The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-04-16

Tory II uIE-u fNucu uiLAttIs Ittr ~
In 4 few minutes Fritz recovered his
wits and made haste home. for ne feared
his mother might be alarmed athis long |
absence. She was not, however. for she |
supposed that he had risen early, A. he
sometimes did. and taking = piece Of
bread in his hand. had followed the goats |
up the valley. breakfasting by the way.
She met him. full Of wonder II q strange |
thing that had happened.
. such a queer mist filled the valley |
Just now,- she said. 4. could not see |
the sun at all. | feared storm was
coming. but presently IL rolled away all
ia q minute, aud left the de as fine ~
ever. Did you notice IL? / never saw
anything like It before"
Fritz let his mother wonder, and
held his peace. She would think that
he had fallen asleep and dreamed II
all, be was sure; in fact, after little.
he himself began TO believe that i was
dream.
But dream or no dream. the strange
thing was that it came true! From
that time on the climate Of the I'm
lucky Valley seemed TO change. Years
passed by without single drought or
inundation- When the pastures below
were parched with thirst, rain fell on
Fritz's fields. keeping them green as
emerald. All his crops succeeded
his goats and sheep gave double share
Of milk. and little by little be grew
rich
"The Lucky Valley" people now
called the once unlucky spot. while to
Fritz they gave the name Of The Fa-
vored OF the Saints" Year after year
his gains went on increasing. Grad
ually all the land in the valley became
his, except one tiny strip, there at the
upper end. which belonged TO widow,
poor as Fritz's mother was used to be.
This strip Fritz desired TO buy, but the
widow refused to sell. though he Of
fered large price. She had come
there a bride, she declared. with the
myrtle-crown on her head. and there
she wished to die and be buried when
her time should come The memory
Of his own poor mother. who had died
some time before, might have made
Fritz pitiful to this lonely woman, but
his heart had grown hard with con-
tinued prosperity. and II angered him
to be opposed. SO when after many
attempts she persisted in her rcsclu-
ton. he tried harsher means. The
widow had debts. These he bought up,
and when she could not pay he brought
the pressure Of the law TO bear, and
turned her from her home.
1.-The very night after he had watched
her depart, weeping and broken
hearted, as he lay on his bed, feeling al
last that the valley was all his own, the
Little White Door opened on the cliffs
far above. and out came the clouds
mot pink and purple now, smiling
and full Of good will. but black and
wrathful Like flock Of dark vulture:
: they swooped at the sleeping valley
Floods Of rain fell. fierce winds tore ant
| rayed. the river rose and burst ii
. bounds carving all before il. and Fritz
awakened BY the fearful roar, had jus
+ time to escape from his bed and gail
; the nearer hillside. when the water
struck the chalet and bore it away II
! ruins down the valley. as though Il wer
! no more than a bubble OF foam In
/ crops were swept od, the flocks drowned
/ in the fields. Fritz clung TO a tree
trunk through that fearful night. listen
ing 10 the hiss and rush Of the flood
, and the bleatings Of the drownin:
sheep: and ever and anon it seemed a
| il shapes, dimly seen through thu
! darkness, swooped at and bufieted him
while voices cried in his ear. Promise
breakeri Widow-spoiler! Il this the wa,
\ YOU keep faith with the cloudsT
when morning dawned II revealed
= scene of ruin. Not blade Of barle,
. remained in the meadows, not blad
I Of grass in the fields. The labor Q
! wears had vanished in single night
1T served him right" said !.
II "Ah- my lady," replied the Oh
!. shepherd. ..God is more merciful =
: sinners than we men can be- Fritz wa
not wicked at heart. He saw his faul
= now in the light Of his misfortune. an
] was sorry for II. Gladly would he hav
made amends. but he was poor now .
n the poorest. for the waters lay over tn
2 earth. and did not run on, az water
!, generally do. The fertile valley wa
3 become q lake, into which points
\ land. fringed with broken and battere
. trees. pushed themselves. 1t was a 50
2 sight.
a News Of the disaster reached tn
lower valleys. and the kindly peasant
p liocked to help. But what could the
= do till the water receded? Nothing
! They could only say comforting word
= and return to their homes, leaving Fri'
n TO his fate.
.He waited many days. then }
- formed bold resolution. He detern
4 med TO climb the cliff once more. knoc
\ At the Little White Door. and plea
= with the clouds for forgiveness.
n THAT was bold. indeed said.
-, was a much harder task than
!, had been years before, when he was
n bow and his Joints were supple" col
Il tinued the old shepherd. ''Only de
4 peration carried him upward, but
II iast he did reach the door. He knocks