Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-04-28

something to The driver in English.
How astonlshed 1 was to hear MISS
Shelton add to it a phrase as Eng!lsh as
nv own! We held breath to explain
and IN almost no time at all discovere
that we were both Americans. Strange
discoveries followed --they always do.
Miss Shelton's father had heen yoiun-
teer captain III our army, and myseR
had been within a rihe-shot OF him
when he fell at .Vicksburg.
Her mother, a native OF Bleiberg'
took this only daughter and returned to
her old home, stopping at the sollcita-
tons of friends, first for months, and
now it had been years. In moment
recalled what had been puzzllng me ier
an hour. l had seen the name
Shelton before somewhere.
Who was pensioner 1904 but Elsie
Sbelton~-why had L not thought OF
tsat?--wlfe of Captain Shelton killed
at Vlcksburg in June, 1868. How exH
tremely singular! we both exclaimed.
Mrs. Elsie Shelton 1 was soon informed
was OF remarked.
The object of my journey was ac'
complished. 1 might return home at
once. l did not, however. Besides
Miss Shelton insisted that should go
on and visit pretty Bleiborg, her mother
and herself. was easily persuaded.
Why had the consul's letters not
been answered? 1 asked, as we made q
turn in the road. oh said Miss
Shelton, mother and 1 were both
coming next week to L, 10 visit
relative there, and so she proposed
answering in person. Besides she is
not so poor that she cares dreadiully
whether Uncle Sam stops the ten dol
lars or so a month or not
BY noon the church steeplc Of Blei-
burg was in sight and in an hour the
driver blew shrill note or so on his
horn. the villagers FASTENED to the win
dovs of the houses as our painting
monies passed on a gallop, and the
little old postmaster lifted his blue cap
and gave us a salute all round. Mrs.
Shelton was living with friend, then
absent. in substantial two~story stone
house pot far from the post.
This is Mr.-,' said Miss Shelton,
laughing, as she presented me to her
mother, "a real American; and, just
think. he has come to ask, mamma, II
Won arc married. The good-looklng,
embarrassed little widow soon un-
raveled the nonsense with which Miss
Mareot was seeking 10 overwhelm US,
and was welcomed not only as an
American. but as one who had been at
Vicksburg.
When th odinner was over strolled
out through one OF the lovliest situated
villages of the Alps. The view down
the valley we had just assembled was
enchanting. Behind the pretty town.
and edged by a green meadow sloppg
upward, was a forest of tall dark lirs'
and above this an Alp, angling up the
side of q steep mountain, known 10 all
touristst as the Rigi OF the Kernthal.
1t was only the 25th of February but
the sun seemed as warm as in midsuni-
mer. The grass, so wonderfhlly,green,
WAS high enough for pasture, and yio'
lets and dalses peeped out everywhere
1t was dangerously warm, in tact'
mu,tared the little postmaster in the
blue cap, as l handed him a letter to
post to the consul at L, sayiug ev'
erything was well, but 1 couldntpossl-
bly be back on Saturday-'dangerous-
Ily warm, because there had not been
so much snow on the mountains in ilty
wears as now, and already people began
to hear of avalanches falling out OF sea-
son.
Bleiberg, however, is safe enough,
thought to myself. as glanced up 'ne
sides Of the old peak where, sure enough
there were oceans of snow and ice glis'
tening in the sunshine. But it was
mile away, and between pretty Bier
here and it swept, like dark veil' th'
forest of tall fir trees.
sT don't like it--it's too warm-ano
there's no telling continued my wouia
be pessimist of postmaster !
haven't lived in those regions well nigh
to fifty years for nothing. SHOWING al
winter and hot sun and daisies IN Feb
ruary. aren't natural. 1t means ava
lancbes to somebody somewhere
had almost forgotten that, as lei
tbc house of my fair entertainers, wa
informed that it was carnival"day II
the village, and that at three O'Clock
uust he on hand to see the procession
/ II was already after three, and hurrie
hack to be offered a good place to Sc
from at the uper chamber window
l Miss Margot, where, Joined by nc
mother awaited the boys IN slfipe
: trousers and masks, and the men VIII
e music and flags. 1t was novel sIsht
. as the long procession filed up the roa
e and approached the house wnS .,
s we were waiting the contrast o. :"
C brirht colors OF tue costumes ara has
with the green foliage and th' greene
1 grass at the road-sides; the so'np","u'
e silence. disturbed only b the echon
or ,ho notes of the mssic from the lott
d rocrs. the seemln, diminutivcness
eyery,hing-ol ever, ing ne men, of the thread iI
/, like roads. ofsyen the no uses and trees
n as seen up1er the shadow of the tower
80 tame all added impressive