Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 12, No. 30, September, 1873Various
Science
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 12, No. 30, September, 1873
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
Pointing with her finger, she drew our attention to the small figure
of a man working upon a dizzy height some three thousand feet above
us, his legs, like a pair of compasses, comically revealing a triangle
of blue sky between them, whilst we with difficulty made out the
figures of two women helping him.
"That's Seppl Mahlgruben and his daughters cutting down their green
oats, too tardy to ripen. Some years since Moidel, the eldest girl,
working on that precise point, knelt one inch too far over the
precipice and was hurled into eternity, where a better fortune, I pray
God, awaited her than the cruel trials of Reinthal."
Moidel told us afterward that she thought our informant took too
gloomy a view, probably occasioned by "her stitching pains." Still,
she owned to its being a toilsome, perilous life in every season of
the year save summer.
In a broad sylvan meadow at the end of the narrow defile, within sound
of the chief waterfall, we had the joy of seeing again the rest of our
party, who had made an afternoon excursion thither to meet us. At a
quiet, rural little inn just below, with an outside gallery possessing
a view of the still, deep gorge in front and softer meadows beyond,
kind hearts had already ordered coffee and rolls for nine. All were
unanimous, however, that the ample supply was sufficient for ten,
and the good woman of Rein was pressed to enter and partake. This she
gratefully declined, adding, however, that it would be friendly and
helpful of us to allow her to drink a cup of coffee there at six in
morning on her return journey to Rein. Not that she had expected the
least attention to be offered her, and hoped that it was not intended
as a different mode of payment for her carrying a lady's handbag.
Although we had felt that one good turn deserved another, we made her
mind easy on that score, and she went tripping forward.
For us there was still no hurry. The evening sky was brilliantly
clear, the mountain-summits and dark fir woods shone forth a burnished
gold, so that it seemed almost a sin to dive into the deep shadows of
the valley below. Besides, the inn possessed some beehive sheds, and
a view beyond which must not escape the pencil of the artists, who
busily sketched whilst the others rested, enjoying the great crimson
bars of sunset drawn across the dewy valley to the rippling sound of a
mad, merry little mill-brook.
How much sympathy and respect has been afforded in all ages and climes
to those serviceable creatures, bees!
The little citizens create,
And waxen cities build.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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