Catherine; Сс come, Elly, let us go and see." When they arrived at Bathönier's house, Peter began grumbling in his old strain, about the village being so far from all the rest of the world, and the inconveniences this gave rise to on such occasions as the present. He did not, however, appear to entertain the slightest uneasiness on his son's account. He was a stout lad, he said, and had often got over the ground safely enough in worse weather than this. Twilight now gave place to night-still no Oswald appeared; and the darker it became out of doors, the paler turned poor Elly's cheeks. "I will go out to meet him," cried she at last; " perhaps I can help him to carry something." "You cannot do him any good," said the father, "for if he has carried his load so far, he will not find it too heavy just at the last; and let him have set off ever so late, you will never be able to get any further than the forest." "But indeed, indeed I cannot stay here," sobbed out the wretched girl; "I must go out to meet him-I must be where he isI ought to be true to him through every thing." No, Elly," said Catherine; "indeed I will not let you go out in such a storm.' "Then I will go to my mother's, and come back again," answered the poor weeping bride; any thing is better than sitting quiet."

She went to her mother's, then came back again to Bathönier's, and so backwards and forwards through the wintry night: her steps grew more hurried, and her face looked more wretched, but still there was nothing heard

of Oswald. At last, she came no more. "I dare say she is gone to bed; and Oswald most likely is staying in Mayenfeld till the storm is over," said Peter, with a yawn. "It is very well if he has," answered Catherine, nodding beside the fire. Peter then began to talk of something else, but finding his wife gave no answer, he soon dropped asleep himself. When he awoke it was

long past midnight. Suppose Oswald should be come back, and gone to Elly's, that he might not disturb us but I cannot go to sleep again without knowing, so I will just go over there and see," said he, deliberately rising. When he came to the cottage, he found that Goutta too had fallen asleep, and her glimmering lamp was almost extinguished. The noise of his entrance awoke her. "Is it you, Bathönier ?" said she; "then he is come back again-Oh! how happy Elly will be!" "No, he is not come," answered Peter," and Elly left us a long time ago." "Where is she then ?" cried Goutta, in alarm, rubbing her eyes, and looking round the room. "We have not seen her since ten o'clock," replied Peter, "and now it must be past two." They looked and called, but no Elly answered. Holy Mary! she is certainly gone to meet him," cried Goutta; "oh! my child, my poor child!" All their search being in vain, and not a trace to be found of Elly, Peter himself at last began to think that she must have gone out to meet her lover. "It was a foolish trick," said he, "for she could never find her way in the dark, and per

haps she has lost herself completely." Goutta's despair now knew no bounds, and Peter began to repent of having alarmed her so much. "However it can do no

harm," said he, "for us to go out and look for her." Trembling with cold and anxiety, the unhappy mother followed Bathönier, who wakened his wife, looked out an old lantern, and as soon as it was lighted, they all three set off to walk through the village. It had now ceased to snow, and a few twinkling stars occasionally peeped out through the driving clouds. Seeing a light in one of the cottages, they tapped at the window, and inquired of the neighbour's daughter, who was already sitting at her spinning, whether she had seen any thing of Elly? Why, can it really have been Elly that I saw?" said Nisa. "About ten o'clock, last night, I was looking out at the weather, and I fancied I saw the figure of a woman, with a handkerchief over her head, flitting past in the dark. I thought it must be a spirit, and such a fear came over me, that I shut the window again directly." "Let us go on," said Peter, who now began to fear the worst. "There is not a moment to be lost."

But

They walked on with caution, and soon discovered the prints of a little foot upon the snow. "Those are Elly's foot-marks!" cried Goutta, somewhat comforted. the path now growing more difficult, and leading over some stones which were covered with ice, Peter's foot slipped, he fell down, broke the lantern, and the light

went out.

their

"Here is a pretty piece of business!" cried he. "Here, you women, come and help me up again." With great difficulty they lifted him from the ground, but found that he had sprained his foot, and could not stand. "Death and destruction !" roared out Peter; "what is to be done? You can neither of you walk ten steps without a light; and as to leaving me lying here, you must not think of it." The women cried; the old man raved; there was nothing for it but for them to support him on each side, and grope way back to the village. It was at least an hour before they reached home, and then Catherine was obliged to boil some herbs to apply to her husband's swelled foot. Goutta, meanwhile, wandered about more wretched than ever, knocking at every window she came to, to call up her neighbours. At length she succeeded in rousing two of them, who came out to know what was the matter; they then called up some more, but were a long time before they could settle what would be the best course to pursue. The morning was already beginning to dawn when eight hardy young men volunteered their services to go and reconnoitre the whole country round, providing themselves with ropes and poles, in case of accident.

Peter, in the meantime, lay groaning in bed; Catherine was busied in attending him; and Goutta was kneeling in her cottage before the image of the Virgin, and, drowned in tears, commended her child to the care of Heaven.

The winds were hushed; the clouds were dispersed ; frost reigned in the clear blue air; and the blush of morning began to blow in the east, as the young Stürvisers, following the traces of the lost maiden, ascended towards the summit of the Kamm. Immediately across the path lay a solitary mass of rock, which had stood there for centuries, and which to this day is in existence. Near this spot, the young men discovered, from a distance, something which resembled a female figure. They looked at one another in silence, and advanced with trembling steps. Lying along the path, with her head on a snow-covered stone, was Elly, peacefully reclining. Her face was pale as the white rose, and she appeared to slumber. The young men attempted to awaken her, but the gentle girl had breathed her last. At this heart-rending sight, the sons of the mountain broke out into bitter lamentations. "Cold is thy couch,

thou lovely bride, and sad is thy nuptial-day!" cried they with tears of sorrow. "6 She was the best and

fairest of all the daughters of Stürvis, and here she lies

lifeless upon the ice and snow!"

"And if Oswald

and see this sad "but I will go across

should come now from Mayenfeld, sight!" exclaimed young Senti; the mountain, and not stop till I meet him." Hei set off, but had only got a few steps on the other side of the rock, before he called out, "Here he is alreadyOswald! Oswald !" But Oswald gave no answer. He was sitting, with his loaded pannier at his back,