, 1877-11-09
Anton and Beatrix.
AN INCIDENT OF THE ERR eEBIReE.

Anton and Beatrix were betrothed
Beatrix made lace, and Anton was 9
miner.
"Why art thou above ground, Anton2'
she said to him one morning when he
looked into her mothers cottage. "Art
thou flying about to find hay and feathers
for our nesta Nay, it will be built the
sooner, if thou wilt steadily ply, thy
pick" Y 6ILll " .l,l4& !
"'Twould be long before thy bobbins
would build it," answered Anton, with a
smile, which had a good deal. of contempt
mixed with its kindness. ''Cheer up,
Trix, thou shalt not long continue at that
beggar's trade"
So having spoken he went upon his
way, and left his sweetheart wondering
what he meant.
But she could work while she Won
dered; and she did not forget to do so.
Indeed, she was almost always at work.
She got up with the sun-sometimes be-
fore him, with the birds; and after he had
gone down, she lighted her candle and
still worked on. Patiently she stuck her
pins into her pattern, and then piled the
dangling bobbins with deftness which
made fingers and bobbins blend in a
simmer, like that of the wings of bug
zing bees. When awake she scarcely
ever ceased from her labor except TO per-
form her sacred duties, or to carry in the
product of her toll to the laceman's in
the nearest town.
"My child, thou wilt have TO eat hattsa-
reach" her mother said to her. "Thy
cheek is pale and pinched, thy eyes are
growing dim. Anton will slight thee. "
"Nay," Beatrix answered, ''if need
arsenic to make me pleasing in his sight,
he may e'en leave me. will not meddle
with such unholy things. He must just
take or leave me as the good God and
honest toll have made me-"
"But why dost thou labor SO hardi"
asked the mother.
~ would fain help to keep the house."
replied her daughter.
May" quoth the mother, 'though It's
little that thy pillow earns thee, il we'll
pays thy clothes, and coffee aud potatoes. /"
~ would take something In my hands
besides my pillow, when ! 90 to sit down
in Anton's house," said Beatrix, with a
blush. I4
1t was little she saw Of her lover at this
time,and when he did come to see her he
behaved so strangely, that In spite of his
Afectonste caresses she could not help
suspecting sometimes that he wished to
take back his plighted troth. He looked
with undisguised contemp. on the cot
tage and Us furniture, It's scanty food
and all its humble ways, and talked as II,
should Beatrix become his bride, she
would be beggars daughter lifted To a
throne. And yet be was more shabbily
dressed than had been his Nont, and had
less money 70 spend; since now be very
seldom went down into the mines by day.
Almost 81 day long be either slept or
wandered over the maaniains, chasi1g,or
pftiending TO chase, the bear, the chamois,
ard the lynx. Every night, little while
before the clocks struck twelve, he went
Rbroad bat WHITTIER be went no one could
tell. Her lovers strange behavior often
made BeAtEiK very sad, though none the
slower f0r that reason did her fingers plv
the bo6bins. Night aDd morning beside
her bed, and In the church Cto which An.
ton now never came abe prayed the good
God TO bold her lover in bis sheliering
hnnd, ior y be we're taking 20 murdesous
ways, or going mad, and 20 they should
oe separated for lie, she thought that she
would % mad also.
Ihe tAet i that Anion vent every night
70 meet koboid, and wandered with tim
IN ne bowels Of the earth. When Anton
WAS an industrious miner, Kobold had
come 70 him a he piled the pick in q
lonely working, and scoffed q, bis sIm.
Pheiiy Tor toiling 10 hard 10 earn 50
little.