Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-08-31

Will go to meet TINS 1lluStrlOuS stranger,
for the tongue of his sledge is broken,
and the impending tempest might prove
fatal to him. That would be great
misfortune, TONI, to the land of thy
mother"
Truly, young maiden, your words fill
me with astonishment. But they remind
me of my companions whom left close
by-ah, they would be CRY happy to
share your delightful hottitality beside
this warm fire."
MY father has gone to lead them
hither, monseigneur.
But can y-.u tell mo what they have
been doing-you who have knowledge of
80 many things?'
TONI knows nothing. Toni is but a
poor and simple girl. She only repeats
what her father tells her, and her father
dictates nothing that his haltia familiar
| spirit of the Finnish wizards] does not
inspire"
Your father cultivates the supernat-
ural sciences them
My father IS u sage"
"Why do you look at me with that air
of distrust? Is it dishonorable in your
country to cultivate WISDOM"
mo, sir; we love and esteem wisdom.
Our ancient sages call it the especial
gift of the grls, tho only one indeed
worth the penalty of life"
Nevertheless your father has enc
mics"
Zone only. monseigneur-onco only, for
everybody venerates and fears him. That
enemy is the black priest Snontekis
From time to time he makes his appear
ance i'll this neighborhood and drags us
from our home to make us accompany
him to Rowaniemi; besides he threatens
us with imprisonment and death-all
this because my father is a troll, a tie
taja."
What is a tietaja, pretty child?'
81 will tell you. A tietaia is Il sage, a
man of power who possesses the words
of life and knows how to apply them; a
tietaja is the friend of the great spirits
who dwell in the depths of the sea, on
the wings of the clouds, and even among
the peaks of the loftiest mountains; a
tietaja is one who understands the mys-
terry of ecstasies, and to whom the haltia,
the spirit of succor discloses every thing;
tietaia can make men good or bad,
cure diseases, avert pestilonces, predict
the future and tell where lost treasures
may be found. A tietaja is a great man,
monseigneur."
Then your father knows and can do
everything:'
eyes. monseigneur. You do not believe
me, | know, for all men are incredulous,
all men are scoffers and atheists. But
what l have said is true. My father
knows more than Matti Kallanvaara a
celebrated Finnish sorcererL whose name
made such stir last year at KENT my
father cannot be deceived like him; my
father does not, like him, require brandy
to unite him with his familiar spirit and
then he docs not take pay for his ecstasies.
God himself inspires him, and he can
with Whit of his breath dispense all
the demons of the earth; he can wind
around his little finger all the spirits OF
the church.
IF you could only understand him,
prince, you would be transported with
admiration. Yesterday, before setting
out to meet you, he said such magnif-
cent words to me, such astonishing
words, that will never pass from my
memory. He, too, when repeated them
to him, after his trance, was stupetied
for he never recollects anything that his
spirit has said to him.
Your father is truly an extraordinary
man, but what appears to Inc the most
remarkable thing about him is that he
should be your father"
TONI is not the daughter of Tuisko
MY presentiment told me as much
SO beauteous flower could not have
been born in this horrible desert"
Prince, insult not the desert. The sol
itary mountains, the silent woods have
their own charm. Know you that dur
ing three months in the year we car
read at night without artificial aid? Then
the sun does not sink into tho bosom OF
the earth. He gently touches it with a
kiss and again mounts glorious upon the
horizon. We would not change the au
rorR of our winters for the leaden
glooms of your Decembers. | know youl
France, monseigneur, for it was once
also my France.
Land of flowers and verdure, of per
fume and sunshine! And yet would you
persuade me that its laughing skies Ger
hang the ideal perfection of love and OF
happiness? ] will tell you what they
cover-noral hatred and black perfidy, in
fidelity and faithlessness-ay faithless
ness. All, rather thousand times the
wilderness and the eternal ice. The viii
derneSs, it is sublime; it is full of soft
yaHT~z:-4
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