THE ALM HUTTE. 131 



laziness. No, all must be cleaned up and put aside, 

 that one may know where to find what is wanted; and 

 wood brought in and stacked, so that a fire may be 

 made directly. Suppose we had come here and found 

 nothing no dry wood, no pans or hay we should 

 not have spent a very comfortable evening, I think I" 



I was amused at Maxl's looking on all this as 

 a right, which the chamois-hunter, as lord of the 

 creation, might duly claim. The fact is, the young 

 foresters when out on the mountains in summer con- 

 stantly repair to some particular hut for a warm meal 

 or a night's shelter. They are welcome guests, for 

 they bring with them mirth and news of the great 

 world and of what is going on in the dale. And al- 

 though perchance none of the lasses is the sweetheart 

 of the youth who is the most frequent visitor at the 

 hut, still the friendly intercourse of many a summer 

 and an interchange of little acts of kindness will cause 

 them to provide, with all a woman's thoughtfulness, 

 for the poor fellow's comfort when he comes to spend 

 a long solitary night there in autumn, and the hut is 

 quite deserted ; so before leaving the mountain pas- 

 turage they will set in order everything for the friend 

 and favourite, who is sure to visit it often when they 

 are gone. 



There was a door in the room in which we were 

 sitting that led immediately into the cow-house, and 

 above it was the hay-loft. Over this door was written, 

 " Catharina Hess." I asked Solacher if that was the 

 name of the dairy-maid. 



K 2 



