The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-06-15
THE BAPTISM.

tism: he could see all the houses of the village in the valley. the faces of his mother and his father, the companions of his boyhood and even a red cock which te had once longed to possess and whose clarion cry he could hear in the midst of his anguish. Then, sud- denly. he was out in the blessed air again, bruised and aching. his legs torn in ten places by the sharp stones. Happily, the leather bag, which he had protected with his arms, was safe, and his treasure also; only the bottle of milk had escaped from its moorings and went rolling down the mountain side. followed by cloud of snow.
 Well, little one. that was not so bad a beginning, ' said the father. Don't cry: it was only a white blanket that fell on your back s~. &-e .-..- -.-s
 He picked himself up, painfully, and started through the black forest, car rying the baby, who had not even awakened. Progress was slow work. however, and more than two hours passed before he could distinguish through the white mist the old man Traquet's farm. It was the first farm between the mountain and the valley. close to the border line, and therefore hospitabIe to smugglers.
 Weariness, cold and the desire to dry his garments by the heat of the stove l decided Schmidt to enter, regardless of whom he might meet. He climbed the steps made of three logs of wood, and knocked at the door. | The hostess who opened it was a strong, tender-hearted Alsatian woman, and, much to schmidt.s astonishment, l she stood cautiously in the doorway and demanded in whisper:
 What do you want, Louis? And how did you get into such condition? Speak very low sS s@.
 The guard explained why he had come down from the mountain and what had occurred on the way.
 Then she said quickly, half serious and half testing
 ''Brigadier Gotfried Earth has been here for nearly two hours. He is more than tWo-fhirds drunk and | cannot get him away There is nothing he would like better than to be the god father of your son. Just the same, you had better come in, if you really can't go, any further She stood aside and Schmidt could see in a corner of the wide hall a man clothed in the gray and green uniform of the German foresters Without speaking he made a sign to the woman i that he could remain outside. and. drinking, a glass of brandy, which she brought him, he started once more into 1 the snow.
 When at length he presented himself at the parish house Of the village he was so exhausted that he fainted and I lay like a log for two hours.
 l Coming to himself. the guard keep CT, Louis Schmidt, had second as- tonishment. From the little group of houses sWith the pointed roofs came the people Alsatains Of every age, the poorer hunters as well as the i'm portant members of the village, who wore thick coats with silver buttons. They all crossed the street to the church door where the sexton was waiting, with a candle in his hand: near at hand in the warm Kitchen
 where the guard had sufficient strengt to enter and throw himself down, m ! woman, dried up like a nut, was proud.
 holding in her arms the baby boy who never ifi bis short like had beer
 dressed 50 richly as then; white robe white knitted shoes and Ia ruffle bon. {I net. q whole baptismal outfit loaned
 by one of the richer families Of tllt village. Relatives and friends Elas ] gathered around, all dressed in tfei
 Sunday costumes, the girls with blacl S bows In their hair, twice as large a, q their heads. The good cure graspet the ganekeeper's hand, he was smiling
 with pleasure and on his round fac,
 was written childish content ot an I others surprise.
 '.Listen,'' lie cried. "isnt that fin music2 1 The church bells were ringing
 l joyous peal such as only the ricl
 could have rung for their children, S j alive with sound now roaring high in
 to the heavens, now sinking softly t
 the earth. 50 bright and 50 happy tha < the swallows. doubtless thinking tha
 Easter had come, began to twitter an lcall in the chimneys and along tn
 edges of the roof.
 You see, want to thank vol
 Louis Schmidt, for showing such fait land strong courage. You have give1
 one example I am giving another.
 It was . beautiful festival this bap i, tism of the little baby. and when < was over tear lay on the father tanned cheeks.
 "Ab,'' he said, it was too beautifu {. for us: there is only one misfortune that Rosalie could not have heard i !, from where she layi But it was decree. that, for that da. at least, the dreams of a man shoult be fulfilled. B < K As the afternoon advanced and ],