Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-11-18
A SWISS LOVE STORY

daughter Marie.
A lonely home you would have thought
| it, but the fir trees that walled SO in your
ears whispered good cheer to Marie
When fierce winds came rushing down
| the mountain side she knew the trees
would bend their tall heads together and
Irvine their strong arms around her home
| until, robbed of his victim, the baffled
storm rushed by.
When IN orning broke. the same friends
stood erect and stately, drawing aside
their leaves and branches, that the sun
beams might not linger in their soft EN-
braces but hasten down to awaken their
| favorite, Marie. 4,s
Very lovely was the little Swiss maid
| with violet eyes that now danced and
| sparkled and then grew soft and tender AZ
little child's. Two rose red lips shut il,
her pearly teeth, and when she smiled a
tiny dimple danced for q moment. on he,
! peachy cheek. Her hair chung in caressing
curls around her low white forehead and
fell in ripples of golden sunshine far below
| her slender waist. And her voice! All!
that was Marie's greatest charm. Soft and
| clear, not a discordant note marred its
sweet, pure harmony. Sometimes as she
sang at her evening devotions the herds.
| men far below in the valley, catching faint
notes CT her song, looked up and crossed
| themselves, half believing they heard the
echo Of an angel choir.
But very few knew Of Marie's beauty
| For when she went with her mother on
one Of her rare visits to the hamlet below
she brushed her wavy hair straight and
smooth back from her forehead, and braid
| ed it in long, stiff plaits, which fell down
her back.
| Her eyelid5. with their curtains of long,
| silky lashes, dropped over her dancing eyes
| until enc looked in vain for a glimpse of
their beauty. Her red lips shut firmly over
| her pearly teeth, while the dimple hid itself
| resolutely away from sight. And her sweet
voice, frightened at its own sound so far
| from home, grew faint and husky, until
| in this shrinking, sober damsel. walking
SO timidly beside the Widow Neur you
would have found it hard to recognize the
| beautiful Marie of the mountain.
So it happened that only her mother and
one other person knew how good and sweet
| and how fair Marie was.
| This other was a stranger who came
from PARKWAY country and spent his
| summers in a little house on the noun
eains very top.
| The simple villagers called him 'the
| wizard,'' and told strange tales of how he
spent whole nights gazing at the heavens
| through long tube; that he could fore
| tell to an hour when the sun would cover
| itself with darkness; but strangest of all
| he had little wire stretched for miles
over hills and valleys to the great city.
This wire talked to him in queer language
| which no Ole else could understand.
Tick, tick, tickety, tick" it said, and it
| told him things that happened miles and
| miles away.
| Marie did net know how wise the wizard
was when he came to her home one morn
| ing and asked for drink of water.
He followed her to the spring when she
went for it, and stopped by the way to
| break open curious stone. He showed
| Marie how cueerly marked it was inside,
and then told her story about it. The
| usually timid maiden was SO interested she
forgot to be frightened, and thus strong
| friendship between the two was begun.
After this the wizard often came to the
widows chalet for rest and refreshment on
| his long rambles, and Marie unconsciously
| revealed her charms to him, one by one,
until long before the first summer was
ended the stranger knew that no girl III
| all the canton could be compared with
| Marie.
On the other side of the mountain from
the Widow Neur's home lived another
| widow. She too, had but one child-a son
who was the pride and delight of her life.
This was the brave young hunter and
| guide, Gustavus Friel.
Every one knew and liked Gustavus.
| He was tall, straight and handsome, with
| flashing brown eyes and laugh as frank
| as q chld's; he was the favorite of the can
ton, and there was not Il girl within its
| bounds who would not have been proud to
plight her troth with him.
Gustavus, however, cared little for the
i ODgadin maidens. He would far rather
chase the channels up the mountain side
i or guide travellers through it's dangerous
passes than spend his time with the finest
of the maids of the hamlet.
His mother often said, "My son, when
wilt thou bring me home a daughter and
thyself a wife?"
And Gustavus smiling and pressing a
kiss on her forehead, would answer:
when l find maid as good as thee
mother; but want no idle, shrill voiced
wife to disturb our quiet home"
But one day his mother said more sadly
and seriously than ever beforei
4 "Gustavus, am growing old and feeble
can no longer make and mend thy clothes
and keep our home Thou must have g
wife. Promise me at the fete next week
thou wilt choose one from among the maid
ems there"
Gustavus reluctantly gave the desired
promise, but it weighed heavily upon him
He could think OF nothing else, and the
more he pondered the heavier his heart
grew.
At last he seized his gun and went out
on the mountain, but the perplexing ques
ton followed him, until in despair he
threw himself on the ground groaning
''Oh, that some wise man would make this
choice for mer'
| A moment after he looked up and saw
as if in answer to his wish, the wizard ap
preaching him.
Why" he exclaimed to himself, "did
not think of him before? Surely he, if any
one, can help me-" Then with a throb
bling heart Gustavus sprang up to meet
| him.
The wizard greeted Gustavus warmly
Cor he felt strong friendship for the
| young SullC WHO udU Uakeu I'LL ScLcly
through many dangerous mountain eX
yursion.
And now his sympathetic question
why, what's troubling you, my boyT
) opened the way for Gustavus to pour out
all his perplexity, ending his recital with
the question:
"Canst thou not help me choose a good
wife who will make my life happy? Fol-
now | have given my mother my promise
to find a wife at the fete next week"
The wizard smiled sympathetically, and
then thought in silence a little while be
fore lie answered:
''If pure, true heart is united to a true
pure heart, both lives must be happy
''Alas' answered Gustavus, but know
not which maiden among them all has the
purest, truest hearth"
'"rhere will be one such heart at thu
Sete." answered the wizard, 'but you may
FAIL to recognize it. However, il you Will
come to me tomorrow l will give you a
charm that will show you this heart"
Here was comfort indeed, and with
light heart Gustavus thanked his friend
and bounded forward
Left alone the wizard continued down
the mountain side until he came in sight
Of the Widow Neur's chalet, where he
found Marie sitting by the spring. Instead
800, n rNroc