A Dangerous Wooing.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1516, 22 January 1886, Page 3

A Dangerous Wooing.

At the time Aslaug wis becoming a grown-up girl there was very little peace to be got at Huseby; for nigbt after all the smartest young fellows m the parish nsed to come there sod fall quarrelling. Worst of all, it was on Saturday nights; bat then old Knub Huseby never used to lie down without keeping part of his clothe* on, and having a good stick beside his bed. "If r man's got a girl, he ought to look after her," raid he.

, Tbore Xaesset was only a peasant's son; but still some folks said it was he who came after the farmer's daughter at Huseby oftener than anybody else. Old Knub did not like to hear this at all, and declared it was not true, " for he had not seen him there." But the folks laughed slilv amonp themselves, and said that if Knub had searched well up all the corners, instead of troubling himself only abou* the young fellows who came miking rows in the middle of the yard, he could hare seen Thore, surely enough Spring came ; and Asiatic went up to stay at the saeter with the cattle. Then, when the heat of the day lay over the valley; and the mountain stood cool above the sun-baze, and the barking of the sheep-dog, and the mingled music of the cattle-bells and Aslaug's yodel and 'lur* were heard upon the slopes, the young fellows used to get the heartache, and go clambering over the saeter fence. On the first Saturday evening they came cne after another, nearly as fast as they could come. But they come back faster still; for up at the saeter there stood a young fellow behind the door, who caught bold of each one that entered and gave him so sound a drubbing, that he afterwards corstantlv bore in mind the threat he got at the same time.

" Come again another night and you shall have some more." 80 far as the young fellows knew, there was only one in the whole parish who could so use his fists, and that

was Thore Xaesset; and the rich farmers' sons thought it was really too bad that he, a mere peasant should thus cut them all up at Huseby saeter Old Knub thought just the same when he got to hear about the matter; and he said, moreover, that if there was nobody else who could tackle Thore, he himself and his eons would take him in hand. Knub. it is true was getting into years, but thousrh he wns nearly sixty, he used still sometimes to have a turn or two with his fists with his eldest son when, at some party or other, it wp» b<>com?r£ a little " "low."

There was only one path up to Husebv saeter. and that went straight through the farm. The nf xt Saturday cvenirg, when Thore went slipping • n

tip-toes across the yard on bis way to the saeter, as soon as be reached the barn some fellow came out and struck him » blow in the che*t

M What have you to do with me r" said Thore; and he knocked his assailant flat to the grouud. •' I'll let you know what we have to do with you." said another fellow from behind, giving Thore a blow on the back of the bead. This was Aslaug's brother, " And here come* number three," said oIJ Knuh, coming forward to join in the fray. Tbore dt fended himself right bravelv fighting till he retked with sweat, eluding half the blows dealt him, ard returning them with interest just when they were least expected. Beaten he was, at last, it is true, and that completely ; but old Knub often said afterwards, that a tougher customer he bad hardly ever tackled. The fight was kept up till blood came Then Hu-eby said ; " Stop ! " and he added, " If next Saturday evening you can manage to slip past the H'neby wolf and bis cubs, the girl shall be yours." Tbore dragged himself home ss best he could, and when he got there he had to lie down.

This fight at Huseby made a great deal of talk, but folks all said :

" Well, what business bad the fellow up there ? "

Tbere was ore, however, who did not say so, and that was Aslaug. She had fully expected Thore that Saturday evening, and when she now got to hear what an sffair there had been between him and her father, she sat down and had " a good cry," saying to herself, meanwhile: " If 1 can't hare Thore, I shall never hare another happy day in this world." Thore had to keep bis bed all Sunday, and on Monday, too, he found he must do the same. Tuesday came, and was a bright, lovely day" Some rain bad fallen in the night, and the mountain looked fresh and green ; the scent of the leaves was wafted in through the opened window, and down from the slopes came the sound of the cattle-bells, and some one yodeling above; if the mother had not been sitting in the room, Thore must have wept with impatient vex •Hon.

Wednesday came and still Thore kept bis bed; but on Thursday he began thinking whether, after all, he could not manage to get well by Saturday ; and on Friday he got up. He well remembered wbat Aslnug's father had said—

• If next Saturday evening vr u can manage to tlip past the Huieb? wolf »o4 Si cutw, t|e girl ibiU be ▼eura'

He looked over towards Huseby again and again. " I can but get another pitching into," be thought to himself. Tberewas, as we hare said before, only one path np to Huseby saeter; bnt a capable fellow could manage to get there another way, out of the beaten track. II he rowed out on the fiord below, and past a little tongue of land beyond, and so got to the other tide of the mountain, he could contrive to climb it, though even goats had difficulty in going there. Saturday came and Thore went out all day. The sunlight played upon the leaves, and all things joined in luring to the mountains. He still sat outside the door when it drew towards evening, and the mist stole up the mountain slopes. He looked up, and all was still. He 'ooked toward Huseby saeter. Then he pushed out his boat and rowed round the outlying tongue of land.

Up at the saeter Aslaug was sitting at the close of her day's work. She was just thinking that Thore would not be able to come that evening, and that therefore, there would most likely be a lot of others coming in his stead. Then she let loose the dog and went out, telling nobody where she was going.

She seated herself where she could see down into the valley, but the mist was growing dens* 1 ; and, moreover, she felt little disposed to look towards there, for everything reminded her of what had takea place. So she moved, and, without thinking what she did, she went towards the other side of the mountain, and tbere she sat down and looked out over the sea; such peace it gave—that farreaching sea view ! Then she took a fancy to begin singing. She chose a tone with low notes, and the music «ounded forth afar in the stillness of the eventide.

She felt herself gladdened by it, and so she sang vet .'nother verse. Then it seemed to her that some one was singing in reply far down the mountain-steep below. 14 Good ffracious, what can than that be ? " thought Ae'aug, and she went forward to the brink of the steep, damping her arms around a young birch tree, which hung over, trembling.

She looked down but saw nothinu. The fiord lay silent and at rest, unruffled by even the flight of a single bird.

Once more Aslaug sat down and bepan to sing; and then she felt certain she hrard an answer, in the same tune as before, but coming from somewhere nearer. " There mu?t be somebody, after all, 1 ' paid to herself; and again bent over the brink i»f the steep. This t'me, down close under the wall, she saw a boat moored.

..nd ■' deep down it was, it seemed like only a shell. She looked a little above, and a red cap caught her eyes, and wearing it was a young fellow, who was laboriously forcing his way up the nearly perpendicular moun-tain-side.

i " Good gracious—who can that be r'' I reclaimed As aug, clasping the birchtree, and drawing far back.

She dared not answer her own question ; for she knew only too well who it was. She flung herself down upon a grassy mound, and firmly clung to the grass with both hands, as thrush it were she who had need t<>

keep good hold ; but the grasses came up by tbe roots ; and she shrinked aloud, and prayed God to help Thore. Then it suddenly came iuto her mind that this daring exploit was really a tempting of God, and that, therefore, He could not be expected to help, " Just this once ! " she implored. Then she clasped her arms round the doir, as though it were Thore she was holding fast. She lay down beside it up'.n the mound, and the moments seemed years. But tbe dog forced himself free,

" Bow-w >w ! " he barked down over the brink of the steep, wagging his tail;" bowwow !" he repeated, coining back to Aslauu, and putting up his paws ; " bowwow !" he barked once more <>ver the steep. Then a red cap appeared above the brink ; and Tbore came and laid his head upon Aslau/s breast. There he remained for many minutes without beincr able to say a word ; and when, at last, he did sptak, there seemed uo sense in what he said.

But when Old Knub Huseby heard of the matter, he said something wherein tbere was sense enough j for he said :

" That boy's worth having j the girl shall be bin.'

FLORIDA-ITS ORAXGES AND ITS CLIMATE.

There are in the South certain sUti-s which native Southerners apeak of, in a half jocular, half contemptuous way, as " \ankee States." Georgia boasts that distinction, and is proud of it. She owes it partly to the largo and growing influx of .Northern blood into her territory, partly to the infusion of Northern habit-* and ideas among her own people Iu a short time Florida will be more of a Yankee State than even Georgia. It is Northern men who have laid bold of her and raised her as it were from the dead. It is Northern capital which winter after winter overruns the state like a flood, leaving it enriched, and better than ever satisfied with itself; Jt was

Northern farmers who caine down and looked at her sandy soil, and thought there was more in it perhaps than met the eye. They tilled it scientifically, fertilized it, and discovered its lament capabilities. After the first success, they came south in shoals, bringing with them their rare qualities as agriculturists shrewd observation, watchful care, and unceasing industry. They indulged their passion for experiment by introducing new plants and new modes of culture. By studying the climate and the soil, they have produced an orange which is not to be mentioned in the same breath with ordinary oranges. It is a delicacy by itself, hitherto unknown to the world, and which Spain need never attempt to rival. Between an Indian Kwer orange and the coarse-grained. spon*y, bitter-sweet product of the Mediterra nean, there is nothing whatever in common. The one is a thing to be eaten in the usual routine of life, the ether is a delicacy which we can only hope to stumble on at rare moments A ripe Floridian, well grown and in good condition, melts in the mouth like a juicy peach. It is nectar in poetic form ; and the fashionable mode of eating it in Jacksonville is to cut it in two nnd empty it with a teaspoon. So delicate is the pulp and so tender the skin that the one difficulty in enjoying it is the handling of it. But it is rather early to be getting into ectasies over the Florida orange. We men • ! tion it now only in passing as one of I the curious accidents that helped Flor- | iiia out of the mud. There were many i others, and all of them more or less ! peculiar. Florida owes a great deal to her rivers as well as to her orange I groves, something to her hotels, not a ' little to her railways, a little more perhaps to the zeal of a patriotic pr< ss. . aud most of all to her balmy winters. They are her strong point, even above and beyond the inimitable orange. They have captivated the Northern Sybarites, who, as winter returns, flee south by thousands from the rigour of '.heir native frosts and snowidiaus themselves that in the past seasou they had about 150,000 winter visitors, and a considerable grain of salt may be struck off and yet leave a handsome total. The entire force of the native population, white and coloured, is not much more than a quarter of a million. Put down a visitor for every two natives, and assume that he spends on an average a pound per day—the real average will be rather more, for Florida hotels have " orange " tariffs as a rule, and Florida railways are nut yet reduced to three cents a mile. Suppose, again, ihat each visitor stays on an average a couple of weeks—many rein?in througo the winter, but on the other hand, others are merely flying excursionists who can spare only a few days -two weeks at £125,000 per day would yield a million and three quarters sterliug. This Florida owes entirely to her climate, which practically knows no winter. Even on the St John's River, which is the Northern p;irt of the State, frost only occurs now and again. A proof that it cannot occur often is, that it would kill the oranges, and their culture would have to be given up. Last winter was un usual'y cold, but the mean temperature of the live mouths from November to March inclusive was at Jacksonville "»b c 7 —eight degrees higher than the corresponding mean at Cannes, nearly nine degrees higher than that of Nice, and two degrees above L >s Angeles, in Southern California. A " mean temperature "' may represent very different things in two different countries. In one, it may be the medium between widely diverging extremes ; in another it may be the average of a nearly uniform series of observations. It is so in Florida, where the winter temperature is uot only mild, but equable. It rarely rises above 70 degrees, and seldom falls to 50 degrees. Many less privileged parts of the world would he thankful for such a summer as the Floridiaos have for a winter. From the Sybarite point of view, it has a still more rare advantage in its comparative dryness. In tropical countries the winter is generally the wet Beasou, and what it lacks in cold it makes up for in damp, and a general atmosphere of rheumatism. But Florida has its rain in summer At Jacksonville tbey register from -30 up to (3-3 inches of rain per annum, the average being about '»! inches. More than two-thirds of the total fall occurs in the months of June to October inclusive. In November and December the fall is frequently less than one inch ; and from January to April it may be as much as 7m or Sin. in a wet winter, but it is quite often 4in. This combination of genial warmth and dryness is the essence oi the Florida winter. Men shivering in a climate that is simply a long succession of fronts and thaws, storms and slushy streets, found it almost impossible to realise the vision of a laud of winter sunshine, where the mercury stands serenely for weeks together in the neighbourhood of oO^.—Blackwood'* Magazine.