The Argosy — page 240: what you’re looking at

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Among Untrodden Ways. 223 the prince always takes the princess to court, and I so much want to see the great world.” Innocent as was her every glance, her every word and gesture, how could she know that her words thrilled me as words had never done before? I pointed to the grave. ‘‘My mother lies there,” she said simply. ‘She must be happy in this valley ; don’t you think so? And she had seen the world. I was born here when she came from Russia. Where is Russia? Is it really so very far away ?” I had never been there, and told her so; and she looked disap- pointed. But the cloud rested only a moment, and seemed ill-at- home on her glad young face; and, like the child she was, she passed from one subject to another in rapid succession. “Tf you do not know about Russia, at least you know about some- where else,” she said. ‘‘ Come; my dinner is ready; we will eat it together, and you will tell me about the world, and I will show you my book.” More in an enchanted land than ever we crossed the stream—she with her bare feet; and by and by we came upon a wooden cot, painted green, and skillfully hidden away among: the dense trees at the turn of the valley. The picturesque little dwelling reminded me a little of something I had seen in Norway. ‘There were three smal] rooms opening into one another; the middle one being the living room, the other two the bedrooms of the father and daughter. The windows were like small doorways and had no other screen against wind and weather than a wooden shutter on hinges, which placed the little house in darkness when the elements were unpropitious. It struck me as odd that the builder of this pretty cot should have borne such an inconvenience. My little wood-nymph explained it by saying with an air of mystery : ‘‘We have a lamp, you know—such a beautiful thing, bought in the great world—have you seen one? but you must have seen them, for,” with a sigh, “‘ you have come from the world. My father was afraid some one would see the light if we had windows of glass, and that I should forget to close the shutter ; but who is there to see the light? When my father is away I sometimes light the lamp and put it in the valley, and the rabbits sit round and look at it. See!” she cried, ‘‘ there is my good hedgehog at the door.” But I did not look at that spiny creature, for I had caught sight of a terrible pair of eyes gazing fixedly at me, and with evil intent, out of one of the door-windows. I heard at the same time a low but fierce growl. ‘What an enormous dog!” I said, hesitating, as I now saw him place himself ominously in the doorway. ‘¢Oh, Jacobin is my good friend,” said the young girl, with one of her enchanting smiles ; and she tried to induce him to let me enter, which, however, he showed no sign of doing, but stood his ground COMMICMOOOKS.c©