The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-10-21

VINO cars MS Dfea0 Dy sweat OF 0I0W.
If home is made battle-ground, ~,
And life one long, eternal row?
-HGrpers Magazine. ''
TIE CUCKOO'S SONG.
TRANSLATED from the French by Stella G. |
Aikens.I
Ten O'Clock had just struck in all the
clocks of the little town of Il in the
canton of Berne, and metallic undula-
ting seemed still to vibrate in the air,
Prolonging itself from house tc house,
from str eet to street, to indicate that the
morning was advancing. The streets
were crowded with passers- by, work
men, peasants, laborers and 1alers, rich
and poor. This little town was but a
great capital on a snail scale. The
merchants uncovered their goods and
removed the dust of the night. The Cos
sips passed from one door to another in
the midst of the universal activity, and
each one on crying good morning, said a
little evil of one, great deal of another,
and thouSht still more of his interlocu-
ter-so you see it was the whole of 60
ciety in diminutive.
~Ten o'clock!'' cred the big, brawny
butcher Herman-whose sponge, vigor-
ously welded, was making the slabs OF
white marble brilliant where were ranged
the quarters of beef and mutton.
'sTen o'clock and our neighbor Samuel
Stauffer still sleeps! It ia astonishingi''
His face, tinged with red fbrils, with its
heavy, square chin and pale blue eyes,
expressed in. fact complete amazement.
''That's so; you're tight" responded
the grocer, who came out on his door
step twisting long cornet Of paper and
leaning forward little in order to pene-
trate more materially into the phenome-
non which had curved and elevated the
bzews Of butcher like the arches of a
BRIDGE "The broker has not raised one
Of his shutters yet, and nothing seems to
BIO moving in his house; yet bus domestic,
Jean Muller, is habitually an early riser.
and this IS the first time that have ever
risen before him" H..
"Bah! What trade could he make
this morning2 Perhaps the storm oflast
night hindereo his sleeping and he is
making up for it now"
ooh, what storm it was!:' remark
ed the grocer. III scarcely closed my
eyes; the shutters ratified and their hing
!. es creaked, and bang, chimney tum-
r bled into my court. l have rarely heard
such a high wind since I have been in
business here.'
"Without counting,' added the butch
er, s'the thunder, hail and rain, one could
almost say Satan was conducting a
Dance" And he accumulated his little
joke with a loud laugh, which shook his
stomach and shoulders so that the fat On
his chin had terrible commissions.
"Hush! Herman, never SAL that! I!
IS an evil omen. believe me!'
ooh! what superstitious fellow you
are, friend Bloch! One must have a
laugh, now. and them
II admit that subject of conversation
is always repugnant to me; for every
time that hideous name is mentioned
there is misfortune lurking somewhere
The laugh OF the butcher increased al
the sight of the pale face of his compan
ion.
ssWell, well, you are timid. I will bs
still, for you will finish by thinking mi
ascape-goat-bu what can old Samue
4 be do1ngH''
'Let US rap at his door. What do yo7
says"
!. The grocer indicated with his fingers
4 without budging, the house of Samue
and the butcher without speaking, d
rected his steps toward the little shop.
It had two floors surmounted by al
attic, and seemed to bury among tn
Z other buildings its pointed roof, covere<
b with tiles, and to conceal with wor1
= and patched air, the shop which occu
b pied the whole of the ground floor. TIL
wooden shutters solidly fixed by larg
bars of iron, and the front door with it
tight bolts, kept an unaccustomed 81
lence. On the floor above, the blind
stopped up the windows dramatically
and this house with its eyes closed in tn
midst OF the morning hustle assumed a
onainous aspect. On the roof the weatt
er-vane turned by the wind emitted ever
now and then mournful cry, that X
s sembled the moan of seagull across th
4 hurricane which agitates the sea.
The butcher struck the bars with hi
fist. and listened to the echo transmitte
by the solitary knock through the corr
q doris OF the house. He waited fe,
minutes, then knocked again, and Gale
loudly with his strong voice. No a,
swer. A vague terror stole into b
breast and made his heart beat wit
quickened motions.
a "No answerl" cried Bloch to him frol
q afar,
Then he advanced slowly, pushed b
curiosity only exceeded by his alarm.
SIT is extraordinary cannot explai
III it. How is it that neither Samuel M
n his servant answer to my call Coul
they both be dead2 Bloch, think it
our duty to summon the chief of polio
will send one of my boys. Wait here
When the chlet Of police arrived, q
Pcempanied with his men,a surgeon and