Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-05-23

with the curate he FASTENED to an
nounce It to Okla. The father for the
first time invited him to sit down and
offered him one after another several
little glasses Of rum. And when the
young girl came in he gravely told her
that henceforth Klein was going to be
gentleman-much better, the first In
Ponikla. after the dean.
Then, also for the first time, the mu-
stefan had been authorized to remain
near Okla from noon until evening,
and night was coming as he returned
to Ponikla with the snow cracking I'M
der his feet. The frost was sharp, but
Klein had never been so happy, and he
felt very warm at heart in recalling the
smallest incidents Of that decisive day.
Along the deserted road, to the fields
buried under the snow, he carried his
joy like light across the increasing
darkness.
"What do I care for prOsperity?"
Okla had told him sweetly. with you
| would go beyond the seas, to the end
of the world! But for father 1t is bet
ter that your position be settled"
Then he had kissed her hands relig-
iOusly, murmuring:
"Olka, dear Okla, may God return to
you all the happiness you give me in
speaking sou
But now, thinking 1t over, he was
ought to have said many things differ
emily; omitted this, added that, and
particularly answered better to so i'm
portant a declaration; think of young
girl telling young man that, II it was
not for her father she would follow
him all over the world! 1t seemed to
him that both We're walking together
on the white road. This did not pre-
vent him from hurrying his steps. as
lie snow was cracking in a manner
more and more alarming. -.
"Ho! my Okla! unique treasure, you
are going to be lady, my ladyw
His heart swelled with gratitude.
Ha! had she really been near him how
he would have pressed her in his arms
with all his might! This is, yes, this is
what lie ought to have done one hour
before at Zagrab! But it is always so.
At certain moments one feels dizzy,
and the tongue goes astray precisely
when il ought to say so many, many
things. Decidedly 1t is much more
easy to play on the organ than to ex-
press in words what one has in ones
heart.
In the cold sky the stars began TO
twinkle with sparkling light. Klein
felt that his ears burned. To save time
he took a small, familiar path across
fields. His shadow heightened funnily
on the white earth.
'If 1 played on my flute 1t might re.
vive my fingers" A few sharp notes
flew away in the night. They seemed
like birds frightened by the surround
ing silence. the intense frost, and the
shroud which covered the land. And
Iilen modulated the gayest tunes OF
his repertoire, those Okla had asked
him to play in accompaniment to her
small voice.
An old song. called "The Green
Pitcher" had particularly pleased the
lullltl tHt ~ " 40 VIA
logue between lord and maiden,
which began thus:
"Ha! my green nitcher,
The lord has broken it,"
And the lord answered:
"Do not cry, child;
shall pay for thy broken pitcher"
Okla, of course. figured the maiden
with the green pitcher and Klein the
lord. This prodigiOusly amused the
old wOrkingman.
And now, along the little path across
fields, Klein, with an ecstatic smile,
played THE Green Pitcher" or rather
attempted to play It.
His fingers did not revive; he had to
give up as this iourneying took his
breath more and more at every mo-
ment.
He had not thought that the snow
was less hard and deeper in the fields
than on the roads, and that he could
not always trace the path. He allowed
himself to be directed by chance. Then
he tumbled at every step, burying his
| long legs in some unseen ditch.
The stars sparkled still colder. and
| then the wind rose again. Klen was in
perspiration. but he shivered. He tried
once more to play on his Ste. But he
could not feel his fingers and could
hardly move his lips. An impression
of overwhelming solitude dawned upon
him. He thought of the well-heated
house which was ready for him at
Ponikla; then Of the one where he
had spent the afternoon.
"Olka must have retired at this hour,
and, thank God, under her roof it Is
warm"
The certainty that Okla was warm
made him happy. but caused him to
suffer from the cold still more.
He had passed the fields and was
stepping through prairies bristling with
bushes. He was so tired that he
thought only of sitting down. no mat
ter where.
II am going to rest moment against
the wind, near these bushes. My! No
should freeze on the spot"
He walked again-not much. Elk
hausted, he let himself fall down.
"If sleep, 1 am LOST
He stretched his eyelids, shook his
arms, moved his fingers, unfastened
his lips and played on his flute the first
notes of "The Green Pitcher" A few
thin sounds rose in the icy night, and
died away. slow and melancholy.
Klein let fall his flute, but continued
to struggle against the unconquerablt
slumber. He felt astonished to bt
alone In that desert Of snow.
"Olka! Where are you" he muir
INJURED.
He moved once more his fingers
opened once more his eyes, and whis
pered:
"Olkaw
Dawn lightened; near bush o
broom, a human form with long ant