APPROACHING THE MOUNTAINS. 11 



it is rather from the swelling luxuriance of eighteen 

 summers, than from any effort made in plying her rude 

 pair of oars. She always had a friendly smile for you 

 on entering her boat j though, as it seemed, she was not 

 without her little stock of sorrow; for as I one day 

 rowed by a country-house whose garden was reflected in 

 the lake, she looked up wistfully at the closed windows ; 

 and I learned afterwards that the J'ager of the family, 

 who had now left their villa for the town, was her lover, 

 and that he had not yet written to her since they parted. 

 " He has not forgotten me, I know/' said Marie, with 

 her usual pretty smile ; " I shall soon get a letter, I am 

 sure." And I am sure I hope with all my heart she 

 may, for it were a pity so young a face should wear a 

 look of sorrow. And were no letter to arrive, how op- 

 pressively sad to have that deserted house constantly be- 

 fore her as she rowed daily across the lake ! 



But I have forgotten the mountains and the autumnal 

 morning, with talking of the pretty maiden of the ferry ; 

 however, she and her skiff, with its train of dancing light 

 behind it, belong to the scene, and form a pleasing and 

 even necessary feature in the landscape. As if all was 

 to be festive on this exquisite October morning, here 

 comes a gay procession. What a noise of deep, hollow- 

 is either richly embroidered, or in some parts a silver chain is passed 

 like a lace from one side to the other, and fastened with hooks of 

 silver. Indeed much luxury is often displayed in the dress of these 

 country lasses. The cap (Riegel Saube) of the Munich girls, for exam- 

 ple, contains a considerable quantity of the precious metal. The men 

 too, in the lowlands especially, are given to display in their buttons. A 

 rich peasant may often be seen with a long row of these down the front 

 of his coat, one overlapping the other, each being formed of a broad 

 silver coin of two groats value; on his waistcoat the same. On the 

 frieze joppe of the mountaineer, however, there is no opportunity ior 

 such display. 



