The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-02-11
THE SPIRIT OF THE MIST.

= A44 Ma &4A@& IA 49, 4t44S =
A wild, bleak place it seemed to stran-
gers, but as it was, Dame Breitmaun
loved it. Her matched cottage was placed
in niche far up the mountain side, and
all around were rocks and clefts, and
snatches of hilly clearings, where her
little flock of sheep browsed, except when
the snow lay there in great drifts, as i,
did throughout every winter.
People wondered that the dame should
have chosen such an isolated rugged spot
for her abode, while the valley lay be.
meath, with its green fields, its sparkling
streams and varied woodland, which
could not find footing in the shallow sol
above.
The reason that the dame loved tht
place, with its summer gusts and sudder
storms, its winter cold and driving SHOWS
was that she was native Swiss. and al
these reminded her of the land she hat
left years and years before.
Then she had been hale young ma
tron, with strong, honest, toilsome
good man, and three chubby checked
little ones .ugging after her, clinging L
her short linsey skirts, as she worked will
willing heart aud hands to add comfort
to the new home. All, me! she bad seel
sorrow since, and her husband and babie
all lay In the churchyard, with slabs o
rough granite above their heads.
Now she was withered, wrinklcd oil
woman, with hair lying white and smootl
beneath her muslin cap, and with rheu
matte twinges that often kept her fror
hobbling down the mountain path upo
the Sabbath d9y, to the little church sh
had attended regularly for the past tort
years,
Only Bretts, her grand-neice, live
with her in her eyrie cottage home.
blithesome, neat-banded lass was Brettl
but with head as light as her heart, an
some vain notions in it, which gave dan
Breitmann many qualm of misgivinl
and called many reproof down upon Il
young girl.
But Bretta was willful mink. and Il
danes precepts fell without impressic
upon her mind. She heard without hee,
ing, and forgot all warnings when thel
was danger that they would interfe
with her pleasure. She would linger
the village where she went to sell buhc
es of produce gathered from the thor
hedged garden, the great, white-shell,
eggs from the poultry yard, and the rol
of yellow butter which the dame gatht
ed from the milk of her one COW.
Never Saturday but Bretta. in h
neat, short gown and white starehed su
bonnet, with the heavy basket on her ar
trudged down the mountain path, out
cross the valley 10 the village hous
where her patrons lived. And never
sueh an occasion but she returned will
yard or two of gaudy ribbon, tin
brooch, or some other bit of fnery
adorn herself at next days meeting, VIII,
she dropped a penny into the missiC
COX instead of the shilling which
dame allowed her.
All this troubled the good dame sore
and besides, she worried herself int
fever of anxiety every night when
girl went down the mountain TO dr.
the COW up from the common pastuI
The dusk would creep down and the n
settle over the valley, before the |
about Crnmble's neck could be he
tingling as she came slowly up the pa
It was no use to fnd fault with or s,
her hours earlier, for she only loite
the more on the way, But Dame Br
mann need not have feared for her. b
Ia was fleet and sure of foot as cham
and knew every rock and crevice u
she could tread them in the darkest mig
''Make haste, Bretta," the dame wo
say, every evening when the girl tied
bonnet over her glossy hair. Get
home before the twilight falls"
"Ay, granny" Bretta would respo
bounding away before another adm'
tion 'ould be given her.
And then she would sing snatche
song, aud turn from the path into
sorts of out-of-the-way places. in sea
of gray lichens aud red-cup moss, or oil
Der mp the precipice after glitter
sparks. which she was sure were preci
jewels until she reached them, when t
turned to pink or white pebbles in
hand. So when the valley was reacl
the shadows would lie thick and darl
every nook, and the mountain top VIC
be lost from sight by ths mist WI
hung between. Then Bretta. who X
nothing Of fear, would call Crumble
start her along the path, while she lin
ed to chat with the lasses she might
counter on the green. SO it was that
trudged homeward one night, later G
than WAS her wont, with Orumble's
sounding far ahead,