The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-02-19

his brain.
But in spite OF his earnest seeking the
cave was not to be found, and in the
evening he brought nothing back with
him except bunch Of hawthorn. The
hourwas out, hunger present; what was
now to be done2 The unhappy man
glanced secretly at his youngest little
daughter and thought: Would it not be
better for me to give her to the noun.
tain dwarf than that we should all 60
hungry. But then her mother; no, il
can not be. And what would become
Of the poor child's soulP Tomorrow /
will go into the mountains again, and
my wife can meanwhile sell the stone
that have in my pocket. The chain 1
dare not allow to be seen, people would
think had stolen it. So he gave his
wife the commission to go into the next
town and fnda purchaser for the crystal
which he took from hR pocket and buy
bread with the money thus obtained.
Then he laid upon his couch, but
could not sleep, for he was always
thinking OF the mountain dwarf, of his
beloved youngest child, of his great
poverty, and Of the riches he might OBJ
tain provided he would sacrifice his lit
tie daughter. In the night he rose many
times and stood beside the bed of his
youngest little one and sighed: 'Oh,
you poor, dear child" His wife heard
him, and askel j what was the matter with
him. But he only answered.: "Anxiety
prevents me from sleeping; came home
empty. handed, and I fear will often re-
turn thus. lean not find my way rightly
in the mountains any more, and the
stones are as hard to find as though my
feet we're clogged by lead" His wife
tried to comfort him, but he only sighed:
cit can not last much longer; we must
soon all sta1ve, Oh, my poor, dear
child |"
The wife saw that all was not right
with him and started on her way before
daylight, while the children were yet
asleep, for she thought: eff l can only
bring back bread again, then he will be
reasonable. he has always been brave,
pious man, who has often bid me look
to God for comfort when care has op-
pressed me-"
Hardly had his wife left the house
when the husband stood again beside
his little daughters bed. She lay so
sweetly there before him that he softly
kissed the child and said to himself:
"No, you shall stay with us, let things
go as they will" Suddenly he thought
OF the golden chain. "Ahl" cried he,
II had almost forgotten it. l mustjust
see how it looks upon her white neck"
He seized the chain and laid it softly
upon the neck of the little sleeper
Hardly had he done so when he became
very much alarmed. A death-like pal
lor overspread the child's face, her heart
beat audibly, and her white lips were
drawn as if in pain. More and more
strangely the little face became altered.
The father experienced an indescribable
anguish; he wished to take off the chain,
but in vain, for, despite her suffering,
the child awoke, felt around her neck
with her little hands, and looked COM
plainingly at her father. He tried to
eoothe her, but she began to cry vlo'
lently, and her features continued to
change more and more, until at last it
appeared to the anguish-stricken man as
though the face of the mountain dwarf
lay in the cradle before him. He cursed
the malignant dwarf, and cried out des
perately: "My good wife must not see
the child like this. She must away
away out of the house the dwarf has
bewitched her, he has conquered by his
arts, and so he shall have the child; but
the price must stand as he said, that he
conduct me to the cave in which the
precious stones grow. will become
rich, so rich that the king will be a beg.
gar in comparison with me-" He took
the screaming child from the cradle,
wrapped it in his chamois skin in spite
of its struggles, dressed himself, bound
the child upon his back, and fed, as
though pursued by evil spirits, into the
mountain. The stars shone wonderfully
clear, and when he stood alone in the
solitude OF the everlasting hills, with
the moaning child upon his back, it
seemed to his dismayed soul as though
the stars shot darts Of fire through his
heart; then he thought again upon his
poverty, and il seemed to him as though
the whole heavens hung full of shining
precious stones. and as though he need
only stretch forth his hand and all would
be his as the price for his child. He
rushed forward again, and the way led
over mighty glaciers; suddenly the
ground gave way under his feet, and he
fell into deep crevasse. When he re-
covered his senses he saw the stars
shining upon him, and behind and be-
fore him was ice, cold ice. Still there
was ground under his feet, and he saw
that he stood upon an immense ice block,
which had boen forced into the crevasse
A moaning voice reached his ear. The
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