The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-11-14
0as family Starry.
Through the Black Forest.
BY ELLA IMAGINATION.

Ohio Kunst WAS only O little German
pastor, and she was his wife. They
were quite poor, and quite insignif-
cant. They had no place in
know nothing of the great world
nor the things which belong to
it. Nevertheless, they were very
happy. OF worldly goods they had
the modestly frugal share which falls
to a pastor in the fatherland. But
they had each other, and in having
each other they believed inexhausti-
BILE treasure to be their portion. 1t
will be seen how simple they were,
AMI its beliefs.
Ohio was all the world-and what a
World; greater UNNECESSARILY than
that which deems itself the only great
one-Otho was all the world to his
Thekla, and Thekla vas all the world
to her Ohio. They we're true husband
and true ~wife-very simple folk
indeed.
They had been married in the month
OF the roses, and 1t was now October,
The days were growing shorter and
colder in the little NOrth-German
village where Ohio Kunst m~inistered
Summer had gone away, and Autumn
was dying fast, and the chills and
SHOWS of Winter would soon be upon
the land. But within the pastors tiny
rcd-rOofed house. beside the church,
GOODNESS and dreariness found no place.
Ohio Kunst and his wife were indepen-
dent of the outer atmosphere. Love
and peace kept their hearts and theil.
home very warm and bright.
To his wife Ohio was u hero. No
hero of romance, indeed, was ever half
SO splendid in her Dyes as the little
specialized pastor. That is the glory
and the beauty OF true love. To other
eyes the form of Ohio Kunst would
least of all things have suggested the
heroic. He was u little fat mana
young man, too, scarce thirty-and "a
fat young man is u poor hero of
romance. Moreover, Ohio Kunst was
very nearisighted, and peering forward
through his large round crystal specta-
cles when he moved or walked had
given q curious d-foremost lurch to
his gait. With his ungainly carriage,
round fat head, on which the pale
olose,cropped hair stood straight up,
and five feet nothing of height, Ohio
Kunst was q very little man beside his
wife. She was tall-very tall for u
German woman-and broad, which
Ohio thought beautiful.
In toy-shOps-at least, in ol~d-fashion-
ed ones-the doll has two divisions {:
the dark doll and the fair doll. Thekla
was just the living realization of the
fair doll. Her hair, which lay across
her head in thick-laid plaits, was of a
warm flaxen hue, and would have been
aglory to the ladies Of the great world,
while her waist would have peer their
despair. Her bodily form was large.
serene, eXpressionless, her soul fair,
and calm and trustful. Her faith was
simplicity itself. She believed-and
loved nay, rather, she loved, and so
believed.
On thai cold clear night in late
October u message from n dying
came to Ohio Kunst. Five miles OFF,
at the other side of the forest valley,
one of the pastors flock lay sick unto
death. The man had sent for Ohio.
1t was late, it was night, and the way
led two miles through the forest. Ohio
kunstk knew hat he should go, and yet
two miles through the forest, alone
and at night.
The forest had an evil reputation
sights and sounds not Of earth were
known to haunt it, besides the con
But who would rob u pastor? Who
could rob n who possessed nothing :?
II will go for Carl's pony" said
Ohio to his wife-Carl was a rich
parishioner of the village. He rose
up ~valiantly as he spoke, yet u tremor
went through his frame. God had
given Ohio Kunst n beautiful soul, but
the splendor of physical courage was
not his. He trembled-but he went.
Thekla stood at the door and watch
ed him as he strobe down the empty
village street. The moon was one day
past the full. 1t shone down pale and
cold on the fat, ungainly little figure of
h pastor as he walked in the midst
of the struggling wooden houses, with
their quaint gables stained and wealth
er beaten, and the prim row Of toy-like
fir-trees in the centre Of the village
street. Every house was dark and
silent. The moon and Ohio alone
were moving. Without knowing
wherefore, u thrill of vague disauiet
wen over Thekla as her husbands
figure disappeared but imaginary
terrOrs were not wont to trouble
Thekla. Tomorrow, in the early
morn, Ohio would return, for he had
said, ~ will stay with r, Golf all
night"
So the "Frau Pastorin" went back
into her little house, and shut the door
on moonlight and disturbing fancies.
And Ohio kunst, mounted on Carl's
pony, rode out by the rock-bound road
to the forest valley. Carl's pony and
its rider were not conventional in
beauty Or department. The pony was
"a oan of nondescript breeding. His
coat was cut in rough chunks, and his
tail was very long. Moreover, his
body vas very thick, while Otho's legs
being very short, Otho's toes thereby
stuck out somewhere on a level with
the pony's ears.
The night was very still, and the
echoes fthe pony's hoofs rang sharply
as Ohio rode over the wooden bridge.
The valley of the forest was close upon
the pony and its rider. Before them
yawned the abyss of the blue pines
ready to engulf them, deep and dark.
Terror, deep and dark, flashed back
again on Ohio Kunst-terror unnamed.
intangible. Cold sweat broke out upon
his face strong desire fell upon him
to turn back quickly, and flee way
home to light and warmth, and.
Thekla. Yet to go back and leave the
diving to die alone, administered, I'M
consoled The minister of Christ
shuddered at the thought; but the
heart OF the mar quailed at the un-
known perils of the dark valley. All
the legends of his childhood came
back to Ohio Kunst. Up above on the
heights vas the great h~alf-ruined
Schloss, the spectre-haunted castle,
with its evil past. To the strained
ears of Ohio weird cries and whisper
ings seemed to CULVER through the
sea OF pines from it's direction. He
was very little man, and he was not a
brave man-at least, il MOI to know
fear means bravery--and the blood of
n Ahn Nss,t6z( n.,.n - .nnoalA HI.,al H.