Year: 1875

Matre Seller was a well-preserved agile
gentleman ot nearly sixty At twenty he
thought of nothing but law; at thirty, OF
nothing but pleading; at forty he became
Il Judge, and only at fifty-five did he make
the discovery that weighing laws and split
ting hairs upon the meaning of words and
phrases are scarcely all the pleasures to be
found in existence.


AT tifty-five he awoke to the conscious
ness that he had wasted life. He was very
clever at every point in the common law
of the Unterwald canton, but he was not
wise enough to know that at that age one
can scarcely begin life over again.
IT, apart from the law he had ever a
passion. it was quiet, half-doubting love
of fishing; and, therefore, when he gave
up his iudgeship and retired into private
lite. with the respect, and even veneration,
OF all who knew him, havin angled half
his life for clients. and settled the differ
ences of other legal anglers through near
ly a score of Years, he fel. to angling for
fish as the one JOY of his life


Indeed, it was this new occupation, amid
nature, trees, flowers and living water,
which prompted Maitre Seller to the CON
clusion that he had made mistake in life
when he had brought it down to grinding
law from New ears day to St. Sylvesters,
which is the last OF December.


The old mans heart was desolate. His
quiet, resigned old housekeeper-a sad
spinster, who had thrown herself into the
pathetic and tears in early life-Maitre
Seller found, now that he saw sky and
forest daily, to be quite wearisome wo-
man; and the consequence was that Maitre
Seller would pack up his fishing wallet,
with crust and flask of white wine for
| lunch, and go out from six in the morning
until sunset


| One day, having caught trout until he
was weary of unlocking them, and the
afternoon being close--it was 4 warm
April that year-he fell asleep under a
whispering fir tree, and there slept the
sound sleep Of innocence for hours.
| Then as he awoke he experienced that
wonderful luxury, a gradual regaining of
the senses-while a sweet voice was sing
| ing in the distance


When he sat up and rubbed his eyes he
found that the sun had set. and that he
was himself rather sitter in the limbs than
was comfortable.


| The voice came nearer, and through a
break in the glade he saw a mountaineer
girl singing as she came slowly forward,
| followed by two or three browsing goats
| The glrl was about sixteen, her light
wavy hair was drawn to the back OF the
head, and there fell in two long, red rib
boned tied plaits; while the black bodice
and poppy-colored skirt completed far
more charming picture than any the old
Judge had seen in court through all his
| legal years


| He sighed slightly


She stopped and looked about, but she
| showed no fear


''Don't be afraid" he said gently
The girl smiled as she saw the pleasant
! old gentleman, and said: 80, no. and
Bruttlewort and Mchlin would butt YOU
| if | told them.''


The goats looked at the stranger in an
undecided way but apparently resolved
to 60 on munching.


"Who art thou?"


81 am Lottie."


"And where does Lottie live 81


81 am daughter of Forester Yeri"


ala, ha ! art thou the daughter of the
Forester Yeri? 1t reminds me | have
seen him in my court at the seasons. and
at other times. Is his house far away?"


''But q turn, sir, in the path, and the
forester will be glad to see thee if he
knows thee


"Why, whom have we here?" asked the
forester, looking out from the head of the
stone steps of his forest home. as he saw
the Judge approaching.


Good evening, Yeri thy daughter has
found me. | am Messire Seller, late Judge
OF the canton. Hast thou 80 soon forgot
ten me?n


.'Ha 'Tis Messire Seiler,n cried the for
ester, dofling his hat, and hurrying down
the steps.


Il fell asleep" said the old Judge look
ing upon Lotte; land though | am still
as active as a roe, / did not awake until
the sun had gone down. ] am long way
from the town; my wallet is empty, and
also am and therefore am asking thee
for some supper, Yeri."


"With right good will" said the forest
er, holding out his hand, which the old
Judge took; for in and about Switzerland
the general equality of riches appears to
create an equality of habits. The officer
and the private will sit down together,
and the great man of the district will not
find himself i'll at ease when he eats his
supper with a small farmer; the latter,
meanwhile. being perfectly hospitable,
never servile, and rarely uncomfortable,
when face to face with a man of superior
social rank.


| The good wife kristine now coming
forth with a welcome, these four people
shut out the evening, after entering the
forester's house; and Lottie and her moth
Ell fell to work preparing supper.
| The red checked, coarse white cloth was
soon upon the table, the wooden spoons
and platters laid, and the big tureen, live
| ly with pattern OF wild flowers, was
ready for the soup.


Not much of meal-but plain soup
the beef which made it eaten with vinegar
and OIL black bread. strong cheese, and
the whole washed down with some black
ish sour wine-yet the old Judge thought
he had never eaten such a meal.
To tell the truth at once, the old Judge
was in love with Lottie, though she was
only sixteen, and the old gentleman was
by that time titty-eight, if a day


Il lay me, good judge, you will sleep
till late in the morning." said broad-chest-
ed 1eri, when they were saving good
night


'Oh no." replied the judge. wishing to
cut good figure before Lottie. II was
never more active than l am now. I shall
be up with the lark, and out before any of
you.


Nevertheless, though they called him
softly two or three times, he never woke.
and in fact did not present himself until
the forester's breakfast had been waiting
for a whole hour.


The forester had been out and away
hours; and he saw how with the fresh
morning color on her face, and holding
| ont to him a bunch of wild flowers which
she had gathered, that a fine girl looked
better at sunrise even than by sunset


That was the beginning OF it.


The prime housekeeper down in the
town wondered what became of her mas