ALUNE;

OR,

LE BÄCHEN HÖLZLI.

NEAR to the town of Thounne, in Swisserland, and on the borders of the beautiful lake which bears the same name, is a little wood, called Le Bächen Hölzli. Being on the Continent some months ago, and coming to Thounne, I was so much delighted with the inn, whose walls are washed by the waters of the lake, that I took up my abode in it for several days, making little excursions from it, either by water or by land, and visiting many of the wonderful scenes in the neighbourhood; for Thounne lies in the midst of mountains, the lowest of which are many thousand feet in height, and the highest of which are covered with what is called eternal snow, that is, with the snows of many winters, which, being only partially melted in the summer, continue from age to age to cover the heights, and render them visible at an almost inconceivable distance; for in Swisserland the traveller often sees the sparkling peaks of the snowcrowned hills lifted above the clouds, far up in the horizon. Now, wherever there are such hills as I am describing, there are beautiful valleys, and bold rocks, and waterfalls, and, if the climate will permit, magnificent trees, and flowers of every species, from those which are cherished by the warm breezes in the sunny valleys, to those which delight in the bleak cold heights of the regions of everlasting snow.

It would be tiresome to you to repeat the names of all the mountains which are seen from the Lake of Thounne; but there are nine ranges of them, and among these is the Jungfrau, which is supposed to be one of the highest mountains in Europe. Most of these mighty hills were visible from my room in the inn, and I visited the valleys

between several of them, but the place I loved best at Thounne was Le Bächen Hölzli.

This is a little wood, situated on a gentle rising above the lake. It belongs to the house of some gentleman; but there are many narrow paths cut in the wood, for the use of those who desire to enjoy its pleasant shades, and the gate is open to every one. No one knows how old this wood is, or how long it has been laid out nearly as it now is, for this place once belonged to a monastery, being given to the church by Sir Henry Strettingen, a knight who lived three hundred or more years since, and whose castle may still be seen on the opposite shores of the lake, under a range of hills called the Stockenburgh.

It was a beautiful evening in the month of May when I first visited Le Bächen Hölzli. I had strolled out all alone, and had entered the wood under an archway made with boughs of trees, and I had walked through many shady quiet paths, till I came out upon a high open walk, from which I saw before me a number of fair meadows, scattered with vineyards and beautiful cottages, and ancient towers and magnificent trees; and beyond these meadows, the clear calm waters of the lake, and other fair fields, extending themselves to the foot of the Stockenburgh, and these were all spread before me as I walked along the high path under the trees, in the clear distinct light of that pleasant evening; and though the air was fresh, not a breeze waved a bough, and there was no sound but those which proceeded from different birds, some of which I observed winging their way across the fields. Among these, that bird which pleased me best was the cuckoo, because it reminded me of the home of my fathers, then far away. So I went slowly forward, and presently found a stone-seat under a tree, and near to that seat, hanging on another tree, an ancient suit of armour, which had been there so long that the ivy had grown over the shield, and the rust had eaten deep into the sword; there I stood for a while looking at this memorial of ancient days, and anticipating with delight that blessed period when our Saviour shall return, and there shall be war no more, and "they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks." Micah iv. 3. Still finding myself somewhat weary, I sat down on the bench, to enjoy the thoughts which had been put into my mind by

the sight of the old armour, which armour, as I afterward found, had belonged to the old knight to whom, in time past, this place had appertained.

While thus situated, I heard a step, a quick light step, advancing towards me, and presently I saw a young girl coming along the path, in the beautiful dress of the Bernese peasants. The girl might perhaps not have been more than twelve, though taller than young people generally are at that age, and slender in proportion, and she had a sweet fair countenance, though there was a sadness in her air, which struck me at the first glance; and she came on, as I before said, with a quick step, having a light wicker basket hanging on her arm, through the open meshes of which appeared portions of wild flowers, which it seemed that she had been engaged in selecting from the vast and inexhaustible treasures of nature.

I paid this little peasant the compliment of a respectful bend of the head as she came near to me, whereupon she stopped short just before me, and taking a flower, with its leaves and roots, from her store, she asked me if I would please to accept it, that is, she added, if I were curious in these matters, for it seemed, as she told me, that it was a rare specimen, and she counted herself very fortunate in having found several of them but a few minutes since.

"And how is it," I replied, my little maiden, that you should be able to judge of the rare and the curious amid the herbs of the field? is not every flower an example of the Divine skill, and are not the most beautiful often the most common 299

"They are, sir," answered the little girl; "and my grandmother says that the Almighty shows his goodness to us in adorning every cottage garden with beauties such as no art can imitate; but it is necessary for me to search out those which are rare, and not easily found, for the others are but little profit to me. She then made me understand that it was her habit in the summer months to seek rare specimens of plants in the mountains, in order that she might dry and sell them to strangers; "and what I sell them for, sir," she added, "helps to pay our rent; for my grandmother is not rich, and she has only me of all her children; the rest are gone," she added, and thus speaking, she burst into tears. "Gone!" I exclaimed; "where gone?"

"Dead, sir," she replied. "They are dead, all dead, and my grandmother has none left but me;" and thus saying, she set her slender basket upon the grass, and turned weeping from me, as if she would have hid her deep sorrows from every eye.

I respected her feelings, and did not address her again for some moments; at length I said, “You did but just now speak of the Divine goodness in providing so many ornaments for the garden of the humblest cottager, and you might have added, that such is his liberality, that he causes it to rain on the earth where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man; to satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth." Job xxxviii. 26, 27. I cannot therefore suppose, since you have been led to see and remark his lesser benefits, that you have been brought up in ignorance of that crowning act of mercy, by which we, the children of a sinful race, are admitted to the hope of a glory and happiness which we cannot now even conceive."

She turned, all tearful as she was, on being thus addressed, and said, with much beautiful earnestness of manner, "We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in him is our only hope."

"It is well," I replied; "and you are blessed in having been instructed in that which flesh and blood could never have taught; for so our Lord said to Peter, when he said, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.'' Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.'" Matt. xvi. 17.

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My grandmother is very pious, sir," replied the little girl; we read the Holy Bible every day; and she has tried to make me understand what I am, a miserable sinner; and to lead me to submit my will in all things to my heavenly Father."

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"And no doubt," I replied, "that she has told you that he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.'" Lam. iii. 33.

"Those were the very words she used, sir," replied the little girl, "when my little brother breathed his last; my father was dead then, and my mother too, and when Wilhelm died, then all were gone but me; he died in his cradle, sir; he was not too tall to lie in it, sir, and he