St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-06-04
THE GOOSEHERD.
BY HERMAN SUDERMAN.

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY ELIZA
BETH A. SHARP.
Listen and l will tell you the story O
my first love. Do you know who my frs
love was? A gooseherd, live gooseherd
am not joking; | have shed bitter tear.
over the sufferings which he caused me
even when was grown-up and mos
highly respectable young lady.
At the period when he set my heart
afame, it was my highest delight to &C
barefooted. was eight and he was ten
years old; was the daughter of the Lord
of the Manor, he the son ofou smith.
In the mornings, when l drank my cot
fee ON the balcony with mamma and my
brother, he would drive his geese down
below US, and vanish toward the heath.
At first he used to stare at US in native
wonderment, without it occurring to him
to lift his cap; and when my brother had
teproved him, and instructed him to give
the company morning salutation he
cried out each time, with a great flourish
Of his cap: "Good- to you"
If my brother happened to be in q
good humor was allowed to reward the
herd for his urbanity by taking roll
down to him; and he always seized it out
Of my hand with certain curious ankle
ty, as though he feared ! might draw it
back from him.
What was he like? | can still recall
him wildly; the sleek blond hair hung
like yellow patchwork over his sunburnt
checks, his merry, sly eyes peeped out
from under it, his tattered brooches he
had fastened above his knees and in his
hand he carried a herdng switch, in
whose green rind he had artisticalIy cut
row of white spiral springs.
My childish longings were greediIy
attracted by this switch. 1t was lovely
to me, to hold this sort of magic wand 80
totally unlike any other of my toys; and
when further pictured myself herding
geese with it, and allowed to 60 bare
foot, it seemed to me | would reach the
acme Of all earthly happiness
1t was one such switch which made US
more familiar with one another. One
morning, when sitting at coffee, saw him
waving a greeting. could no longer re-
strain my desire, | pieced together the
honey-roll which | was eating, concealed
it, hastily made my excuses, and ran
after him. When he saw me he stopped
and shouted to me wonderingly; but
when he saw the honey-roll in my hand,
his eyes twinkled knowingly. "Will you
give me your switch?" | asked.
"Now why?" he returned, standing on
one leg and rubbing its calf with his
other foot.
because I want i'll" 1 answered i'm
petuously y, and added more gently, 81
will give you my honey-roll."
His eyes wandered longingly toward
the tidbit; but he said conclusiyely:
''No, must herd the geese with it. But |
l will make you one like it.
"Can you, yourself?'' l asked, admir-
ingly. Zach, that's nothing at all, he |
lopiito, uopItCttluSlS. Gull also |
make flutes and dancing men,"
was so completely carried away by |
this that without further ado gave him |
the honey-roll. He bit a hearty piece |
from it, and without deigning to give me |
another look drove his feathered flock |
away.
| looked after him with bursting heart.
He might herd geese while was obliged |
% go upstairs to Mademoiselle to learn
me French vocabulary. eyes," l
thought, Happiness in this world is in
Iced badly divided"
In the evening he brought me the
switch, which was more beauti-
Jul than any had imagined in my wild
'st dreams. Not only had it the white
iDgs. but it ended with knob on which
! human face-mine or his, l could not
,uess, was roughly carved. / was tbs
lappiest of mortals.
Thereafter we were friends. divided
ny sweet morsels With him; he in return
ave me works of art made by his cunning
myers flutes, kittens, houses, and above
IL, his celebrated dancing men, with
'hich Immediately became the bugbear
f the entire household.
Our place Of evening rendezvous, where
10 exchanged our wares, was behind the
oose house. The whole day rejoiced
thought over the meeting with my
Dung hero. pictured him to myself,
wing on the grass in the sunny heath
laying his flute, while | labored at my
etested lessons; and even stronger and
lore strongly did the yearning grow in
le to share his good fortune Of goose
erding.
When told him Of my feelings he
sughed aloud and said: "Why don't you
ome with me?''
That gave the decisive impetus; with
ut further reflection I answered: ITO
orrow. I will coual"