF what
| might be angel voices ride on the air, and float
| and swing above us, till we were almost entran-
| ced with its delicate beauty.
storm scene was wonderfully delineated in
sound a whole panorama of pictures passed be-
fore us, as the thunder rolled, aud really shook
| the windows. the rain pattered, and the trees
bent and fell before the wind then the calm
| came, and the storms work was done, and the
sunshine fell upon all. There was one piece that
seemed to be great anthem which had the ten-
der wall OF troubled soul or the wild despair of
lost one succeeded BY the triumph Of the re-
/ deemed.
1t was all thrngly beautiful, and takes it's
i place in my imagination along with the grand
/ voices of nature, the roar OF the ocean waves,
| the silent majesty Of the mountains
| To come out into the night which was quite
| dark, now, and to step down to the rough cobble
stones which make the chief sidewalks Of the
town, was a decided change, but healthful no
| doubt, by way of variety. These dresses are Gu
| iious you should see the narrow backed, inva-
/ riably black. pointed and seamless waist which
it trimmed with silver pins and chains, and worn
| over the most nicely starebed and plated white
under-waist imaginable. The sleeves are mar
| wells OF laundress art They are of white linen,
/ and must be very wide to permit OF full half OF
| one being folded IN box plat and starchea and
| ironed nicely, and worn standing out like wings
| half closed, on ca ch arm. from shoulder to ell
bow, the arm below being either bare or covered
| with black lace mitten. The people of each
canton OF the twenty-five in Switzerland more