The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-01-15

p tsstAtllAuSE 10 an eNGutzs III WINTER IL WOul
g mot have had the same effect. Hearins
after Jou had left, that you were a
American, he packed up everything b
had in the void, his clothes and hi
toolH, for he is a blacksmith, and he
been on foot.for thelast three days an,
nights following us, and he wanted Il
join you and go across with you /,
America, wherever that may be-"
Why ? what for?'' I inquired.
"Oh, it is quite story. He told /
all to me, last night, and most snapped
his heart-strings in the telling of it
% He waited until you were asleep /; fol
i though be had pIucked up courage
enough to follow me SO far, he was
/ afraid to tell it all to me. Telsla was
the freshest, rosiest maiden in The
Il Village. I remember her well three
years ego. She was is then. How
pretty she was in her sheepskin jacket
and her blue petticoat Modest and
fpure-minded was she, and no:one could
say word against her. She. was the
daughter of the inn-keeper, and her
condition was q good one.. It was a
merry house, and in winter a constant
round Of feastings took place. Telsla
had . good bit of learning but what
was better, she was d tidy housewife,
and made fine cheese, and had d, sweet
voice, and sang well, and had q good
heart. ! think she must have loved
our friend Of last night, though nobody
could ever say that she told her
thoughts.
Two years ago, that girls father mar
Eried woman from the Mora country.
have nothing to say against the Mora
people, only they are apt to try and
hold their heads away up, like geese,
and lord it over the simpler Dahl folk i
and SO Telsla and her step mother did
not agree very well. Then trouble
came when Tels1a's old father died, and
the Morawomen claimed most of the prop
perty, and lawsuit, which is q scandal
among the Dahl folk, was likely to set
in. All could make ont of the story
was, that, one fine day, Telgla sold out
10 her step-mothar all her right in her
fathers estate, and In desperation-like
walked all alone to the coast and got on
board acattle-b boat at Gefe, and went 10
Stockholm, whence she took ship to-
America. There amt much that is
strange about that, for lots Of our peo-
pie have been going to America.
g Either because the Dahl black
smith had NOT been quick enough in
telling his love, being moderate kind
of D fellow, or whether they had quar-
rel over bit Of ribbon, certain it isl
that while her lover was absent TelsIa
vent away and Left the country. All I
could learn was what he told me, and
he has been eating his own heart ever
since and living in the dark, though it
happened most 8 year age. he wanted
to 60 to America in search Of her, and Il
thought, perchance, that youmight have
some tidings Of Telsla, belike seen her.
Now, I am only a guide. and not one of
those stuck-up fellows, like the Mora
people, who think they can learn moth
ing. So when he told me his long
story, opened the pack and took out
that book you carry with the maps in
II. It took me an Lour to explain to
the poor simple fellow that in this ,
world Sweden is but a tiny speck, and
that America is most all the rest OF the
earth. 7 took him right of to that cliff
there, where there is q clear fall Of d
thousand feet to the jagged rocks be-
low, and I bid him toss q pebble into
'he depths, and said to him, That lit
;le stone is Telsla; America is that
waste Of stones and splintered rocks and
gravel below there. Do you think You
,ould ever find that little round, white,
Inning pebble again, you have just
hroWn down? The stone is lost. J
6 This seemed TO strike him, and that
leisher be, nor /, nor You, sir, nor any !
,ne else save God could find for him
yhese Telsla had gone to. He seemed :
tnnned at this, but men il love are
mostly either up in the sky or down in5l j
pit. Still, he kindof hung to the idea ]
tat you might help him. 4 told him !. ]
on we're d painter journeying about to I I
raw waterfalls and mountains, and q
hat your business might not let you !. J
ave followers. That,it cost heap of
money "a fortune TO cross away Be- !
ond the seas to America. I did not :,
ay you did not hare q kind heart, for I I,s.
ave no reason to think to the CONTRARY. : :
us I put 1T ID him, that as, you have s ]
ever seen relsla With the hair of gold 9
IA tie deep blue eyes, how could you !
aye ever known how she looked, So as Z.
, be able to tell him about your hav- !.
lg met her in Araerica But he de- 8
AIRED that you had drawn her face. y y
.ads him believe after q long time that ! Z
) had oome ca . fools errand, and thas e &
! had better 18tvlrn to his mountain e
rs aad SO to work again, and pick up S S
sart, because il he pns his trust n = =
oa and Telsla loved hin she would DO s
.es toBend him tidinga some day. !,
e You know they are very honest Ii
lsaa parts % when he asked for the e;