The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-05-13
MiscelIanen1rs.
LITTLE HANS.
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN.

A soldier WIDOW uVeO IN nut near
a mountain village. Her only child
was poor cripple. Hans was kind
hearted boy. He loved his mother,
and would gladly have helped her
bear her burdens of poverty, but that
feebleness forbade him. He could not
even join i'll the rude sport of the
mountaineers At the age of fifteen
years he felt keenly that he was use
less to his mother and the world
1t was at this period that Napoleon
was making his power felt throughout
Europe. He had decreed that Tyrol
should belong to Bavaria, and not to
Austria, and sent a French and
Bavarian army to accomplish his pur-
pose. The Austrians retreated. The
TyroIese resisted valiantly. Men,
women and children of the mountain
land were filled with zeal in defence of
their homes. On one occasion, ten
thousand French and Bavarian troops
were destroyed in a single pass, by an
immense avalanche of rocks and trees
prepared and hurled upon them by an
unseen foe.
A secret arrangement existed among
the Tyrolese by which the approach
of the enemy was to be communicated
from village to village by signal fires,
from one mountain height to another,
and materials were made ready to
give instant alarm.
The village where Hans and his
mother lived was in the direct line of
the route the French army would take,
and the people were full of anxiety
and fear. All were preparing for the
expected struggle. The widow and
her crippled son alone seemed to have
no part but to sit still and wait.
"Ah Hans" she said, one evening,
sit is well for us now that you can be
of little use, they would else make a
soldier of you"
This struck tender chord. The
tears rolled down his cheek. Mother,
| am useless" cried Hans, in bitter
grief. Look round our village-all are
busy, all ready to strive for home and
fatherland-I am useless"
"My boy, my kind, dear son, you
are not useless to me-"
Eyes, to you. I cannot work for
you, cannot support you in old age.
Whv was l made p
81 ush, Hans" said his mother,
''these repining thoughts are wrong.
You will live to find the truth of our
old proverb
"'God has his plan
For every man."
Little did Hans think ere a few
weeks had passed, this truth was to
be verified in most remarkable man
ner.
Easter holidays-the festive time of
Switzerland-came. The people lost
their fear of invasion in the season.
All were busy in the merchandising
all but Hans he stood alone on the
porch of his mountain hut, overlook
| ing the village.
In the evening of Easter, after his
| usual PRAYER, in which he breathed
the wish that the Father of Mercies
would, in His good time, afford him
some opportunity of being useful to
| Others, he fell into deep sleep.
He awoke in the night, as if from
| a dream, under the strong impression
! that the French and Bavarian army
was approaching. He could not shake
off this impression, but with the hope
of being rid of it he arose, hastily
dressed himself, and strolled up the
mountain path. The cool air did him
good and he continued his walk till he
climbed to the signal pile; but where
were the watchers? They were no.
where to be seen; perhaps they were
busted with the festivities of the viii
Iage. Near the pile was an old pine
tree, and in its hollow stem the tin
der was laid ready. Hans paused by
the tree, and as he listened, singular
sound caught his attention. He
heard slow and steady tread, then
the click of muskets and two soldiers
! crept along the cliff. Seeing no one,
for Hans was hidden by the old tree
thew gave the signal to some comrades
in the distance.
Hans saw instantly the plot and the
! danger. The secret of the signal pile
had been revealed to the enemy; a
party had been sent forward to de-
stroy it, and the army was marching
to attack the village. With no thought
of his own peril, and perhaps recalling
the proverb his mother had quoted,
he seized the finder, struck the light
and flung the blazing turpentine
brand into the pile.
Two soldiers, whose backs were turn
ed to the pile, awaiting the arrival of
their comrades, were seized with fear
but they soon saw that there was no
foe in ambush-naught but single
youth running down the mountain
path. They fired and lodged bullet
in the boys shoulder. Yet the signal
| lire was DldLlllS lllSl II, dIlu tlic WliOl6
country would be reused. 1t was al
ready aroused from mountain-top to
mountain-top. The plan of the adj
vancing army was defeated and a
hasty escape followed.
Hans, faint and bleeding, made his
way to the village. The people with
their arms were mustered thick and
fast. All was CONSERVATION. The in
uuiry was everywhere heard, "Who
lighted the pile p at was l, said at
last faint, almost expiring voice.
Poor crippled Hans tottered among
them, saying, 1.-The enemy-theF French
were there" lie faltered, and sank
upon the ground. Take me to my
mother" said he lat last have not
been useless"
They stopped to lift him. What is
this he has been shot. 1t is true
Hans the cripple has saved u.s."
They carried Hans to his mother,
and laid him before her. AS she
bowed in anguish over his pale face,
Hans opened his eyes and said, at is
not now you should weep for me ]
am happy now. Yes, mother, it is
true,
God has his plan
. For every man.
You see He had it for me, though we
did not know what it was"
Hans did not recover from his