Our Little Austrian CousinMendel, Florence Emma Voigt
General
Our Little Austrian Cousin
Mendel, Florence Emma Voigt
Children -- Austria -- Juvenile literature
"Because it was originally built and occupied by some monks from
Scotland in the year 1158, whom Duke Heinrich had asked to come and
instruct the citizens, not only in religion, but in the educational
arts, there being no schools in those days; all the teaching was done
by the Holy Fathers. But later on, the Scottish monks were dispossessed
by a German order of monks; yet the Hof still bears the name of its
founders. And even to-day the Church owns all this most valuable
property, right in the very heart of our city, which was given to them
so many years ago."
"That's the first time I thought about the Hof being Scottish,"
admitted Ferdinand, between whom and Teresa there was much rivalry and
jealousy as to the amount of knowledge possessed by each; but the lad
was generous enough to admit his ignorance, because he did not wish to
assume too superior airs before his guest.
"Here runs the tiny lane, the Schotten-gasse, which separates the
Schottenhof from the smaller Molkerhof just across the land; and here
are the ancient bastions which protected them; to-day, you notice,
these same names are retained; the bastions are no longer required,
but history preserves their memory in preserving their names, the
Schotten-bastei and the Molker-bastei, now streets of the city of
Vienna instead of bastions. But we have had quite enough of history,"
continued Herr Müller, "I am quite certain our little convent friend is
tired."
"Oh, no indeed," spoke up Teresa. "At the convent we take long walks
every day; and in the country at Linz, we do much walking, too; it does
not tire me at all."
"But walking about city streets is quite different from country lanes,
my girl," observed Herr Müller.
"Yes, but we do not have the interesting places to visit, nor the tales
to hear, in the lanes," wisely answered the child.
"Well, then, if you are quite certain you are not too tired, we
will walk home. We will go by the way of the Ring, here behind the
Schottenhof; and we will walk over the old walls, which were erected in
later years as the original city of Duke Heinrich grew. Of course, we
have no use for these fortifications in these days, so we have changed
them into a magnificent boulevard."
No one, not knowing the original use of the Ring, would ever have
suspected the mission it had fulfilled; so broad and handsome was the
avenue encircling what is called the Inner-Stadt (Inner City), planted
with magnificent trees, and bubbling over with life, color and gayety.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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