The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1882-01-14
wet from the swift running current of the

wet from the swift running current of the
| Sorgue.
Then I brought out milk, cheese and
| bread, but the poor little thing thought not
of warmth and food. When | saw the big
tears in her soft, troubled eyes, my own
filled, too, and | am not ashamed to say so
Night now was really upon us. The crest
of the mountain opposite the one Of which
we were was flecked with light; it looked as
il gold dust were scattered there; it was on
the west where the sun had set that this
golden light still fingered.
begged my young lady to enter my hut;
I spread for her fresh raw and new sheep
skin. | babe her good night and then took
a seat outside the door. God is my witness
that my one idea was to protect my young
mistress from any possible harm.
[ was proud to think that in the little hut
lay my masters daughters lamb more
precious. pure and more dainty than any
one of all the others intrusted to my charge
Never had the sky looked half so
blue to me; never had | seen the stars so
bright.
Suddenly the door opened and my maid
appeared. She could not Sleep she said.
The sheep were so near that each movement
they made seemed with in the hut itself.
The straw rustled under their feet and she
could not close her eyes She preferred,
she aid, to sit by the fire with me if / had
no objection.
/ put on more wood and found some
resinous knots, with which l fed the fast
leaping flames, and We sat watching them in
utter silence.
If any among you have ever passed a
night in the open air you have learned that
in those hours which we spend in sleep
new world awakes to life where all has been
silent and alone.
Then the sweet song of the babblng brook
is sweeter and clearer; the placid surface of
the pond is covered with tiny Pickering
flames. All the mountain spirits come and
go freely and unquestioned. The whole air
Is pervaded with faint, strange sounds as of
trees growing and OF buds and blossoms
budding into perfect com pleteness. The day
belongs to human beings, but the night is
not theirs.
When one is unaccustomed to the night
one is afraid of it and very timid. So was
my little mistress. who, startled and nervous,
pressed closer to me at each new and un-
wonted sound.
Once there came long, melancholy cry;
it floated toward us from pond that gilt
tered far down below. At the same moment
a bright star shot across the heavens above
our heads in the direction of the lake. 1t
was as if the wall we heard carried this light
with it,
What is that whispered Stephanette
breathessly.
~ soul entering Paradise, mistress" was
my reply. | made the sign of a cross as l
spoke and she did the same as she sat listen
ing with fixed, uplifted eyes.
Then she said to me slowly and softly:
us it true that you shepherds are all
wizards?
NO. indeed, dear mistress: but we live up
here so near the skies that it seems as if we
must know much more of what is going on
there among the stars than you jewellers Ton
the plain below"
She sat with her pretty head leaning on
her hand. She was all wrapped in her
Sheepskin, and looked like small and
heavenly herdsman.
How beautiful they are, i" she murmured,
with her eyes fixed on the stars do you
know their names, shepherd?'
"Of course | do. mistress. There Just
above us is the road of St. James 1.-THE Milky
Way; it goes from France right over to
Spain. 1t was ST. James who drew it, in
order TO show the way to the brave Charlie
magne when he made war with the Sara
Gems Further off you can the Car of
Souls 1.-THE Great Bearl with its four
resplendent wheels. The threestars in front
are the horses, and the small one in the rear
of the third is the charioteer"
We sat in silence for some minutes, and
then | said hastily:
Did you see that shower of tiny stars
then, mistress? Well those are the souls
which our dear lord does not wish to keep
in Heaven, the souls that the good God will
not have near His great white throne. Look
lower down, now, and you will see the three
Kings tOriOn(. That Is the star which we
call our clock. As | look at il now, can
tell that it is past II. Down there toward
the south shines Jean de Milan, the torch
bearer (Sirius) The shepherds tell queer
story about that star. 1t seems that one
night Jean de Milan. with the Three Kings
and one of the Pleaides were invited to
marriage festival of star. The Plead was
in a tremendous hurry, and she started cf
first so it is said and took the upper road.
Look, up, mistress, up 10 the very center
of the sky. The Three Kings made a
short cut across, and overlook her,
while lazy Jean de Milan, who had
slept too late, was left far behind. He
stood still a moment and then, mad with
rage, threw his torch after the others This
is the story the shepherds like to tell each
other But the most beautiful of all these
jewellers in the sky, dear mistress, is the one
we call our own, the shepherds star, which
shines upon us with friendly greeting when
we go forth at dawn with our focks. Then
again, at night, we see it again as we bring
them back To our folks. This is Magilonne,
the beautiful Magilonne, who runs after
Pierre de Provence (Siriusl and marries
him every seventh year."
'Marries him, did you say, shepherd? Are
there marriages, then, among the stars?'
why. of course, mistress Why should
there not be?" | went on trying to make her
understand what | meant. Presently | felt
something soft and warm touch my shoulder
very lightly. 1t was the head of the young
girl, which, heavy with sleep, sank on my
shoulder with delicious rustic of soft lace
and cri sp ribbons.
| looked down upon her as she slept. l
was little disturbed, | don't deny it. MY
breath came quicker than usual, think, but
was preserved from all unhOly thoughts by
the great peace and tranquility that encom-
passed us about. The stars continued their
silent march across the sky. They were as
dOcile as flock of sheep. AS | sat there l
for a moment fancied that one of those
shining stars-the brightest. the fairest and
the most preciOus-had fallen asleep on my
shoulder.
@Almanach Provencal, published at Avignon.