PEACH TREES IN BLOOM 3 
by that name on the maps, the place itself is a 
reality. The enfolding mountains, so dreamy, so 
enchanting in coloring when seen at their best mo- 
ments, will explain the name and justify it, for 
translated into English "Traumfest" means ''Holi- 
day of Dreams," or, if one is willing to tamper a little 
with grammatical endings, it means, best of all, per- 
haps, "Fortress of Dreams." Here lingers a touch of 
summer even in midwinter, because of the evergreen 
trees and shrubs that so abound. And here spring 
comes early, for Traumfest, be it known, lies in the 
thermal belt, that magic zone where, although it may 
freeze, there is never any frost. 
In this gentle land where even the cocks crow with 
a Southern accent, the newcomer, half-awake in the 
early morning, hears the great city he has recently 
left singing like a city of the blest. As consciousness 
emerges from the mists of sleep, however, one dis- 
covers that although the singing is real, it does not 
come from the town, now happily far away. It 
comes from the negroes down in the hollow, from the 
birds in the trees, and from the little children of the 
white people who live on the hilltops. All Traumfest 
seems to be singing. It makes one want to sing too. 
And that is the magic and the charm of the South ; 
cares fly away and one wants to sing. 
Mingling as it were with the singing of the people 
is the subtle smell of spring. One wonders what that 
odor of the Southern spring comes from, and sus- 
pects that the smoke of pine wood ascending like 
incense from the hearthstones in all the houses has 
