Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-11-05
"THE DALLES."
TRANSLATED FROM TIE GERMAN.

TRANSLATED FROM TIE GERMAN
He vas known as cred Pfeffermann"
because his hair was of a reddish blonde
hue, and he had beautiful belrd of the
same color. There lived in the same place,
in MariampOl, another man, whose name
was also Pfefferman, and who bore the
same given name AcrOhOm, but his hair,
whisker5 ard complexion were dark.
"Red Pfeffermau" was shoemaker. He
occupied with his wife and three small
children II small shop, or rather the half
OF 1t, in the JUd8nS0 SO. The sun never
penetrated farther than the threshold,
where the children used to play.
1t was damp, murky morning; it
had been raining the light before; it
was such weather which made people re-
luctant to leave their homes; thick fog
t1oated through the narrow street; it rose
from the ground and enveloped the
houses as with gigantic wave IF water:
small ponds formed in front of the houses
where geese and ducks enjoyed them
selves and the wind howled through the
chimneys. Neve. theess, Ffeifermann
had put on his dilapidated slouched hat
and waded through the mire to the
tavern across the street
The children had Just woke up from
their nights rest and watched their
mother picking up corn stalks and straw
with which she was making TIRE upon
the small hearth.
'Mame," said the oldest of the chill
dren, sweet little fellow. whose name
was Jacob, "dii you hear the noise last
uight?'
II have not heard anything" she re-
piled.
"Why, our bed was shaken, Name"
ooh, you only dreamt."
ono, Name, heard the noise also "
joined in little Sarah "thero was noise
asif things toppled down upon the floor :;
somebody screamed and cried"
IL suppose it must have been the Dal-
les said the mother, "whom you have
heard"
THE Dalles, who is hep asked Sarah.
Little JACOB laughed out loud; it
sounded like puremusic in those gloomy,
upfriendly rooms
"She does rot know who the Dales
is. Listen then"
II want Name to tell me. Keep quiet,
Jakey,' and Sarah closed his mouth with
her tiny hands.
The Dalles is the Dalles," broke oat
Jakey, with loud laugh.
'Don't laugh, Jakey." said the
mother, 'the Dalles might hear you and
carry on wo:se than ever. 1t is not
laughablc, but matter of great sorrow
to have him in the house"
''rhe Dal.es, then, must be a bad
MANI" asked Sarah.
"No, he is Eobgoblin, ~ fell in Jaley.
$50 he is; he is an evil spirit" re.
peated the mother, with a sigh. "Where
he settles down prosperity leaves. In.
dustry, labor, ability, are all in vain
thinking and specializing go for nought
he swallows all up"
"And what does he look lilSe?"
"The harder the luck of the man with
whom he has taken his abode, the
rounder and fuller is tho body of the
Dalles."
Then our Dalles must be already very
large and very stout, said little Jacob
sob, | know something, Name. HI
will at last be so stout that his body
will have no longer room in our chamber
and then he will leave us. Won't W.
have then our SiGjbe) BarcEes witt
raisi s just as well as the children Of
rich Fleckles2"
A bitter smile fitted across mother.
face. GOOD graf t." she murmured tt
herself.
"But we want to see the DalleSi"
The children talked the matter owe
amongst themselves in their own child
ish way. They concluded to keep awak,
in order to see the big fat Dalles. And act
ually the coming night they kept awak
in their little beds until they heard again
outside throwing down of thngs
screaming and crying, but their cou ag,
torsook them, and they crept quickly un
der the ragged covers, their teeth chatter
ing with fright. They heard the Dale
tumble down every piece OF furniture
they heard their father scream, thei
mother cry and groan; then everything
grew still and they fell asleep
When they awoke next morning an
like timid little mice peepcd aroanC
cautiously, they saw their father, sittin,
on his low bench, working away with
good will, while their mother prepared
tne ledtner' On lne loot were scattered
glass splinters and broken pieces o
earthen d shes. The only chair left il
the room was broken, and, saddest of all
their mothers head was tied up with
piece of linen and their fathers face wa
scra ched and the back of his coat wa
ripped way down.
Red Pfefferman spoke little that day
and when he did say something, h
never loosed at Slobe, his wife.
She had been h ndsome once, AM
fresh as a rose on the bush when sh
was tied in wedlock to her present hus
band; now her face was pale and care
worn, and dark rings were vistb!
under her dark eyes, still full of fire an
expression.
When Red Pfe1erman left his shou