Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-09-26
THE JUDGES W00ING.

Monsieur Zachariah Seller, and old judS,
Of the tribunal of StantZ and member of tn,
grand council of Lucerne, after having slep
for twenty-five or thirty years through th,
clamors OF the advocates on his circuit. haC
obtained the favor of withdrawing to hi.
snug villa, situated on the Kusnacht street
near the German gate. There he was enjoy
ing himself under the supervision of his old
housekeeper, Therese, a devoted person
with a crooked nose and chin garnished witt
a thin, gray beard
These two, full of indulgence for one
another, respected their reciprocal manias
Therese looked after the household admirably,
ironed the linen, and took care TO renew mon,
sieur's stock of tobacco, shut up in a large
stone Jar, after which she was at liberty to
attend TO her birds, read her prayer book and
go TO mass.
Monsieur Zacharias was approaching his
Goth year, wore a wig, and had no other dis
traction than to cultivate few flowers and
read the morning paper. This was well
enough for 4 time, but there came a morning
when the world seemed blank. He said 10
himself that he needed something more excit-
ing than to watch flower pots in a window
and befog himself in the mazes of stupid poll
tics. He was very thoughtful for some days,
but one evening, after supper, a bright idea
came into his head Il have it; will go
fishing" he cried, clapping his hands so loud
that Therese called out from the next room:
"What is the matter, monsieur! One might
think YOU had fit.
The idea thus suddenly born proved to be a
stubborn one, and the morning on which
Monsieur Seller first set out, provided with
pole, a big straw hat, 4 fishing bag, and other
accessories, was a veritable affair of state.
Therese was greatly displeased at this new
turn in affairs. She muttered to herself and
had moments of impatience, and was Obliged
to 60 to confession twice oftener during
month than had been her custom. But, for
al that, she was forced to conform TO the
new order Of things.
For example, whenever monsieur was
seized with desire to go fishing, the excel
lent man, who deplored TO himself his feeble
ness, would look up at the sky, and say with
a melancholy shake of the head: 1T is very
fine this morning, Therese. What weather.
Not a drop of rain for three weeks"
Therese would allow him TO languish for
few moments, then, laying aside her knitting
and her prayer book, she would 60 TO find the
fishing bag, the waistcoat, and the big hat of
her master Then the old judge would be
come animated; he would rise up briskly and
say:
This is an excellent idea of yours, The
rese. Yes, will go fishing"
-Very well, monsieur, but be sure to return
At O'Clock. The eevenings are cool now"
One day in the month OF July, 1915, toward
8 O'Clock in the afternoon, Zacharias found
his fishing bag 50 full of salmon trout that he
did not wish to take any more, because, as he
said TO himself, il was necessary to leave some
for the next day. After having washed his
fish in a neighboring spring, and wrapped
them carefully in sorrel TO keep them fresh,
he felt so sleepy that he thought he would
take a nap in the heather, and wait until the
shadows were longer to mount the side of
Bigelberg
Then. having broken his crust of bread and
moistened his lips from his little bottle, he
clambered fifteen or twenty steps below the
footpatb, and Law down in the shade of the fir
trees upon the moss, his eyelids growing
heavy.
Never had the old Judge been so sleepy.
The oppressive heat of the sun, darting his
long arrows Of gold into the shadow OF the
wood, the murmur of insects upon the side
of the hill in the meadows and on the water,
the distant cooling of ring doves squatted un-
der the somber shade of the beech trees,
formed such a grand harmony that the soul
of Zacharias melted away in the universal
concert He yawned, opened his eyes, and
saw a troop of jaybirds traversing the foliage;
then turning he thought he saw the cork on
his line whirl and descend; a salmon was
caught; he was pulling it out; the pole bent
in a semi-circle. The good man was sleeping
profoundly. He dreamed, and the vast or
ches1ra pursued about him its eternal music
as the time passed on
A thousand animated beings had lived
their life of an hour when monsieur, the
Judge, awoke at the whistle of some bird be
vas not acquainted with He sat up to see,
and conceive his surprise. The strange bird
was a young girl of Il or Is years old, with
ROSY cheeks and red lips, her brown bair float
ing in long tresses, little turned up nose, a
short petticoat of the color of corn poppies-
a young peasant girl who was descending
from above by the sandy footpath of Bigel-
berg, a basket poised OH her head, and her
arms, sunburned, but round and plump, rest
ing on her hips At sight of her Zacharias
was deeply moved, He blushed, and rising
said: Good day, my beautiful child!h
The young girl stopped, opened her eyes
wide and recognized him, for who in all the
country did not know the worthy judge!
~Hi,- said she, with a smile; "this is Mon
sieur Zacllarias Seiler!'
The old man assembled into the path. He
wanted to speak but he only stammered some
unintelligible words, like very young man,
so that the young girl appeared much EN-
barrassed. Finally he made out to say:
Where are you going through the wood at
this hour, my childf'
She pointed out to him, in the distance, at
the bottom of the valley, the house of a for
ester.
Il am returning TO my father, Heri Foers-
ter, whom You know without doubt, Monsieur
Judge"
$50 you are the daughter OF the worthy
Yeril You are the little Charlotte Of whom
he often speaks when he brings me his re-
ports!"
aYes, Monsieur Judge
"Very well, will accompany you home.
should like to see the worthy Foerster again
He must be getting little oldT
He is about your age, Monsieur Judge
said Charlotte, simply; about 60 years old. !"
This artless response brought the good man
TO his senses and as he went along be be
came very pensive. What were his thoughtsi
No one knows, but how many times it has
happened that a good and worthy man, who
imagines himself TO have discharged all his
duties, has finished BY discovering that be