The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-05-28
Seletteo Storm.
Klaus. the Young Swiss Hero.

yet the spring, linging primroses
broadcast through all the woods, and
filing the shores of the lake with he
patica and gentian. The loosened
SHOWS were plunging with a hollow
thunder into the ravines and rivers
and the grass was growing green and
long on the Alps between the glaciers.
A pale, sweet sunlight was shining on
the roofs of the town of Frbourg,
lying as if dreamily asleep in its little
quiet valley, shut in by the eternal
mountains, whose peaks were white
with the cleaning SHOWS.
In the center of the lower town,
which rose from the banks of the Sarine
by a succession of terraces, group of
children were at play in the warm
afternoon sunshine. They gamboled
like kids, the rich and the poor together,
the son OF the baron hand-in-hand with
poor little Klaus, the goat-keeper's son.
Occasionally they sung snatches of
songs-songs that they had heard their
fathers sing, and which were full of
the spirit of spring-time.
Yes" said U ric, the barou's son,
and shall be glad when we can swim
again in the river. Ambrose, my tutor,
says budl W swirl ntll W llut Wblls anu
to use the sword like gentleman will
make one a perfect knight"
think that one should be brave
and generous, with good heart as
well as a graceful person." declared
Klaus.
"Aud courteous, too" added Caspar,
he miller's son.
"Of course" assented Uric. d" He
would not be good knight unless he
possessed all these qualities"
Sometimes man is cross and i'll
tempered because he is unhappy" said
little Rudolph, who lived alone with his
mother in one of the big stone houses
of the city. "Such ones should be
pitied, think"
" Yes, truly" answered Klaus, pat
ting Rudolph on his shoulder, for they
all loved the gentle spirit which could
pity the offending.
The children in their play paused be-
fore young linden tree planted in the
square of the city, whose leaves were
just putting forth from its branches. A
sudden hush fell upon them. The tree
had history, and every boy and girl in
Fribourg was familiar with it. Twenty
four years before, a youth, wounded and
bloody from the battlefield of Morat,
had brought the news of the glorious
victory over Duke Charles the Bold, of
Burgundy, and fallen down dead on this
very spot. In his hand he had carried
small linden bough, which was imme-
diately planted 1t had lived and -four
ished, and was the pride of every patri-
otto heart in Fribourg. This tree is
still alive, after more than four hun
dred years, standing dir city in front of
the new town house of the old Swiss
city,.
" He died noble DEATH" cried Ru-
dolph. eve shall always remember
Nicholas Spingen-we and our chill
dren."
"Yet," said Uric, doubtfully, she
would have been more of hero to my
thinking if he had died on the field of
battle"
tory" said Klaus. ellis next duty
was to carry the news to the anxious
hearts at home. He was a hero be-
cause he did his duty and died per-
forming it,"
What battle that was! " declared
Uric. 81 have heard father say that
the Burgundian duke left fifteen SOL
diers dead on the field, and his splendid
paviions were all captured, with their
untold wealth. Rich armor, magnifi.
cent clothing, and diamonds, and all
kinds of jewels were picked up by our
poor mountaineers, many of whom
never knew the real worth of their
prizes. There never was such another
victory. Oh, how / would like to see a
battlel But the days of war are over,
and we shall never be heroes, fear"
"Be not so sure of that, my little
MASTER" said stranger, who crossed
the square at that moment and heard
Ulric's speech. "The same foe still
lives in MaXimilian of Germany, who
has inherited all the claims of his grand
father, Charles of Burgundy, and whose
power is even more formidable than
that of the great duke. Even now
there are murmurings beyond the
mountains, and doubtless his spies are
already at work among us. Helvetia
will need all her brave hearts to defend
her, and even boys may be heroes like
the one who sleeps there under the
linden"
With those words the newcomers
passed on to the city inn, where they
soon after heard that messenger from
Appenzell had brought tidings that
stirred the heart of every patriot
Swtzer.
Meanwhile the boys games were
ended, and each one returned to his
own home. Uric Won Kuonau walked
up to the castle on the hill where he
had pony and a hound, and where a
certain degree of ease and luxury pre-.
vailed, for the Baron Won Kuonau was
the great man of the district Poor
little Klaus took his way to the hui
which he occupied in the valley with
his father and mother. The roof pro
jected eight or ten feet, forming sort Of
piazza. A wooden gallery, close to the
roof within, answered for bedrooms
All around the kitchen were milk pals
measures, ladies made in the shape O.
shells, milk-strainers tunnels filled
with pine leaves), cheese-presses, anC
other things delicately clean. The,