The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-03-15

ing, and at the sight of the big tears that
gathered in her eyes felt like weeping
myself.
Meanwhile the night had come on apace.
There remained upon the crests of the |
mountains only a sprinkle of sun, vapory |
light toward the west. l invited our de-
moiselle to enter the fold and sleep. Hav.
ing spread handsome new sheepskin over
the clean straw l babe her good night, and
going out into the open air seated myself
before the door, God is my witness that
despite the fire of love that was scorching
my blood, no evil thought came to me
nothing but an overpowering pride at
thinking that in a corner of the fold, close
beside the curious flock that stared at her
as she lay asleep, my masters daughter
like sheep more precious and whittier than
all the rest-was reposing, intrusted to my
care.
Never had the heavens appeared to pos
sess such depths; never had the stars
seemed so brilliant. Suddenly the door OF
the fold opened and pretty Stephanette
made her appearance. She could not
sleep. The animals ratified the straw as
they moved about or bleated in their
dreams. She preferred to come to the fire.
Seeing this l cast my sheepskin over her
shoulders. l stirred up the flames and we
sat down side by side, remaining thus
without uttering a single word.
If you have ever passed a night in the
open air you know that at the hour when
we sleep mysterious world awakes amid
the solitude and the silence. Then the
brooks sing in their clearest tones and the
ponds are lighted up with tiny flames. All
| the spirits of the mountain freely come
and go; there is a rustling in the air; there
are almost imperceptible sounds, as if we
| heard the tree branches GROWING and tha
grass springing up Day is the life Of
creatures, but night Is the life of things.
When one is not accustomed to this it fills
one with fear. Therefore our demoisell6
was all of culver and chung to me closely
at the slightest noise.
At one time long melancholy cry arose
from the pond that sparkled below us and
came rolling upward to our ears. AT the
same instant beautiful shooting stai
glided over our heads in the same direc.
tion, as if the lamentation we heard were
bearing flash of light with it.
What is thatp" asked Stephanette in q
whisper.
"a soul entering paradise, m stressl" an.
swered l, making the sign of the cross.
She made the same sign, and for mo
ment gazed meditatively into the heavens
Then she said to me:
as it true, shepherd, that you people are
magcians"
Not in the least, our demoiselle. But
here we live much nearer the stars than
the people of the plain, and know better
what is taking place among the sparkling
lights of heaven"
She was still gazing upward, resting her
head against one of her hands and wrapped
in the sheepskin like little heavenly
shepherd.
"Ah, how beautiful they are!" cried she.
81 never saw so many OF them beforel Dc
you know their names, shepherd"
Eyes, indeed, mistressl Listen: Right
above us is St. jacques highway 1t goes
from France straight into Spain. 1t was
st. Jacques de Galice who traced it to
show his road to the brave Charlemagne
when he was making war upon the Sara.
Gems. Further away you have the CaI
of Souls, with its four respondent axle.
trees. The three stars in front are the
three horses, and that tiny one almost
against the third is the car driver. Dc
you see all around that shower of falling
stars? They are the souls the good God
does not want in heaven.
"a little lower is the Hayrack or the
Three Kings. The stars forming it serve
as our clock. l have only to glance al
them to know that it is now after mid
night. A little lower yet, still looking to
ward the south, shines Jean de Milan, tn,
torch of the stars. Regarding that stal
this is what the shepherds relate: 1t ap
pears that one night Jean de Milan, will
the Three Kings and the Ponciniere, wa.
: invited to the wedding of a star, one o
their friends. The Ponciniere, more in
hurry than the rest, started they say, tn,
first of all and took the high road. Loci
/ at her up there away in the midst of tn
heavens.
= 1.-The Three Kings went by lower roaC
and overlook her, but lazy Jean de Milan
3 who had slept too late, was left behind
and in order to stop them, in his fury h
threw his stick at them. That is why tn
, Three Kings are also called Jean de Milan
: Stick. But the most beautiful of all th
stars, mistress, is ours-the Shepherd
r Star-that lights us at dawn when w
= drive forth our fiocks, and also in the even
5 ing when we bring them back. We hav
D given it another name-Maguelonne-th
beautiful Maguelonne who runs afte
{ Pierre de Provence and marres him ever
Q seven years"
: what shepherds Are there then, maj
q riages among the stars"
g "Yes, indeed, mistress!"
v And as was striving to explain to he
what these marriages were | felt some
l. thing cool and soft weigh lightly upon m
o shoulder. 1t was her head, heavy wit
@ sleep, that was leaning against me, with
}. pretty rustlng of ribbons, lace and wav
Q hair. She remained thus without stirrn
e until the moment when the stars of heave
Y paled, effaced by the dawning day.
q AS for me, beheld her sleeping, som,
n what troubled, but fully protected by tn
t bright night that has never given me othe
2 than pure thoughts Around us the staI
continued their silent march as docile as
vast flock, and at times l imagined tina
one of those stars-the prettiest and mos
b brilliant of them all-having lost its wa,
had come to me and placed its head upo
n my shoulder that it might slumber
l. peace.-NeW York Journal.