Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-03-31
TIE RED FORESTER.
by JANE l.. ROBERTS.

by JANE l.. ROBERTS.
One fine day In October three chill
lren were merrily ut play on the out
Skirts Of one Of the grand old forests
that are found on the Baltic shore.
The pretty red and yellow leaves
under their feet afforded them i'm
mense delight as they massed them
Into pile, upon which tho three.
year.old Elsa was seated In great con.
tentment, making the bright things
6y In oil directions with the stick In
her hand.
The eldest child, q boy OF ten, had
. kind, thoughtful face; the other, q
happy and light-hearted boy Of eight,
did not rest until he, too, had found
. good, stout stick, with which no
aided his sister in scattering the hut.
tering leaves to the four winds.
Suddenly the DIR about them was
darkened, and over their heads o great
bird came flying low with Tapping
wings and dismal croak. Down It
came on the pile Of leaves beside the
little one. Its eyes were keen and
piercing, and the child gave scream
Of terror as It looked into her face
with hoarse cry. In moment the
older boy had caught up his brothers
stick and, aiming two or three stout
blows at the birds head, laid II life.
less.
As he took Elsa in his arms and
soothed her the younger boy exam.
ined the raven. "Oh, Hans" said
he, ~ fear that was one Of the Red
Forester's birds, It Is so largo and its
look Is 80 evil. Old Walther says
sorrow comes to any who modest
them"
"Mother says old Walther Is not
always truthful" answered Hans.
1--WE must not mind his stories.
Leave the bird, Otto. Como, the
wind Is cool. and Mother will look for
tho baby now"
Two or three hundred yards from
where the children played might be
seen the straw.thatched roof OF their
little home, and from the sand bluffs
before the cottage ono had o view Of
miles OF seacoast. To-day the waves
rippled and danced In the sunlight as
u no storms could ever disturb their
calm. At anchor near the shore lay
. number Of fishing boats, making q
pretty bit OF color with their copper
hued sails; and tho white, sandy
beach was covered for long stretch
with the nets hung out to dry on the
endless frames, showing plainly the
general occupation Of the breadwin-
ners Of that pretty village nesting
between the forest and shore.
Fisher Muller and his wife, al.
though simple folks, were superior
10 the people with whom their lot
was cast. In his youth the fisher
had hoped to attain some better
station but the military service OF
bis country held him the best years
Of his life, and he returned from ser.
vice to find the only means left him
Of procuring q livelihood was to fol.
low his fathers calling, and 80 he
continued to DO a fisherman.
Frau Muller was gentle and thought
lul, and, a. tho little home was well
tended and snug, they were content
and only longed for something better
Tor their children.
The mother met the children at the
door and. taking Elsa from Hans,
asked the reason Of her cry. The
boy eagerly told the story Of the great
bird that would have eaten Elsa q
eyes, but that Hans gave him q
whack in time. "Mother," said
Hans, lotto says the Red Foreste,
will punish me. Old Walther told
him So" ....
"What did Walther tell you about
the Red Forester2" said the mother
Have you not heard Of the old
red lnan?" asked Otto.
"What about himP" said Frau
Muller, as she clasped Elsa close In
her arms and pressed her lips to thu
rosy cheeks.
He has q castle In the widest
and darkest part OF the forest, but M
one ever returns that seeks It; and Il
one kill his favorite bird, the raven
sorrow will come-bitter SORROW"
As the boy told his story, darkness,
had come on and the wind began Il
moan round the house.
The mother sat quiet, with hel
baby asleep on her knee. Mother,
said Hans, troubled at her silence
"you don't speak; do you believe
old Walther's storyP"
"No, Hans" said the mother
''but you should have tried Il
frighten away the bird before killing
It,"
Poor Hans. He felt sad and heavy
hearted. His mothers face wore ,
troubled look, he was sure, And thi,
was true; for the entire force OF fish
ermen were out Of see, and old Wal
Their had called to toll her Q heavy
storm was. brewing; many shooting
stars had been seen the night before
showing clearly ffom which direction
to expect the wind. Did she no
recall the woe the last October storm
had brought to three familiesi
Indeed, she remembered IL only to
wildly. The wind as II blew strong
or sounded more and more breadth
to her. II, as last year, they wer
driven far out, 1t would be days be
fore all could return; until then whs
terrible anxiety! The sight OF o grea
pair OF boots In the corner made he
shudder, for she knew they were tn
Asherman's doom. Weighted dow