Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-10-14

fort 10 cross IL she hdd nearly peen
drowned.
The most dreadful thing Of all was
that at this hour of the night she could
not think of attempting to return to the
farm. for our demoiselle by herself could
never find the way by the short cut and |
could not leave the flock. The idea of
passing the night upon the mountain tor
mented her almost to madness, particu-
larly on account of the uneasiness her
family would feel As for me, | reas-
sured her the best | was able
in July the nights are short, mis-
tress said l. 1T will hardly seem more
than wretehed moment"
And I quickly kindled a roaring fire to
dry her feet and her dress all soaked
with the water of the Sorgue After
ward placed before her milk and sleeps
milk cheese, but the poor demoisele did
not think either of warming herself or
Of eating, and at the sight of the big
tears that gathered in her eyes | felt
like weeping myself.
Meanwhile the night had come on
apace. There remained upon the crests
of the mountains only a sprinkle of sun,
a vapory light toward the west. | in
vited our demoiselle to enter the fold and
sleep Having spread handsome new
sheepskin over the clean straw, | babe
her good night. and, going out into the
open air, seated myself before the door
God is my witness that, despite the fire
of love that was scorching my blood, no
evil thought came to me. nothing but an
oyerpoworing pride at thinking that in
a corner of the fold close beside the
curious flock that stared at her as she
lay asleep, my masters daughter-like
sheep more precious and winter than
all the rest-was reposing, intrusted to
my care.
Never had the heavens appeared to pos
sess such depths. never had the stars
seemed so brilliant. Suddenly the door
Of the fold opened and pretty Stephan
cite made her appearance, She could not
sleep. The animals ratified the straw as
they moved about. or bleated in their
dreams She preferred to come to the
fire. Seeing this. | cast my sheepskin
over her shoulders | stirred up the
flames and we sat down side by side.
remaining thus without uttering single
word
If you have ever passed a night in the
open air you know that at the hour when
we sleep Il mysterious world awakes
amid the solitude and the silence Then
the brooks sing in their clearest tones
and the ponds are lighted up with tiny
flames. All the spirits of the mountain
freely come and go; there is rustling
in the air; there are almost impercepti-
bic sounds, as if we heard the tree
branches growing and the grass spring
ing up Day is the life of creatures. but
night is the life of things When one
is not accustomed to this it fills one with
fear. Therefore our demoisele was all
of culver and chung to me closely at
the slightest noise.
AT one time, long melancholy cry
arose from the pond that sparkled below
us and came rolling upward to our ears.
At the same instant beautiful shooting
star glided over our heads in the same
direction as if the lamentation we heard
were bearing a flash of light with it.
"What is that?" asked Stephanette in
a whisper.
"A soul entering paradise, MISTRESS"
answered |. making the sign of the cross.
She made the same sign, and, for a
moment, gazed meditatively into the
heavens. Then she said to me:
rs it true, shepherd, that you people
are magicians ~
Not in the least, our demoiselle. But
here we live much nearer the stars than
the people of the plain, and know better
what is taking place among the spark
ling lights of heaven!"
She was still gazing upward, resting
Eer head against one of her hands, and
wrapped in the sheepskin like a little
heavenly shepherd.
"Ah. how beautiful they are!' cried
she. Il never saw so many of them
before! Do you know their names, shep-
aerd?"
Eyes, indeed, mistress! Listen: Right
above us is st. Jacques highway 1t
goes from France straight into Spain 1t
was st. Jacques de Galice who traced it
to show his road to the brave Charlie
magne when he was making war upon
the Saracens Farther away you have
the Car of Souls, with its four resplend-
emit axle trees The three stars in front
are the three horses, and that tiny one
almost against the third is the car
driver Do you see all around that
shower of falling stars? They are the
souls the good God does not want in
heaven.
"A little lower Is the Hayrack, OF the
Three Kings. The stars forming it serve
as our clock. | have only to glance at
them to know that it is now after mid
night \ little lower yet, still looking
toward the south, shines Jean de Milan
the torch of the stars. Regarding that
star this is what the shepherds relate:
1t appears that one night Jean de Milan,
with the Three Kings and the Ponciniere
was invited to the wedding of star one
Of their friends. The Ponciniere. more
in hurry than the rest. started, they
say. the first of all and took the high
road Look ut her up there away in the
midst of the heavens.
The Three Kings went by a lower
road and overlook her, but lazy Jean de
Milan. who had slept too late, was left
behind. and in order to stop them, in
his fury he threw his stick at them. That
l. L. l..