| Show there he be comes I 1 said to 0 o myself its time to put pat the tea down I 1 had watched him pass so many mornings mornine 8 and evenings going to in and from his work that I 1 fe felt it acquainted with him before we bad exchanged a word he was so regular in the time ot of his bis goings and comings that I 1 bad come to time many ol of my simple domestic arrangements by him and when his shadow fell across my little doorstep I 1 knew it was time to put ms mg tea to steep As I 1 said I 1 had grown into the habit of watching tor for him so much that when one day any he be failed to appear at the usual time my supper hour went half an hour by before I 1 noticed it and I 1 felt strangely worried all the evening when three days had passed and still he be did not come again my endurance had reached its limit I 1 walked to the gate and looked aimlessly lesal IV u up and down the road before vent venturing ur 4 further surely that was he be coming around that bend in the road it was indeed but oh ob how changed his face was pale and drawn his bis shoulders stooped his bis gait that of weakness and exhaustion goo ghou d eveni evening rog 11 I 1 said intending to ask him his bis trouble guan abend he be replied touching his hat ah you are german I 1 cried eagerly nein I 1 bin schweitzer labaer 11 he said and a sadder look came into his blue eyes he was a swiss I 1 might haqq known it from his bis perfect politeness la in no other country under the sun BUD I 1 think are the lower classes taught from their cradle up to so respect those common rules rales of politeness that the tae youth of tais land of the free and screaming eagle consider it a reproach to their ma manhood JJ or woman womanhood hool to not lotice nor do the latter always beug one the lower classes either more 8 the pity ty dado do you not miss your year mountains I 1 asked aasted him in the language he loved b best ali abi gott my mountains he cried passionately raising hla his hands with a little pathetic gesture and as I 1 looked at him I 1 saw the heavy tears that had risen to his eyes wrung from the depths of his bis strong silent nature I 1 had struck the keynote or the mans life his bis love and longing for his bis beloved swiss mountains alter after the first meeting I 1 used regu barly to walk down the little path to the gate when I 1 saw him bim comin coming to exchange with him bim a few words fl his own tongue I 1 lamely he eagerly as though the very sound of the words brought him nearer home and his loved mountain peaks gradually I 1 learned his whole history he had left switzerland five years before promising his bis sweetheart to return to her when he had bad made enough in the new country to which he was going to marry her and give her a home at least as comfortable as those of ef their peasant neighbors 1 I told her good by lie he said simply and went away I 1 did not fear nor did she she knew I 1 would come back it if I 1 lived but my mountains how could I 1 say them good by for so long I 1 wept I 1 kave have no shame miss to s say sy I 1 wept as I 1 have not done since I 1 lay in my mothers arms as I 1 never shall do again there was a resignation that amounted almost to despair in his tone before I 1 knew it the tears were running down my cheeks 1 I thank you miss he said simply but do not noi weep for me have you never heard from your sweetheart I 1 asked him once he made a gesture ot of apology how could 1 I kisshe Mis she said we can neither of us read or write let lei me write it tor for you I 1 begged and she can find someone to read it to he eer and aind send fehd a reply his face brightened wonderfully and as soon as possible a letter was dispatched to the lonely heart in far fall off switzerland arlaud that I 1 pictured to myself wait waiting n L and watching so anxiously tor for the word that never came then we waited patiently for the answer he never mentioned it from the day he walked ten miles to post it so that it might go one mail earlier but I 1 knew be dreamed of it waking i and sleeping and my heart sauk sank more and more with each day that the postman passed my gate with his good morning maam no nothing today at last came june a perfect june when heaven tries the earth if it be in tune and over it softly her warin warm ear lays oh ob deathless words of the poets expressing so well wel I 1 the thoughts that lie hidden in 0 our ur inmost hearts but that our stubborn tongues refuse to C lothe clothe june that most beautiful month of all the twelve in the lovely valley of the alps iffe he had bad failed visibly ably al through the long cold winter until he was only a shadow of what he was when I 1 first knew b him im you should see the valleys now 9 miss his atwood he said one day they are carpeted with forget m nots bots and my mountains my beautiful mountains are looking down on it all A few days later and a neighbors little boy rapped at my door come quick miss atwood he said hea hes dying I 1 did not need to be told who was dying he was pro propped ed up in bed a shin shining ing smile i on Us bis pale face HO he spoke to me in germau german as in all of our conversations have you yon heard beard from her from my L lisa isa he whispered I 1 burst into tears for I 1 had but barely finished the long expected letter when the message from him arrived she to is dead 11 he said quietly 1 I know she has 3 not forsaken me she could not be false to me my III lisa ap any more than could my mountains you are right I 1 said softly she is dead not faithless he was silent for some time 0 so o silent that at times I 1 almost thought the end had already come suddenly he sat 11 upright his arm extended his eyes shining with loy JOY see he cried there is Jung frau grand glorious old ola Jung frau my mountains they have come to me I 1 looked and saw a beautiful sun san flecked cloud cload so like some wonderful mountain peak that it might well deceive keener eyes than those of the dying yang man dost idest R flee the sun on Jung fraula top my lisa e murmured dest thou seethe see the crows fly by by and disappear see how the snows are chati changing ging red and purple a add a d green reen the sun is setting lisa ang and the mountains are growing dimand dim and far away I 1 cannot see you lisa arid and they t too 0 are growl ax ing dark ark ob wait wait I 1 am coming I 1 1 I come bind and he be had gone to them if not to the earthly mountains for which he be lori longed ged yet more beautiful mountains of the new Jeru jerusalem dalem detroit free pre fress as |
