The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-01-11

feet below the sunlight, the passages
grow narrower and the ceiling lower, till
one must creep on all-fours to see a new
wonder of this wondrous world. A sud
den turn, and before him sparkle the
silver waters of silent lake. Torches
fastened in the crystal walls CLEAN above,
and the still waters below fash back
their brightness. Far as the eye can see
into the darkness beyond stretches the
mirror-lke, motionless lake guarded by
the strong walls of salt rock. We know
that once, long ages and ages ago. these
waters laughed in the sunshine, dancing
down the mountain side or in the meadow
brook, but down, down they came,
through cleft and crevice, cave and cav
ern, 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 little chapel, plain and
unpretending. On it might we'll be
craven the words of our Lord, Through
out the world, this also, that she hath
done, shall be spoken of as a memorial
of her"
For it was erected in memory of a good
Queen of Poland, who, more than 600
years ago, discovered these mines of
treasure and gave them TO her suffering
people.
The old story runs in this wise She
was away in Hungary, and, hearing Of
the poverty and distress of her subjects,
she prayed for them. A holy man
appeared to her and directed her to cast
her most precious possession, a priceless
jeweled ring, into deep well. This
she did with simple faith, and, when she
returned to her home at the foot OF the
great mountains, some peasants brought
her piece of rock salt thinking it a
costly gem. Examining the gift she
discovered, Embedded i'll the heart of the
crystal, her long-lost ring. This told
to her the heaven-sent secret. She
knew that, far down in the bottom Of
the well, n running stream had carried
her treasure down deep through the
earth, over rich deposits of precious
salt and that Mt last the spring had hub
bled mp into the sunlight at the foot of
her native mountains, bringing with it
the double jewel. She knew, too, that
the salt. which had set her ring in q
crystal prison. must be waiting near in
blessed abundance for her poor people.
This good and wise Queen was not mis-
taken. Search was at once made and
richly rewarded; since the year 1852 the
salt mine of Wiehezka have been
source of wealth far beyond gold or dia-
mOnds
These vast galleries underlie the whole
town and are places of public amuse-
ment and festivity. Ottentimes the
great ballroom is splendidly Illuminated,
bands play, and young people dance
meuily on the hard, white floor.
Once wear there is service in the
chapel, thonk. Offering to
the giver Of this and all other good gifts.
There is but one mine known that is
ol Ter than this IN merry England tho
salt works of Worcestershire have been
yielding vast supplies since the early
days OF the Saxon Heptarchy. More
than fourteen centuries is a very venera-
bic old age, and yet their resources seem
undiminished and inexhaustible.
Whatever the good God gives for our
pressing daily need is given without
stint. Catherine Cameron, IN " ide-
AWGke.