Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-03-13
A Fairy Story which is True.

A Fairy Story which is True.
Across the sea, in one of the Old World
countries, there is still left fairy land
| To find it, one must travel far and long,
and when, ut last, the entrance is reached.
everything about it looks and is very
strange. Of course the traveller who de-
cides to enter the fairy land must first
obey his guide, dismiss all fear, and put
on the white robe and cap of velvet pro-
vided for him. A wishing cap, you
know, or sometimes an invisible cap, is
part of every outfit in fairy land.
The guide, who wears n black suit, is
quite solemn, and utters prayer for the
soul of his guest before starting, which,
however, BODIES no great danger to be
faced. The two then bestride single
horse of wood, that travels like light
ming express down, down, deep into the
under world, A dizzy rush, strong cur
rent of cold air, and they suddenly stop in
fairy palace of crystal brightness. The
floor on which they stand, the columns
that support the vaulted roof far above
them: the walls, the lofty ceiling, are all
of the same wondrous whiteness. Moving
| oboue lhlo olCl WI III dlO lllOi
men in black, who have leather aprons
and in their caps lighted candles. With
pick and shovel they busly dig and cut
the crystal walls above them, like gnomes
or elves of the mountain. On every side
are vaulted corridors and dim passages
leading into wonderful chambers, new
and strange in shape and use, but all of
the same transparent substance that glis-
tens and sparkles in the lights of the can
dies and torches like myrads of flashing
diamonds.
| Here are royal bathrooms with orches-
ira gallery, brilliant chandeliers, and floor,
OF the same lustrous whiteness; dining
rooms with long tables, chairs. and sconces
for lights, and bed-ehambcrS with couches,
all III the snme pure monotone of coloing.
Perhaps the greatest surprise to the en-
chanted visitor is the grand cathedral,
with stately columns and springing arches,
with high altar and magnificent cross, Or
gan loft choir, inches, pedestals, statues
and crucitiXcs, even the figures of kneel-
ing worshippers everywhere cleaning in
the torch-lightS with dazzle of crystal
line Splendor.
Do you ask what is this radiant sub.
stance Of which the fairy world is wrought?
The answer is simple.
Salt. Rock salt in the wonderful far
famed mines of Poland, Wieliezka by
| name.
The picture is not exaggerated All
that has been said is truc, and far more.
Here are stately halls vast and magniti
cent, many of them l20 feet long and
wide Fancy it Trinity church spiIr is
only 200 feet high. There are chapels
galleries, caves, grottoes-all of the same
material and each beautiful tiny grain
sparkling for itself
After one has wandered till weary, he
Will suddenly come upon IL grand stair
case cut in the solid rock-crys al. leading
down to another world us vast and wou-
der1ul. There are five stories, one below
the other, i'm more than thirty miles of
subteIranean passages. Four or five of
these are as much us most travellers care
to explore. These chambers and galleries
have been left in the process of cutting
ont blocks of salt, which has been going
on for more than six hundred years-no
wonder they are so vast and grand.
The miners are cheerful, pous people
who cross themselves tevoutly when they
start to descend the frail swinging ladders
that lead down the shafts for the workmen.
They have cut from the rock many chap
lets adorned with images of saints, SO
that at every turn one meets statue of
solid crystal, so clear and transparent that
torch held behind it CLEANS through it
with soitened light. When any image
or altar is to be made it is roughly outlined
in mass of salt and then water poured
over it. This dissolves the outer crust,
and when the water has evaporated it
leaves the surface smooth and solid.
The miners who look like pigmies in
the vast chambers, only work during Il
few hours-and then come up to the
blessed sunlight. They have helpers in
their daily labor. the patient horses who
draw the huge blocks of salt to the foot
of the shafts; these never see the light of
day; their lives Of sunless toll are spent in
the depths of earth. Poor faithful servants
OF mans need! One wishes that the
Indians hunting grounds of the Great
Spirit might await them in the hereafter.
In the deepest depths, said to be 800
feet gelow the sunlight, the passages grow
narrower and ceiling lower till one must
creep on all-fours to see new wonder of
sh'o "Nhuipto Ncll n SUutlCU buII,
and before him sparkle the silver waters
of silent lake. Torches fastened in the
crystal walls gleam above, and the still
water below flash back their brightness
Far as the eye can see into darkness be-
yond stretches the mirrorlike. motionless
lake guarded by the strong walls of salt
rock. We know that once, long ages and
ages ago, these waters laughed in the sun
shine. dancing down the mountain side or
in the meadow brook, but down, down
they came, through cleft and crevice, cave
and cavern, till they found their place of
rest in this world of night and darkness.
The flashing oars of the Hat bottomed boat
that carries travellers to the further end of
the lake alone break its stiffness.
Here stands II little chapel, plain and
unprelendng. On it might well be craven
the words of our Lord /" Throughout the
world this also, that she hath done. shall
be spoken of rs a memorial of her."
For it was erected in memory of good
queen of Poland, who, more than six hun
dred years ago, discovered these mines of
treasure and gave them to her suffering
people.
The old story runs in this WISE She
""o away III hungary, anu, nearing OF
the poverty and distress of her subjects,
she prayed for them. A holy man appear
ed to her and directed her to cast her most
precious possession, Il priceless ieweled
ring, into deep well. This she did with
simple faith. and. when she returned to
her home at the foot of the great mountain,
some peasants brought her piece of rock
salt; thinking it costly gem. Examin-
Ing the gift sbe discovered, imbedded in
the haart of tho cruafal hn, ll.... -