The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-08-30
round and hung over his left shoulder, his

should not marry man who from his
calling must necessarily be much away from
her, for he knew the tender, clinging love
which she would bestow upon her husband,
and dreaded for her the pain of separation;
but then he dreaded any and all pain for
her, and since she loved Jeni, and he was
a good fellow and loved her too, it would
obviously distress her less to part with him
sometimes than to be separated from him
for always.
And SO all Sargans was en- .fete for
Christmas wedding. 1t was the list of
July, her eighteenth birthday; Jeni had
put off going to the mountains that year
until later than usual, that he might take
his bride with him for holiday hon
eymoon. The villagers in after years used
to tell, with tears in their eyes, how that
wedding was the prettiest sight they had
ever seen; the handsome young couple COM
ing out of church hand in hand, and Chris
tina's father, with his iron-gray hair and
stern though kindly face, walking so proud
ly with Jeni's grandmother behind them.
Christina was quite mountain bride, for
at Hans special request she wore in her
hair wreath of soft ''Edefweiss, which
he had gathered for her with considerable
trouble-the first blossoms, as he believed,
of the season.
The evening after their wedding the
young couple went by train to Core, the
terminus of the railway in that direction,
and the next day very long drive in the
diligence brought them to Jeni's usual
headquarters, the village of St. Moritz, in
the Engadine Valley. Jeni had been very
extravagant, and had taken the bdnquette
of the diligence he had always walked up
other years, but Christina was not accus-
toned to being obliged to walk to reach
given point, and now he had married
wife he must take care that all things were
made pleasant and easy for her. Now, al
though she was Swiss girl, Christina had
never seen any really fine snow mountains
until the numbering diligence, with its five
strong horses, reached the top of the Julier
Pass, and began to drop down the other
side into the Engadine Valley-then they
burst upon her in their matchless, indie
scribable grandeur, their dazzling sheets OF
whiteness standing out against the clear,
coudless evening sky, while the rosy TINT
of the strange, beautiful "Alpengliihn
shone upon some peaks of the mighty Ber-
nina chain, and turned the whole scene
into fairyland. Hans looked at it with
pride as well as pleasure, for he felt some
how as if the mountains belonged to him,
and although he well knew their power to
destroy, their avalanches, their treacherous
crevasses, their changing slopes, he was
proud of a knowledge within himself which
made him able to defy their dangers, and,
by mounting to their highest SUBMITS,
claim them as his own possession.
Christina clasped her husbands hand.
II had not imagined they would be so
grand" she said but | shall not like to
know that you are on them, Hans; they
do not look made to be climbed"
''Wait till you have tried one yourself,
my girl | mean to make mountalneer
of you before the summer Is over.
And to a certain extent, Jeni succeeded.
Christiana was not naturally either very
brave or very strong, but the fact of living
at St. Moritz 5000 feet above the level OF
the sea, in the pure, bracing air only to be
found at such height, gave her, for the
time being at least, fresh energy and power,
and climbing with Hans help was, after
ALL a very easy matter. He made her be-
Gin so slowly, he arranged so cleverly that
She should not walk in the heat of the day,
he gave her his arm and supported her
when they came to any place which, to her
inexperienced eyes, looked dangerous or
difficult, and of course, he did not take her
anywhere which was in reality either the
one or the other.
As rule, he was employed as guide
every other day; sometimes during August
he went out every day but if the excur-
sions were long ones he did not care for
this, and if they were short and easy, he
generally sent some younger and less able
man than himself. He only once left
Christina for more than twenty-four hours,
which was when he was away in the Tyrol
with an Englishman named Stanley for
nearly week but then he had been guide
to Stanley for three years running, and the
two had become firm friends, as well as
willing companions. Stanley came to see
Christina when they returned from their
expedition, and charmed, although he con-
fused her, by his warm praise of her hus-
band.
ssHe is one of the best fellows have
ever met" he said, "and hope you may
have long and happy life together, for you
deserve it"
Stanley was bachelor of keen suscepti-
bilities, and very strong impression was
made upon him by the young Swiss girl
and her stalwart guide husband.
That first happy summer came too soon
to an end all the visitors had left the high
valley by the middle of September, and
heavy snowstorm happening to fall then,
Hans and Christina were Obliged to cross
the Julier Pass on their way home, in
sleigh.
The next year Christina was not able to
90 to the mountains with her husband.
She sighed, lamented little, as was natur-
al, but looking forward to the future, was
brave and good about it, and after her little
boy was borne, early in August, Hans came
home lust for week to see her. She v as
staying at her fathers house, but although
Hans knew she was well taken care of and
cherished, he found it far harder than he
had expected to leave her again, and her
young baby; she looked so fragile and ill,
and cried so bitterly when he said goodbye
to her.
"I could let you go quite easily, my
darling" she said, eff it were only to the
towns and the valleys, but it is on those
dreadful mountains that | cannot bear to
think of you.
"And yet you know how really and
truly safe l am upon them | understand
them too thoroughly to be careless | can
not come to any harm"
'Heaven grant you may not but | do
not see the impossibility.
"You must try and not think about me
these next few weeks, little woman" he
..a:l o.,ao,,,.n .rircrl1r lGnnd hu nnxt uaar iii