The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1882-10-14
THE CHILDREN's JOURNEY.

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THE CHILDREN'S JOURNEY.
A Reminiscencc OF Southern Austria.
There are few stranger places in the
head of the Gulf of Venice, and a few
stranger people than the Slovaks who
inhabit it. Almost within sight of busy,
bustling, .populous Trieste, with its
bristling masts, and crowded quays,
and rafting carriages, and smart
modern hotels, you come sud-
denly upon a district dotted with
quaint little antique villages that
seem to have been dropped by Santa
Claus out of his basket Of toys-villages
which might well have Rip Van Wrinkle
for chief magistrate, and the Seven
Sleepcrs Of Ephesus for tenants.
Up here on these warm dreary hill
sides, far from the busy world below,
no one seems to be in hurry, to get
angry, or to excite himself in any way.
The heavy wagons that creep along the
broad white dusty road seem TO go or
not as they please, their drivers
being usually fast asleep inside them.
These four or five sallow, bearded. low
proved peasants in gray frocks and
high boots. who are munching their
black bread and garlic in the shade of
yonder tree, instead OF chattcring and
laughing like their Italian neghbors of
the valley, are silent as statutes. This
meek little church of crumbling stone
was built before the Turks entered Con-
stantinople. and the language of its
builders is spoken here still.
So completely, indeed, does the whole
of this strange region reproduce what
the world was centuries ago that j feel
quite out of pace as l look out at it
through the window of a modern rail-
way car. and hear call for tickets
in the midst of the enchanted ground.
But even the railway seems to have bor-
rowed something OF the charac. err of
its surroundings. For whole hour we
zig-zag at a creep g pace up seem
ingly endless succession of terraced
ridges crowned with dark clumps of
thicket. Suddenly two or three beauti
Jul little patches Of green, sunny Vine
yard peep ont at US from between two
huge black cliffs, down one OF which.
like fly walking on wall, comes a
sturdy peasant, brown and shapely as u
bronze statue, showing all his splendid
teeth in grin of indulgent contempt at
sight of the crawling train. The faint
tinkle of bell makes me look mp to see
herd of goats feeding high above my
head, while the next moment / catch
sight of little red-tiled cottage tucked
away in the cleft of rock as ii playing
hide-and-seek.
At length our train struggles up to
the summit Of the mountain with a
shrill whistle of triumph. We thrust
our heads ont of the window to see
where we have got to, when, 10! ri hit
under our feet lie the clustering white
houses, and shining church domcs, and
coun less rasts, and bright blue waters
of Trieste which we left behind moe
than an hour ago, as if bound by the
same spell which kept poor Christoval
tramping round and round the church
all night, thinking he was going
straight home.
But at this point new. turn is given
to my thoughts by the entrance of y
group as picturesque rs any. painter
could wish; three childrcn-a bright
eyed little fairy OF eight, with cheeks as
round and rosy as the apple which she
is eating, 2 sturdy boy Of eleven. whose
sun-burnSA face Is s.Mncr Than his Hat
leather cap, and a tall. slim, golden
haired girl about a year older. taking
charge Of the other two in a protect
ing, motherly way, which is simp ly IT.
resistible. 7
But the first glance shows me that
their journey, whatever its object may
besi one of no ordinary importance to
themselves. All three have a grave,
preoccupied look, the elder girl es-
pccialiy Instead of prattling mcrrily.
laughing, shouting and pointing out
passing objects to each other, as chill
dren usually do on a railway journey.
they sit close together in corner and
talk in whispers.
Even the grand scenery through which
we pass. new as it evidently is to them.
seems quite UNDECIDED. Frownins
precipices; soinber pine woods; black,
tornb-lkc gorgcs; rock hedges just wide
enough for the train itself: over hang
ing waterfalls which go leaping and
fOaming from crag to crag down a
seemingly endless descent; queer little
painted wooden station-houses, placard-
ed with regulations in Italian, German
and Slovak; brawny peasant women,
with their hard sallow faces framed in
scarlet kerchicfs. waving signal flags on
the very verge Of the precipicc-go by
without remark. s
The illustrated journal which con-
triye to let fall as if by accident on the
seat nearest to them remains equally
nnnoticed for while. But at length /
see the Younger girls eyes beginning to
turn that way. Presently she slips off
her seat, and sidlcs up to the tempting
paper; and then, having satisfied her.
self that was not looking at her. she
seizcs it in her plump little hands, and
is soon deep in one Of the greatest en-
ioynents Of childhood looking over q
whole lot Of pictures"
But as we approach St. Peters the
other two children become visibly rest
less and excited, looking constantly out
Of the window as if watching for scme-
thing which they are eager tosce. Even
the little student OF my paper. with
wnom have struck up 4 conversation
in German, soon forsaAes me to jon the
watch and I hear the. boy mutter dis
copsolately: