Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-06-14

reaches the little domain after an mr.
duous, sometimes perilous, journey
from the great European capitals.
whether they be north or south or west
never east He crosses great rivers
and wide plains; he winds through fer
file valleys and over barren plateausi
be twists and turns and climbs among
somber gorgcs and rugged mountains
he touches the cold clouds In ono day
and the placid warmth Of the valley In
che next. one does not 60 to Grnustnrh
for q pleasure iuunt. 1t is too far from
the rest Of the world and tho ways nrn
often dangerous because of the strife
among the tribes Of the intervening
mountains. If one hungers for excite
ment md peril. he finds It in the jour
ney from the north or the south into
the land OF tho GrauStArkiuns. From
Vienna and other places almost direct.
~ west the way Is not 30 full of thrills,
for the railroad skirts the darkest OF
the danger lands.
Once IN tho heart of Graustark. how
ever, the traveller Is charmed into
dreams Of peace ana happiness and
paradise. The peasants and the poets
sing In one voice ana accord, their
psalm being of never ending love.
Down in the lowlands nnd up in the
hills the simple worker of the soil re-
1oices that he lives in Grnustnrk; in the
towns and villages the humble mer-
chant and his thrifty customer unite
to sing the song of peace and content.
Wept; In the palaces of the noble the
same patriotism warns its heart with
thoughts OF Graustark, the ancient
prince and pnupcr strike hands for the
love Of the land, while outside the
great, hearteSs world goes rumblng
on without a thought Of the rare little
principality among the eastern noun
t3ins
In point of area t,raustarH Is but n
mite in the great galaxy of nations.
filancing over the map Of the world,
'Dne is almost sure to miss the iniiuites-
imAl patch of green that marks its To-
cation. One could not be blamed II
he regarded the spot as typograph-
icnl or Typographical illusion. Yet the
people Of this quaint little land hold
in their hearts love and u confidence
that are not surpassed by any of the
iordly monarChs who measure their
patriotism by miles and millions The
GraustarkianS are Il sturdy, courageous
race From the faraway century when
they fought themselves clear Of the
ro-ta -nin tic l,nt
have been warriors Of might and valor
The boundaries of their tiny domain
were kept inviolate for hundreds of
years, and but one victorious foe had
come down to lay siege to Edclweiss,
the capital. Axphain, powerful prln-
cipality in the north, had conquered
Graustark In the latter part of the
nineteenth century, but only after n
bitter war In which starvation and
famine proved far more destructive
than the arms OF the victors. The
treaty of peace ana the Indemnity thnt
fell to the lot Of vUnquished Graustarli
have been discoursed upon at length
In ut least one history.
Those who have followed that his
tory must know, of course, that The
reignlng princess, Yotive, was married
to n young American Mt the very tag
end Of the nineteenth century. This
admirable coupic met in quite romantic
fashion while the yodng sovereign was
travelling incognilo through the United
States Of America, The American. Il
splendid fellow named I.orry, was Sc
persistent In the subsequent nttuch
alpon her heart that all ancestral prelu
dlCcs We're swept away, and she be
came his bride with the full consent o.
her entrAnccd subjects. The manncl
in which he woocl and won this youns
and adorable ruler forms very at
tractive chapter in romance. although
unmentloued In history. This briEl
the tale Of another day, It tx not tlmcl,
to dwell upon the interesting event
which led up to the marriage Of til,
Princess letivc to Grpnfall Iorry. suf
fee It 10 shy that Iomy won his brid
against ali wishes and ODDS and a
the same time won an endless love an,
esteem from the people Of the littl
kingdom among tie eastern hills. Tw
years have passed since that notabl
wedding in Edelweiss.
Lorry ana his wife, the princess
made their home in Washington, bu
spent few months of each year il
Edelweiss During the periods spen
IN Washington and IN travel her affair
in Graustark were in the bands Of
capable, auStere Old diplomat, he
uncle, Count Cuspar lIufOnt. Princes
Nolga reigncd rs regent over the prir
Clpality Of AXphain. TO the south la
the principality Of IuWsberEen, rule
brother, the deposcd Prince Gabrlc
had been for two years prisoner /
GrGustark, the convicted assassin Q
Prince Lorcn2 Of AXphaln, one tim
sutton for the hand OF Yetiye.
1t was after the second visit OF tn
Lorrys to Edelwcss that 4 serious tur
of affairs presented itself Gabriel ha
succeeded in escaping from his dun
geon. His friends IN DNWsberge
stirred up revolution. and bantam wa
driven from the throne nj Serros, o
the arrival Of Gabriel ut the capt
the army Of Dawsbergcn espoused Il
cause Of the prince 1t had spurned an
three DAYS utter his escape, he was
bis throne, defying Yetive and oiferir
price for the head Of the unfortunA
Dant0n. now a fugitive in the hill
along the GrauStark frontier,