The Argosy — page 146: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

In the Black Forest. 131 “But often as I have been to the Mummelsee,” said he, ‘‘ never yet have I experienced so sudden a storm as we had to-day. ‘Truly I wondered what was coming next, and whether the fairies at the bottom of the lake were brewing us mischief. How cold it was, too!” he added with ashiver. ‘‘I was not sorry to land.” ‘Do you then put faith in the evil spirits?” I asked. “Ves and no,” he replied with a laugh. ‘Our land is a very eradle of superstitious tales and legends. Our mothers rock us to sleep with them before we can take in their meaning. In childhood our minds are crammed with them, and at that period we believe all we hear. In manhood we try to shake off these impressions ; but something of their influence will stick to us in spite of our reason. I am not sure that I should be very much surprised if I saw a fairy rise to the surface of the lake and charm me into the fatal plunge.” “ At any rate,” I said, ‘‘ you would know what it meant and what to expect.” “Ves,” he returned. ‘‘ And—who can tell—the change might be for the better. Existence down there might have some charms; up here we work hard and get badly paid.” ‘¢ Would you row across the lake at midnight ?” I asked him out of curiosity ; ‘‘or even approach it at that hour?” ‘TY think so,” he answered, ‘‘but I have never been tried. J am not wanting in courage of that sort. But there are hundreds who would not venture near it after dark for all the wealth of the Duchy. If they did they would die of fright or go mad, and drown themselves in the water.” “That would come to very much the same thing as if the fairies themselves had accomplished the disaster.” “Yes,” replied Jehu. ‘‘And you may be sure there would be plenty of people ready to believe it was supernatural work ; and they would become more than ever convinced of the existence and evil anfluence of the water spirits.” He gathered bilberries and raspberries as he talked, reaching the inn with a handful of branches of the former, which he carefully stowed away to take home with him; declaring that his wife had a cunningly devised way of serving them up in a dish worth a king’s ransom. I was sorry when the walk was over, and the forest and the lake, the wild flowers and the luscious fruit were all left behind. But time was passing, and if Allerheiligen was to be reached before night- fall (a consummation devoutly to be wished), there must be no further loitering on the road. So the horses were put to, and Jehu took something for the good of the house, and was quite willing to bear my share of this burden in addition to his own. We left the young landlord flirting with two pretty girls who had just arrived, and were very much welcomed. He was equally dividing his favours, and evidently wondering on which of COMMICOOOKS.C©