Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-12-19
WINE OF THE HARZ,
A Christmas Story.
Ply r. i. NERNEDE.

BY II. l.. VERNEDE
Wind beating about the treeless slopes
of the Broken is no uncommon thing.
But on that December afternoon the hill
seemed seven times frosted and wind
blown. 50 that Hessington was glad to
find himself in the valleys once more,
and i'll the vicinity of a 6asthaus. He
went through the porch with nc more ro-
nance in him than BELTS a well grown
young Englishman, ready for his food,
and asked the landlord for meal
Egg, ham, anything you've got" he
said.
Also bottle of the red wire?"
Ilessineton would have been content
with beer, DIt the landlord, shrunken
little fellow, bearded like Santa Claus,
was insistent See" he said having
vanished and reappearcd in a twinkle,
with dusty bottle in his nard; see, il
is rot Rhcin wine, 1t Is red. also more
sweet, yet rot too sweet. 1t is grown
not 80 far away IN Il soil rich as a fairy
tale"
I'm try it," said ITessington, smiling.
1T puts spirit into a gentleman walk
ing" said the little man, confidently.
But again it Is possible that the Herr
would wish bed for the night, since it
is already late?'
But there Hessington was firm. He
warted to see the forest land III its cover
Of snow by the light OF the moon. and
there was a hotel some six miles further
ON where he intended to stop He had
written TO engage a room.
AL -, - r,n n, II. f,,. H.
night said the landlord 1--WE that
dwell by the Broken know it. There are
tales--acl,! the Herr does not believe
them! But it is easy to lose ones way
in the Harz. And with this snow ON til.
ground 49,
TO all of which Hessingtou listened
smiled and was adamant, In the end he
was left alone i'll the taproom TO eat and
drink i'll peace.
Presumably il was the change from the
sharp outside air--or else the red wine
chat made him feel sleepy. Otherwise he
would not have sat so long after his meal
wondering why the little landlord had
look of Santa Claus, or what the tales
We're that he had spoken of, on half
hundred idle things Hessineton said this
TO himself, when at length he shook off
his drOwSiness and found it much later
than he expected. Fearing to be further
importuned into stopping, he laid a ten.
mark piece ON the table and without
summoning his host, stepped out into the
night.
Stiffness had fallen with the dusk, AMI
the white woods seemed spellbound. 1t
occurred to Elessington, at the end of
some half hour or so OF walking, that
after all. there was nothing surprising in
the fact that these same woods were once
accounted fairyland, packed with spells
and inevitable wiles. A man lost in them
might easily stumble upon some wizards
palace, or find himself at drawn swords
with an ogre on behalf of some peerless
princess. Still more easily might Il man
lose his way. Indeed, now that he came
10 think of it, he was rot ut all sure that
he had not lost his
At this point in his reflections Hessing.
ton had lust reached the top of n ridge
of the mountains from which he could
sec the country sloping white in all direc-
tionS, except where tall trunks of trees
shone like ebony ia the forecast light of
the yet unrSen moon. So far as he could
Judge, hU was ON the road still, but some
where at this height he dimly lecollected
he ought 10 turn oil to the left. And he
realized With sudden absurd conviction
that he had no means of ascertainin.s
where his road to the left lay.
Everything was snow-path, hill and
forest alike
Santa Claus was right" he murmured
Gi~gu~tedly. as after two or three incf
tectum attempts 10 discern the cross
road. he found himself still at a loss.
And / shall have to 60 back and sleep
there after all, Confouudi"
Everything was snow. but in his
search he had forgotten its bewilderine
properties, Now IN the suppressed light
nc could not even make out the road he
mad been on, The town he had left was
aN itde 40 be located as the inn he was
making for And when he moved on 10
Keep himself warm he had no idea if he
was going forward or back or in a circle.
ne likeness OF the snow was every
where
liessngton calculated that he must
have walked for about an hour from the
time he lost himself before he caught
sight of any cheerful thing. Then quite
suddenly lights cleaned out from some
f"Mtation not mile away, and with
a change from despair 70 hghthearted
nes>--eithcr of which frames of mind
would have aStDnished him on any less
magical night-he instantly concluded
that he had struck the hote! he was in
search OF. The conclusion was justified
III minute or two, when g man, carrying
a flaming torch, ran up to him out of the
darkness ami said with mixture OF de-
light and respect.