Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-02-11
The little Wood-Carver.

If you find IN Switzerland the st. Goth
ard mountain, where the Rhine takes its
source, and follow that beautiful river as it
enters the Lake of Constance, crosses it,
and coming out at the opposite end, forms
a large cataract at Shatfhausen, you will
see it continues its westward course till it
comes to Basle, and then turns suddenly
northward. On this part of the river on
the right-hand side, you will find the Black
Forest. 1t is called black because the trees
which compose il, mostly pines, grow very
close together, and their thick foliage shuts
out the sunlight.
From the Rhine, the forest rises gradu-
ally; after some time you come out on a
CLASSY plateau where you cannot see any
trees at all, and the sunlight seems much
brighter there than elsewhere. On this.
plateau is pretty little town, celebrated
for its numerous clock factories, and there
most of the pretty cuckoo clocks are made.
On one side of the plateau are a few
small villages and towns, and here lived
great many years ago. an old woman named
Mother Elizabeth, with her two grandchild
ren. Hans and Gretchen. These two
little ones were orphans, and had no other
relation than their aged grandmother, who
was very poor. So poor, that often they
dId not have even dry bread to eat, and
were Obliged to lie down on their straw
pallets and try to sleep to forget how hun
CRY they were.
One day, Mother Elizabeth called her
grandchildren TO her bedside and told them
they must work now or else they all would
starve. So Hans stout boy of ten years
of age, and Gretchen who was eight, start
ed out early every morning, picked up dead
wood. broke it, tied it in bundles, called
fagots, and carried il to the neighboring
town for sale. This was very hard work
for the children: the town was far from
| their home, the paths were narrow and slip
perry, and the wood was heavy; but they
were brave, and loved their grandmother
SO dearly that they were willing to work
very hard for her sake.
Sometimes, when they were very tired,
they would stop TO rest on their way to and
| from town, at old Gottlieb'shut. Thisold man
was wood-carver, and made clocks, fans,
paperknives, brackets, ornaments and toys
out Of pine wood. Hans loved to stand by
his side and watch him carve, and when
he and Gretchen took up their loads again
to continue their way, he would tell his
sister, if he only had knife he was sure
he could learn to carve, too. One fine June
morning. Gottlieb overheard him saying
this, and took his pipe out of his mouth
! Just long enough TO say.
'sHans, If you really want to learn, and
are willing to come here two hours every
day, will teach you how to carve and give
you knife
''Will youl" cried Hans. ''Oh. thank
you. Gottleib, You are very kind. will
come in the morning. Perhaps when l
am a man l will carve well, and will be
able to sell my ornaments, and then we
won't have to pick up wood"
The next day the wood was quickly dispos-
ed of, and the Children tr1pped gsyly among
the slippery paths, their tongues wagging
very fast, Till they came to Gottlieb's hut;
at the door they slipped off their wooden
clogs and lifting the latch, walked In.
There under the window sat Gottlleb busi-
ly carving a cuckoo clock; as the children
came IN saying, Good morning, little ones.
Well. Hans. my boy, see you are in earn
est about learning to carve, and as you
seem eager to Sc; to work we will begin at
once. Get stool and come and sit down
here beside me-"
And good old Gottlieb laid aside his own
work TO teach Hans, who did not find it as
easy work as he thought it would be. His
knife world slip and cut his fingers, and
often when he rose from his stool his limbs
ached from being kept so long in the same
position. But day after day he persevered,
and soon grew accustomed to his new
work: in a few weeks he could boast OF not
having a single cut ON his hands, and after
a while he improved so rapidly that Gott-
lieb told him. CLANS, my son, if you keep
on improving as fast as you are now, l Will
soon have to take lessons from YOU After
a few weeks of steady practice, he carved
sone ornaments that Gottlieb pronounced
''good enough for SALE" so, early next
morning he took them with hun to market
Many persons stopped to speak a word
of praise but no one bought of him. Hans
was getting discouraged and was going TO
pack I'D his carvings and carry them home,
when he felt strong but gentle hand laid
firmly on his shoulder; he looked up and
saw a handsome middle aged gentleman
looking at him kindly, and asking him the
price of one of his ornaments. Hans ans
wered rapidly, and seemed so anxious to
sell, that his customer smiled and asked
him who had carved what he was selling.
Great was his surprise when Hans told him