The Opelousas courier., 1893-04-08

EES@0 would have thought
ENDIY<z7 M it, but the fir trees
~ ~ THAT walled so in
NsI your ears whispered
81 Egood cheer TO Marie.
SS:gassS@S@ When fierce winds
came rushing down
the mountain side, she knew the trees
would bend their tall heads together and
Irvine their strong arm around her
home, until, robbed of his victim, the
bafied storm rushed by.
When morning broke, the came
friends stood erect and stately, drawing
aside their leaves and branches, that the
sunbeams might not linger in their soft
embraces, but hasten down to awaken
their favorite, Marie.
Very lovely was the little Swiss maid,
with violet eyes that now danced and
sparkled and then grew soft and tender
as a little child's. Two rose red lips
shut in her pearly teeth, and when she
smiled a tiny dlmple danced fof a mo-
ment on her pcachy 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 voicel 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 herdsmen!
far below in the valley, catching faint
notes of 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 t. the hamlet be-
low, she brushed her wavy hair straight
and smooth back from her forehead, and
braided it in long stiff plaits which fell
down her back.
Her eyelids, with their curtains of
long silky lashes, dropped over her dane
ing eyes until one 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 hona.. grew
faint and husky, until, in this shrink
ing, sober damsel, walking so timidlyi
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 on other person knew how good
and sweet and how fair Marie was. !;
This other was a stranger who came,
from a far away country and spent his!
summer in a little house on the noun.
tain's very top. /
The simple villagers called him "the'
wizard, aud told strange tales of how.
he spent whole nights gazing at the
heavens through a long tube; that he
could foretell to an hour when the sun
would cover itself with darkness; but,
strangest of all, he had a little wire
stretched for miles over hills aud valleys
to the great ethyl This wire talked to
him in a queer language which no one,
elsa could understand.
"Vick, tick, tickety tick" it said.
and it told him things that happened
miles and miles away.
Marie did not know how wise the
wizard was when he came to her home
one morning and asked for a drink Of
water.
He followed her to the spring when
she went for it and stopped by the way:
to break open a curious stone. He
showed Marie how queerly marked it was
inside, and then teld her a story about it.
The usually timid maiden was so inter.
ested she forgot to be frightened, and
thus a strong friendship between the two !.
was begun.
After this the wizard often came to,
the widows chalet for rest and refresh.
ment on his long rambles, and Marie un.
consciously revealed her charms to him,
one by one, until, long before the first
summer vas ended, the stranger knew
that no girl in all the canton could be
compared with Marie.
On the other side of the mountain FROM
the Widow Neur's home lived another,
widow. Sh', 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 Ii knew and liked Gustavus.
He was tall, straight, and handsome,
flashing brown eyes, and a laugh as
frank as a child's; he was the favorite of
the canton, and there was not a girl
its bounds who would not have
been proud to plight her troth with
Gustsvus. however, cared little for the
maidens. He would far rather
the chamois up the mount ainside
Or guide travellers through its dangerous
passes than spend his time with the finest
the maids of the hamlet.
His mother often said, s.My son, when
wilt thou bring me home a daughter and
a wifeg"
And G~ustavus, smiling and and press
ing q kiss on her forehead, would an.
Jwer:
"When I find a 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
'adly and seriously than ever before;
HA MMZ ZEE - E u