Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/58

52 their salutations. Sometimes they stopped to inquire how this and that neighbor was, what had happened at the village, and what at the mill.

In the winter, one rarely met any of the Zernov people going to the town church, for the path on the mountain side was steep and dangerous. They went then to Studnic or to Red Hura, to either of which places the path was more passable. In the summer one did not mind the bad road; this was the case especially with the young people. On Sunday morning, the path across the meadows to the town was never empty. Here, one could see an old lady in a fur lined cloak, with a kerchief upon her head, and beside her an old man leaning upon his staff; one could see that he was old, for his hair was fastened down with a comb, a custom kept up by very old men. There, one could see women in white dove-caps, and men with fleece-lined jackets, hurrying across the foot bridge to the valley to overtake the others. From the hill above could be seen maidens frolicking about like fawns, and behind them young men like deer. Here, a white, puffed sleeve glances between the trees, then the bushes catch a floating streamer from the shoulder of some maiden, and then again one sees the bright colors of the embroidered jacket of some youth, till at last the whole happy company finds itself on the green plain below.

Coming home, Grandmother changed her clothes and then hurried about the house to see if anything had been neglected during her absence. After dinner, she lay down to rest a few moments. She usually fell asleep, and when she awoke she