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Article A MARRIAGE IN THE GRESSONS IN 1792. ← Page 4 of 4
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A Marriage In The Gressons In 1792.
each watching their own particular nut . If two , belonging to females , bounced together , a life of single blessedness was predicted ; if two , belonging to persons of the opposite sex , a marriage was as infallibly foretold , and the gentleman entitled to a salute . Frequent and amusing to Swiss were the contre temps produced by this rustic augury ; many a slumbering feeling of kindness awakened , and ,- occasionally , perhaps , the seed of jealousy sown . The bride good-humouredlinsisted
y upon my trying my fortune ; but , alas ! the fates were against me . I bounced alone ; and a bachelor then—a bachelor have ever since remained . The cure and the elders of the party were seated together , quietly enjoying the scene , and restraining , by their presence , any symptoms of excess which the mirth and excitement of the scene might create ; although , I believe , to the honour of Swiss propriety , the precaution was unnecessary . To this sober circleafter disappointmentI attached myselfand
, my , ; found , upon conversing with the priest , that I had considerably underrated his attainments . He had been educated at St . Gall , and highly distinguished himself at his examinations ; indeed , one of the old men afterwards hinted to me that he had refused the mitre ; a circumstance which , if true , his own modesty prevented his making the least allusion to .
A supper and dance concluded the hospitalities of the day ; and I retired to rest fatigued , and favourably impressed with the manners of the good people of Tusis . At mid-day , in spite of the hospitable invitations of the cure , Peter , and the pretty Lissette , I started on my way for the hoary Splugen . The priest gave me his benediction ; and the bride , at her husband's desire , presented , with a modest blush , her cheek to my salute . The bridegroom ,
shouldering his gun , proffered his company part of the road , an offer which I cheerfully accepted , and together we commenced the ascent of the Via Mala , my guide pointing out to me every fresh point of view in that most magnificent of mountain-passes , ancl enlivening the way with the legends of its eagle nest and round towers . We at last reached the point where he proposed to bid me farewell ; he seemed embarrassed for the momentbut at last drew from his bosom
, a small purse . I saw through the meshes of the net that it contained gold . "It is not much , " said the honest fellow , half hesitatingly ; "but you are a traveller—and , " glancing at my somewhat worn dress , " must require money : consider it as a debt , " he added , and that , too , but imperfectly paid . "
It was some time before I could make the fellow fully comprehend that I had not the slightest occasion for his generosity , and the consequent impossibility ' of my acceptingit . I was at last obliged to compromise the offer , by taking the little green purse , ( which he assured me was the work of Lissette , ) and a small silver seal attached to his watch . The gold he returned to his pocket , though not without , I could perceive , considerable reluctance : with a warm pressure of the hand we parted , Peter to his farm , I to commence the ascent of the hoary Splugen . Reader , that little purse long served me as my card cash keeper ; and the seal is still suspended from my old fashioned repeater .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Marriage In The Gressons In 1792.
each watching their own particular nut . If two , belonging to females , bounced together , a life of single blessedness was predicted ; if two , belonging to persons of the opposite sex , a marriage was as infallibly foretold , and the gentleman entitled to a salute . Frequent and amusing to Swiss were the contre temps produced by this rustic augury ; many a slumbering feeling of kindness awakened , and ,- occasionally , perhaps , the seed of jealousy sown . The bride good-humouredlinsisted
y upon my trying my fortune ; but , alas ! the fates were against me . I bounced alone ; and a bachelor then—a bachelor have ever since remained . The cure and the elders of the party were seated together , quietly enjoying the scene , and restraining , by their presence , any symptoms of excess which the mirth and excitement of the scene might create ; although , I believe , to the honour of Swiss propriety , the precaution was unnecessary . To this sober circleafter disappointmentI attached myselfand
, my , ; found , upon conversing with the priest , that I had considerably underrated his attainments . He had been educated at St . Gall , and highly distinguished himself at his examinations ; indeed , one of the old men afterwards hinted to me that he had refused the mitre ; a circumstance which , if true , his own modesty prevented his making the least allusion to .
A supper and dance concluded the hospitalities of the day ; and I retired to rest fatigued , and favourably impressed with the manners of the good people of Tusis . At mid-day , in spite of the hospitable invitations of the cure , Peter , and the pretty Lissette , I started on my way for the hoary Splugen . The priest gave me his benediction ; and the bride , at her husband's desire , presented , with a modest blush , her cheek to my salute . The bridegroom ,
shouldering his gun , proffered his company part of the road , an offer which I cheerfully accepted , and together we commenced the ascent of the Via Mala , my guide pointing out to me every fresh point of view in that most magnificent of mountain-passes , ancl enlivening the way with the legends of its eagle nest and round towers . We at last reached the point where he proposed to bid me farewell ; he seemed embarrassed for the momentbut at last drew from his bosom
, a small purse . I saw through the meshes of the net that it contained gold . "It is not much , " said the honest fellow , half hesitatingly ; "but you are a traveller—and , " glancing at my somewhat worn dress , " must require money : consider it as a debt , " he added , and that , too , but imperfectly paid . "
It was some time before I could make the fellow fully comprehend that I had not the slightest occasion for his generosity , and the consequent impossibility ' of my acceptingit . I was at last obliged to compromise the offer , by taking the little green purse , ( which he assured me was the work of Lissette , ) and a small silver seal attached to his watch . The gold he returned to his pocket , though not without , I could perceive , considerable reluctance : with a warm pressure of the hand we parted , Peter to his farm , I to commence the ascent of the hoary Splugen . Reader , that little purse long served me as my card cash keeper ; and the seal is still suspended from my old fashioned repeater .