Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-07-27
MISCELLANY.
THE LOVERS OF GRINDBRwALD.

ed when one has turned from the illusions
of glory and of fortune, then is born in the
heart a strange mysterious passion of inf
mite ioy-the love of fishing.
All! my dear friends, you do not know
the happiness of following the line along
the river, of skilfully guiding it to the
border of the whirling foam, or under the
shadow of the large willows where the
trout and salmon lie in ambush. You can
not imagine the emotion of the fisherman,
when he sees the cork drawn under the
water when he feels the fish struggling
with the hook and when with a sudden,
vigorous effort, he throws it through the
air upon the meadow, wriggling and glisten-
ing in the sun, All, you cannot conceive
of such pleasure!
The most adroit angler whom ! have
ever known was Monsieur Iacharias Seller,
an old Judge of the tribunal of Stautz, in
Switzerland, and several times q member
of the grand council sitting at Lucerne.
After having listened, for twenty-five or
thirty years, to the camors of Master
Ludwig, of Master Hemmerdinger, and
other advocates in his jurisdiction, the
good man had finally withdrawn from pub
lie life, and was enjoying his retreat, in the
street of Kusnacht, under the surveillance
of MademOselle Theresa, his devoted old
housekeeper, who had a crooked nose, and
a chin scantily adorned with a light gray
beard
These two calm beings were mutually
indulgent of each others weaknesses.
Mile. Theresa watched over the posses
sions of monsieur, ironed his linen, and
took care of his tobacco, which was kept
in a large stone pot, and moistened from
time to time. Then she was free to think
of her birds, to read her prayer book, to go
to mass.
Master Zacharias was nearing his six
tieth year. He wore a wig, and had no
recreation save cultivating few flowers,
and reading the gazette deS PrOpyicCS.
The first time that he had the idea of
going to fish, and had provided himself
with a pole, large straw hat a fishing
sack and other accessories, he carried it
out as though it were veritable affair of
state.
For fifteen days Mile. Theresa knew II OF
where to place these objects; she fretted,
she was impatient, and went to confession
once or twice month Oftener than usual
then everything returned to the beaten
track.
When monsieur wished to 60 on fish
ing-trip, the excellent man, who deplored
sky with melancholy expression and say:
"What a beautiful morning, Theresa
What weather. We shall have no rain for
three weeks"
Theresa would allow him to languish a
moment; then laying aside her knitting, or
her prayer book, she would look up the
fishing. sack, the loose coat and the large
hat. Then the face of Master /acharias
would beam with animation; he would
arise and say, "NOu have an excellent idea,
Theresa. | will 90 a-fshng.'
YES, monsieur, but you will return by
seven clock? The evenings are chilly
bah. | have not cOughed for two
months. You have placed piece of bread
in the sack, and a small bottle, Theresa
$40 not be uneasy, monsieur Do l
ever forget anything?'
She would aid him in putting on his cos
tune, and he would impatiently say,
Thanks, thanks. | am ready
AT last, taking his tishng-pole, he would
set forth. Theresa, at the window, would
look after him till he disappeared from
sight; then she would gravely seat herself
and resume her work. He, on his way,
would think: THERESA would like much
better to see me seated at my desk, reading
my journal. But the idea of remaining at
home in such weather! All! Zacharias,
your limbs are no longer heavy. Oh, the
verdure the fresh air!
He would lengthen his steps in the mar
row pathway which crossed the high grass
of the slope. He would seem already to
see the river-the tall trees sitting the light
and shadow around him. He would seem
to breathe the perfume of the moses, of
the ivy, and the odorous resin of the pines.
He would hear the distant murmur of the
streams and the gushing of the springs as
they burst from the rocks. An hour later
his dream would be Ieality-and, rare
thing, reality more complete than the
dream itself!
Oh. how charming nature is in the great
forest, always surprising the imagination
of man always new, always unexpected
Today and yesterday are never alike. The
sublime artist never reposes.
One day in the month of July, the fish
ing-sack of Zacharias found itself so full of
salmon-tr toward three o'clock in the
afternoon, that the good man wished to
take no more, for, as Pfadfnder says, it
was necessary to leave some for the morrow.
After having washed them aud carefully
envelOped them in the sorrel and grass of
the meadow, to preserve their freshness,
after having coled his line and bathed his
hands, he felt a desire to have a good nap
" the heather. The heat was excessive ;
wished to wait till the shadows were
gthening before climbing the hill of
gelberg.
Having eaten his bread and mcistened
his lips with a swallow of Rikevir, he climb
ed twenty or thirty steps above the path
way, and with heavy eyelids extended him
self in the shadow of the pines upon the
moss.
Never had the judge such a sleep; the
overpowering rays of the sun darling its
long arrows of gold in the shadow of the
woods, the deep murmur of the insects
upon the slope, in the meadows, upon the
water; the cooling of the ring-dOves sitting
under the sombre dome of the beeches and
oaks, made such grand harmony that the
soul of Zacharias entered into the univer-
sal concert.
Presently he yawned, opened his eyes,
and saw troop of jaystraverse the foliage,
Then he thought he saw the cork of his
line tossing and descendng-a salmon was
taken-he drew it in-the pole bent in a
half-crcle.
The good man was sleeping profoundly.
He was dreaming-and the immense
orchestra pursued around him its eternal
music. Time passed. Millions of animated
beings had lived their long life of an hour,