The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-11-25
MISCELLANY.
KRISTyNE At THE CRESHET.
SARAH J. PR1cHARD.

SARAH. PR1CHARD.
Kristine's foot slipped and she fell. She
kept on slipping and falling until she was
at the foot Of the long icy slope. Then
she caught 1T the branches Of young
hemlock tree and drew herself up.
Kristine was on tho side of very low
mountain or very high hill, if any body
can tell Just whore the unmeasured hills
do stop and the mountains begin.
Over against the place where she stood
arose smother bill. Hills we're everywhere
about. except at the very bottom Of the
valley, where the long line of white ice
told that the river used to run there.
The cold was cutting.
Kristine rubbed her hands together:
pulled one mitten of, holding the tip Of
it in her teeth, and covered the red ends
of her fingers with \ warm breath or
two; then drew on the mitten again, and
looked up the mountairs There was not
house.wall or chimney.top or even =
blue curl ofsmoke within sight.
II Around the mountaih. side, whore the
river rounded into 4 curve, there WAS .
cabin. and IN that cabin lived Kristine.
She was thirteen at the last New Year
and had dim memories of her far.away
father.land: with its, to her, dream.like
pictures and fairy statues.
Once in the young. she took her
fathers dinnef,to the place where he Was
caught sight Of white little figure that
looked like, child 81 kneeling before =
black hole among the rocks. Kristine
had lorg determined to get to the place
again and see if it was there still and
sshs,h4 loSked 'ul atH;q tl6Pe, At the
rocks hung with icicies rnany days, wish.
ing that the sun would hurry up with his
work and melt them all away.
i For Two days tho watef had sdripped
from The }o6f of ths ceh1n; but this day
when Kristine ventured up the mountain
it, Was freezing and the March wind was
Aling Moald WI here { !:
=, The s6oonds 1fme shs.wentsmore eau.
stiously,. clinging, to ivy, bush, and tree.
bough, and supporting herself step or
two by the aid Of Arm rock, until, when
she stopped to take breath, she had got
tan tQ nigh enough T. - over the I'D.
Joining I'LL and around TIE great curve,
al the wy tosthe Beautiful bridge thst
crossed The. sleeping river, that locked
very faE down iii thsquits valley. .,z
Then Kfistins went On faster than she
had been abls ia: do When twas icy, I'M.
til she came 70 : portion Of tie mountain
where great rocks were thrown Ill about.
Going into their midst, she sought the
small kneeling: figure; but, found in its
place something 90 much larger, SO beau.
stiful, that sshe grew warm suddenly. Il
d !. ''ThtS 1iksS thsssthinxs see when /
shut my eyes" she thought; and Mauss
ma tells me it's what remember Of the
beautiful parks at home that' + sec.''
#, KristinSr- vent around the group cut in
ice-or, rather, dropped in ice-many
times rThsn { she passed sit. and went
within little rock.sided cave, at whose
entrance it.Stood, and sat doWneto look
= up ~ IL, aassA !t~.,H f,s,A .s}Hla 81
70. In summer tiny streams Of water, ran
- from; the NOISY nights above, trickled
over the rocks and fsal just above and
50 aokoss theznouths Of the. cave As vim
ter came tho dripping awaterw was frozen.
Es4ett.ersw byassxsrya ;days dripping, the
little kneeling figure that Kristino had
seen~ in December WAS now = colossal
tended md .f5.rsns'y pen';sf. . a: if;n
4 warning, up tho valley, toward tho sleep:
ing river and tho 3 graceful iron bridge.
Th1.ng:aiSnga c!s1st .tr.iled away
froni on every; side. Ind Kristine fan
cied that she could make out sin the.ice
ssatsits feet the little figure kneslins still
aud car&ing to the garments Of the lar
Tho sun was shining. The figure stood
between the Yong GIRL in the|cave and
the sun. kristine - Knew then, OF
thdoght she did know; just swhefs III the
Ss. ~ 81. shine.: .ae could .ee xhsn sh:
Z first found them on The hills. ard then
made something to look like them. 'sl'l
doitvhe father'ss IN sd(vl oil these
, tysss and Aoatsd them down the river to
she thoueht. - sHa'u h