Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-03-12

foliage of the shrub. Here upon o
smooth fresh lawn he found twelve
knights playing grIveIy at nipeDins and
not one spoke a syllable. With equal
silence Peter was installed in the office
OF setting up the ninepins.
At first Re performed his duty with
knees that knocked against each other
as he now and then stole partial look
at the long boards and slashsd doublets
OF the noble knights. By degrees,
however, custom gave him courage: he
gszed on everything with firmer look
and at last ventured to drink out of
bowl that stood near him from which
the wine exhaled a most delicious odor.
The glowing juice made him feel as If
reanimated, and whenever he found
tile least WEAKNESS he again drew fresh
vigor from the inexhaustible goblet
Sleep at last overcame him.
Upon waking Peter found himself in
! the very sane enclosed mead where he
was wont to tend his herds. He rubbed
his eyes, but could see no sign of either
dog or goats and was, besides, not a
little astonlshed at the high grass and
shrubs and trees which he had never
before observed there. Not we'll know
ing what to think, he continued his
way over all the places that be had been
accustomed to frequent with his goats,
but nowhere could he find any traces
of them. Below him he saw Sittendorf,
and at length with hasty steps he de-
scended,
The People whom he met in the vii |
lage were all strangers to him; they |
hId not the dIess of his acquaintances |
nor did they speak exactly their Ian
guage, and when he ssked for his |
goats, all stared and touched their |
chins. AT last he did the same, almost |
inyoluntarily, and found his beard
heightened by foot, at least, upon |
which he began to conclude that him.
the influence of encbantment. Still he
recognized the noun an he d. sc ndei
as the Kyffhausea; the houses, to,
with their yards AMI gardens were ali
familiar to him, and TO passing questions
OF traveller several boys replied by the
name of Sittendorf.
With increasing doubt he now W Ilkt d
through the village to his own house
1t was much decayed, and before it lay
a strange goatherd's boy in a ragged
frOck, by whose side was a dog, worn
and Iank with age, that growled and
snarled when he spoke to him He then I
the cottage through an opening
which had once been closed by a door,
Here, too, he found all SO void and
waste that he tottered out again a. the
back door rs if intoxicated and called
his wife and children by name; but none
heard, none answered.
In q short time women and children
thronged around the stranger with the
long, hoary beard, and sll, as il for
wager, joined in inqulring what he
wanted. Before his own house to ask
alter his wife or children or even him
self, seemed so strange that to get rid
IF these querists he mentioned the FIRST
name that occurred to him, "Kurt
Stelfen."
The bystanders looked at each other
IN silence, till at last an old woman
'aid: :
He has been in the churchvard /
hese twelve years, and you'll not go !
here to-day"
"Velten Meier?"
"Heaven rest his soul," replied an
'ncient dame, leaning upon her crutch. s
Heaven rest his soul He has lain
here fifteen years III the house that he |
sill never leave"
The goatherd shuddered as IN the last :
peaker he recognized his neighbor, who .
eemed te have suddenly grown old; but
lie had lost all desire for further ques- [
los. AT this moment brisk young wo- G
nan passed through the crowd of an1iou q
apers, carrying an infant in her arms, .
nd leading by the hand girl of about
4 wears, each one of the three the very
mage of his wife. With increasing d
Hrprse he asked her name. C
maria" lie
"Apd your father's?"
''Peter Claus; Heaven rest his soul o
t is now twenty years since We sought
im day and night on the kyffhausen
when his flock returned |
Iithout him. L was then but years a
Id" 4
The goathcrd could contain himself a
o longer. ;;
81 am Peter Claus" he cried; ''I am :,
'eter Claus, and none else," AMI he u
Matched the CHILD from his daughters "
rms. All Tor a moment stood petriied, h
ntll one voice and another exclaimed: il
Yes, this Is Peter Claus. Welcome, q,
eighbor! Welcome after twenty n
ears" Il