The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-02-04

missed my way. Leave your sheep, ano
show me the road. viii pay you well. ,
CT cannot leave my sheep, sir" said
the boy. "They would stray into the
forest, and be eaten by wolves or stoler
by robbers"
"Well, what of that 2" replied the hun
ter. "they are not your sheep. The
loss of one or more wouldn't be much tc
your master, and I'll give you more
money than you ever earned in whole
year"
81 cannot go, sir" rejoined Gerhardt,
very firmly; my master pays me for my
time, and he trusts me with his sheep. II
were to cell my time which does not
belong to me, and the sheep should get
lost, it would be just Tie Same as if
stole them"
"Well," said the hunter, twill you
trust the attention of the sheep to me
while you go to the village and get some
food and drink, and guide? / will
take good care of them for YOU"
The boy shook his head. "The sheep
do not know your voice, and" here
Gerhardt stopped speaking.
Sir" said the boy, slowly, "you
tired to make me false to my trust, and
wanted me to break my duty to my mas
ter. How do L know you would keep
your word with me p"
The hunter laughed; but he felt that
the boy had silenced him. He said: 81
see, my lad, that you are a good, faith
full boy. will not forget you. Show
me the road, and 1 will try to follow it
myself"
Gerhardt now offered the humble con-
tents Of his wallet to the hungry man,
who, coarse az they were, ate them glad
~. Presently, to his surprise, he found
that the hunter was the Grand Duke,
who owned all the country round. The
Duke was so pleased with the boys hon
esty, that he sent for him shortly after,
and had him educated. In after years
Gerhardt became a very rich and power
full man, and he remained honest and
true to his dying day.
A Mirage.
L have long promised to give a de-
scription of mirage, which / have seen
several times in Minnesota. A myth
Dear reader, when you see an extensive
mirage, l feel sure you will acknowledge
you are realty seeing quite a sight,
a pleasant and interesting one too.
Houses and groves rise, one after anoth-
er, in the background, and even lakes
can be seen at great distance during
one.
L was once standing few rods from
the north shore of beautiful lake which
was from four to five miles vide, when
the south shore appeared to be no more
than few rods away. 1 had scarcely
time to recover from my establishment
before it was out of sight again. Usually
mirages remain longer and sometimes
may be seen in their splendor for hours
together. 1t is not very uncommon to
see groves twenty miles away during
mirage. You really see the groves, the
distance only being what is deceptive at
the time.
Villages rise in the same manner, and
were once seen in the direction where
the Indians had murdered so many in
habitants that it vas easy to fancy that
the smoke, as it rose in the magnifying
as well as refraction of the rays of
light, was like towering monuments,
placed over their departed friends, who
had a few years before been victims of
the treacherous savages. Haystacks
tower up, and remind one of the pyra-
mids of Egypt rather than stacks from
two to five miles away. 1 was not long
since much amused by reading a short
but graphic description of mirage,
given by an Indian chief who was trying
to forcibly impress young hunter with
the vast power of the Great Spirit.
Said he, "The Great Spirit took a large
mountain away from its place and put it
on the top of another one, and let it re-
main few hours, and then put it back
again in its own place.-Auu Flora.