The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-24
IN THE BLACK FOREST
BY EMIL sCuwAB.

BY EMIL sCuWAB.
The boys and girls that have heard about
he Black Forest and the folk stories that
cluster about it in such profusion may not
know that the name is q bit misleading, and
That the forest Is in reality a range OF
mountains that in former times was denSeiy
covered with evergreens, such as pines and
frs. which gave it somber appearance.
The Black Forest is situated in the west
ern part OF Germany, IN the grand duchy OF
Baden, aud runs north and south, parallel
with the Rhine from which it IS separated
by a long, narrow plain. This plain Is a
very pleasant and fertile tTacto land, dotted
with many cities villages and hamietS
The mountains have, to a great extent, lost
their somber aspect Tor in the lapse OF time
the forests have been thinnei out by the ak
of the wood-cutJer, and many RATS OF stately
pines have been tlOated down to Holland,
where they are used in the construction OF
ships hulls and masts, and waited over the
wide seas from their forest home.
The occupation of the mountaineers is
mainly that OF wood-cutting, and their cot
tages, standing solitary amid the evergreen
groves, are the only signs of human life on
the upper slopes; while lower down the
Btllt4t uEN4 II ALACS dLG 4dlS key NOhCICu W III
vineyards. from which, in harvest time, re-
sound the merry songs Of the winners at
their work.
Down in the plains are fields of waving
corn and green pasture lands, while the
brooks and water courses that flow from the
mountains toward the Rhine turn numerous
mill wheels, which grind up the products OF
tue rye and corn fields into flour.
1t this whole region there Is no peaSanter
y 1. rot hon 10 n nf
whose white plaster houses and gray
church tower, peeping through veTdant
trees and shTuUb-ry, present pretty picture
10 the Traveller approaching on the railroad
IF n Mamie II OF Basel. Tie mountains
in tie background are about three miles dis
ut, and high up near the summit Of one of
the peaks aa old ruined castle, called the
Nindeck, perches like an eagles nest
A Draw ling brook called Buhlerbach flows
through the villages and its SinuOuS course
determines the Irregular way of one Of the
principal streets. It's crossed by numerous
little bridges and the irregularly disposed
noUHes, with tier open timber frames, plas-
tered panels, Ted-tiled roofs aud small-paued
windows, that line Is banks, have pictur-
cSQue appearance.
In enc of the largest of these houses lived
the miller, G0ttlieb kerner, and his wife,
Gretchen. GOttlieb was an honest, simple
ana industrious soul, VINO, by unremitting
diligence, had acquired a comfortably COM
p"lrnce, his wife, 4 sweet and quIet-tenl-
Eered person, had received better educa-
tlOa t.dn the average Of her peasant neigh
borS, and especially in the history and
legends Of the eighborlng mountains there
WAS 40 one IN the village that could equal
her.
They had TWO children, Anna, robust,
cheerful glri OF IL, and boy Of II, named
GotttiVb, after iis father. He was adreamy,
quiet child, with large blue eyes and a shock
Of taWuy Curls that neither brush nor comb
could permanently curb.
Now, when the days work was done
Gretchen used to sit with him on the porch
Of the mill among fragrant vine blossoms
ana relate to the eager boy tales OF long a. +;
IF tie vanished magnihcence of the lords OF
Nlndeck. whose gray towers were just Wis
ible through the evening mist: how UeIted
knights and winsOme danes had once
thronged It's courtyard; how the cruel otto
OF W lndeck Lad oppressed the tenants and
tortured travelling merchants for ransom
The e tales and many more, such as the
legend OF the Wild uuntsman and stories
Of the prank IF the mountain kObOlds,
would she tell Gottlieb whose youthful
fancy soon fairly ttemed with these i'm
ages OF the past. Often, when school was
oE,T' he would recline on the porch, and,
lulled by the Gathering of the mill wheel,
cal! up tie scenes Of which he was so foud.
Ever aud anon he would cast longing G ,anceS
up at the castle, and day by day desire
grew stronger in him to see with his own
eyes the courtyard, chambers and towers
that had Witnessed all the wonderful hap
penings his mother related
His romantic fancy also had engendered Il
desire to see this all alone, but the way was
long and devious, and he knew his parents
would never allow him TO make such an eX-
cursOn unattended. fearing he would get
lost III the darksome woods. But one fine
June afternoon his longing overcame his
sense OF duty, and he set forth for the COW
eted goal. His conscience troubled him
some, but soon the bright sun, the song of
birds and the thousand sounds of nature
maze MN obvious Of this inward monitor
lie crossed the meadows separating the vii
lage from the mountains, now picking
mower, now chasing butterfly, now watch
ing the speckled trout leap over the stones
in the brook.
People that passed him had a pleasant
word and smile for the handsome boy, and
a peasant that was teaming 4 load of hay to
the foot Of the mountain took him on his
wagon, Arrived there. lie thanked the
Kindly c0untryman and continued on his
way, which now led through blooming vine
yards aud already had a slight incline.
Sleeper and sleeper became the road
closer and closer The trees, and only through
occasional clearlngS coald he discern the
Jagged towers Of Castle Windeck. Gottlieb
matted Tor repOse and sat down on messy
stone. Be!ow him lay the Valley of the
Rhine in all its glory Of green and gold. cut
up by numerous scrpentine silver threads.
and lar on near the horizon rolled the noble
stream itself, now only a narrow rlbbon of
Eilianps
seemed ike little gray dots, from among
which arose here and there the slender MIMI
OF steeple. Above him stretched Tho
winding road, and OH each side of il int or
miDable vistas Of dark evergreens thretv
slanting shadows tlecked with gold on steap
mountain side, moss-gr0wn rocks and tan
'"saerbrush.
sun had now begun his downward
toward the west, and Gottlieb again
Led his winding way upward, now
making Il sudden detour TO avoid some beet
ling bowlder which barred the way like an
antediluvian giant now running level for
short stretch, but for the most part ascend
ing steeply between hedges of blackthorn,
raspberry bushes and sprOuting trees
Bright butterflies fitted through the green
tWnight, tne Dlrds sang Gayly on the branches
and beguiled the solitary way of our Young
traveller, which was only crossed Mt rare In.
terVais by wood-eutler, AK in hand. or n
low-Drowed peasant woman with a bundle
OF iagots on her back
many Gottlleb perceived the gray tower
o " 0aotie W lldeck looming up quite near
across clearing, and a sudden turn of the
Eoau Drought him to a deep moat. which had
formerly been filled with water. bnt now
containing put dense growth of weeds and
ptleis; hight wooden bridge snannina
frsre 1,. ~ ieu 10 cruhbling arch, the en-
s uance 70 Ihe castle. Green plants and iviae
grew from the crevices of its moldarinS,
STONES, emblems of the eternal vonth of
nature grated On the decaying work of
.. How Gottlieb's heart beat on arrivin, ~
LIE ZIG goai Oh MS long-nursed desire. He en-
&c iou. broAen columns, crumbling heans
Oh masonry, lettering arches, occasional bits
oi nan distinguishable carving, among
Wnich parasites and weeds ran riot met his
eve. VI the splendor with which his ira.
as'uatIoh nad clothed the place, nothing re-
maIned but these melancholy traces.
Clamherp6