The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-08-28
AN ALPINE BRIDE.

AN ALPINE BRIDE.
Chistina Schmidt was married to
Hans Jeni when she was only eighteen.
They were both natives of the village
of Sargans, a name some English trav-
may remember, noticing on the
line from Coire to Zurich, though it is
very unlikely that they aver spent a
time there than the two minutes
that the train waits at the station. for
there is nothing to tempt them to do so.
It is a commonplace Swiss village, in q
only fertile enough to support
about half of its population, and oblig-
ing the rest TO travel to the cities or to
emigrate to other lands.
Christmas father was one of the rich
est and most important men in the
place. He lived next door to the inn,
in a good-sized, imposing-looking white
house, part of the ground floor of which
he used as a bake-house-for he was
himself the baker-and the other part
of it as the shop to sell his bread in.
Before she married, Christina had tried
for a little while to manage the shop;
but she did not like having to stay in it
all daylong, just in case any m should
come in and want to be served; and as
she was an only and a motherless girl,
and her father had indulged her all her
life, he 500 engaged a middle-aged
oma for the business of the shop,
and allowed Christina liberty to do as
she pleased. She generally spent part
of her mornings in the. bake-house. not
where the big ovens were and it was
hot and her father too busy putting in
the loayes to notice her, but in a cool
clubhouse, where her father mixed the
dough and left it to rise. She liked to
watch him handle it so cleverly, and
she generally persuaded him, when all
the black bread for the village was
done, to make her a few delicious white
rolls. such as she had tasted onc at a
hotel in Zurich. She knew exactly when
the said white rolls would be baked;
and, after working in the house and
getting the dinner ready (Which being
a true Swiss maiden, was a pleasure to
her), she would trot down again to the
bake-house Just when her father was
taking them out of the oven, and would
sit on the steps of the front door and
eat them. For Christina was rather
proud Of showing how she was spoilt
and petted in having white rolls made
on purpose for her.
Her lover, Hans Jeni. many and
many q time came to her as she sat
there, and, accepting one of her prof
fered rolls, leant against . door-post
and looked down at her, enjoying his
view of her small round figure and
sweet, innocent young face. She was q
b~rown-eyed, brown-skinned girl, with
masses of soft hair of a golden-brown
shade, growing artistically round her
low forehead. She might have passed
unnoticed in a crowd, because she was
small and unpretending; but she was
undoubtedly the belle of Sargans; and
perhaps many a larger place has not
boosted such a popular one, because
Christina twas kind Is she was fair
Her fortunate lover, Hans Jeni, was
twelve years her senior. and had known
and loved her ever since she was a lit
tie girl toddling at her fathers side.
He was an orphan, brought up by his
grandmother to follow his uncle's call
ing; that is, in the winter time he lived
at Sargans and carved wood, but the
summer months he spent in the high
Engadine valley as guide, coming
down from thence in the autumn, with
. pocket full of money and a splendid
stock of health and spirits. He had
sent his first summer in the mountain:
when he was fifteen, going up with his
uncle, Peter Jeni, who was a well
known Engadine guide, and with him
doing some of the easier ascents, carry
ing k~napsacks and provisions to the
foot IF tho mo,pfosro ond Ioa,a- ~.
first principles of glacier climbing. Hi
uncle was well pleased with him. ant
told him that his head was as steady a
. rock, that he had unlimited nerve
pluck and energy, and that there wa
in him the making of a first-rate guide
When Hans heard that he made up hi
mind that he would not waste his capa
bilities. By the time he was five-and
twenty he had been up every peak il
the Engadine, and most of those in tn,
Tyrol, and by the time he was thirt,
Peter Jeni would proudly point out t.
strangers his nephew and pupil as tn,
best guide in the east of Switzerland
and such he probably was. He was
splendidly-made man, tall and strong
with regular features, keen gray eyes
and a fair skin sunburnt: and Christin
answered her own question with an EN-
phatic negative, when she asked her
self if there was a better sight in tn
world than Hans presented as h
started for the mountains the year be
fore they married, in his suit of stronI
gray homespun, his knapsack made G
chamois skin on his back, the rop
coiled round and hung over his lei
shoulder, his ice-ax in his hand.
If Christmas father could hav
chosen he would have preferred this
mis- daughter should not marry a ma
who from his calling must ~necessaril
be much away from her, for he kne,
the tender, clinging love which sh
would bestow upon her husband, an
dreaded for her the pain of separation
but then he dreaded any and all pal
for her, and since she loved Jeni, an
he was a good fellow and loved hel
too, it would obviously distress her les
to part with him sometimes than t b
separated from him for always.
And SO all Sargans was en- fete fo
Christmas wedding. 1t was on the Ii
of July, her eighteenth birthday; Jer
had put off going to the mountains this
year until later than usual, that b
might take his bride with him for
holiday honeymoon. The villagel
in after years used to tell, with tears i
their eyes, how that wedding was til
prettiest sight they had ever seen; th
handsome young couple coming out {
church hand in hand, and Christina
father, with his iron-gray hair and ster
though kindly face, walking so proud
with Jeni's grandmother behind then
Christina was quite a mountain bride
for at Hans special request she wore i
her hair a wreath of soft "Edelweiss,
which he had gathered for her with cor
siderable trouble-the first blossoms,
he holiavod M fba oaaSo1