The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-08-28

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might take his bride with him for {
hOliday-a honeymoon. The villager,
in after years used to tell. with tears il
their eyes, how that wedding was the
prettiest sight they had ever, seen; the
handsome young couple coming out o.
church hand in hand, and christina
father, with his iron-gray hair and stern
though kindly face, walking so proudly
with Jeni'S grandmother behind them
Christina was quite mountain bride.
for at Hans special request she wore in
her hair wreath Of soft "Edelweiss, -
which he had gathered for her with con.
siderable crouble-the first blossoms, a:
he believed. of the season. - e.
The evening after their wedding, the
young couple went-by train to Core,
the terminus of the railway in that di-
rection, and the next day a very LONG
drive in the diligence brought them to
Jeni's usual headquarters, the village OF
St. MOritz, in the EDgadine valley.
Jeni had been very extravagant, and
had taken the banquette. of the dill
gence; he had always walked up, other
years, but Christina was not accus.
toned to being obliged to walk to reach
a given point, and now he had married
a wife he must take care that all things
were made pleasant and easy for her.
Now, although she was a 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, indescriba-
bic grandeur, their dazzling sheets of
whiteness standing out against the clear,
clOudless evening sky. while the rosy
tint of the strange, beautiful "Alpen-
gluhn" shOne upon some peaks of the
mighty Bernina chain, and turned the
whole scene into a fairyland. Hans
looked at it with pride Is well as pleas
ure, for he felt somehow as if the
mountains belonged to him, and al
though he well knew their power to de-
stroy, their avalancheS, their treacher-
Gus crevasses. their changing slopes,
he was proud. of knowledge within
himself, which made him able to- defy
their dangers, and, by mounting to
his own possession.
Christina clasped her husbands
hand. Il 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
climbedr'
'.Wait till you have tried one your
self, my girl. mean to make a
mountaineer OF you before the summer
is over"
And to a certain extent Jeni sue
ceeded. Christina was not Naturally
either very brave or very strong, but
the fact of living at St Moritz, 6,01O
feet above the level of the sea. in the
pure, bracing air only to be
found at such q height, gave her, for
the time being at least, fresh energy
and power, and climbing with Hans
help was. after all. very easy matter.
He made her begin so slowly, he ar
ranged 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 excursions 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 him.
self. He only once left Christina for
more than twenty-four hours, which
was when he was away in the Tvrol
with an EngliShman called Stanley for
nearly u week: but then he had been
guide to STANLEY for three years run
ming, and the two had become firm
friends, rs well aS willing companions.
Stanley came to see Christina when
they returned from their expedition.
and charmed, although he confused
her, by his warm praise OF her husbanu.
''He il one of the best fellows ever
met, hG said. land | hope you may
have & long and happy life together, for
YOU deserve it.
Stanley was bachelor OF keen sus-
capabilities. and very strong impress
sion was made anon him by the Young
Swiss girl and her stalwart guide hu5-
band.
That first happy summer came too
soon TO an end; all the visitors had left
the high valley by the middle of Sew
tember, and heavy ySnowstOrm happen
inc TO fall then, Haas and Christina
We're obliged to cross the Julier Pass on
their way home in sleigh.
The next year Christina was not able
to go to the mountains with her hus-
band. She sighed and lamented little,
as was natural, but looking forward to
the future was brave and good about it,
and after her little boy "-es born, early
in August. Hans came ne list for a
week TO see her. She was staving 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 tG leave her again, and
her young baby; she looked so fragile
and i'll, and cried so bitterly when he
said goodbye to her.
Il could let you go quite easily, my
darling" she said, ''if it were only to
the towns and the valleys, but it is on
those dreadful mountains that | can not
bear to think of you"
"And vet you know how really and
truly safe l am upon them; l under
stand them too thoroughly to be care
less: can not come to any harm
Heaven grant that you may not, but
l do not see the imposSibility.
You must. try AMI not think about
me the next few weeks, little woman
he said encouragingly; and by next
year. if you are still frightened, l will
find some work to do at Zurich or
COire. But | must 90 back again to