Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/77

Rh she found herself at a well. She knelt down eagerly and took a drink. When she looked about, she saw several well beaten paths; but she did not know which to take, since from her late experience she had found that not every path leads home. Then she remembered that whenever her mother was in trouble she would go to her room to pray; so she, too, knelt down and asked God to lead her out of the woods.

"Suddenly she hears strange sounds. They ring clearer and clearer in her ears. She does not know what is happening to her, what those sounds mean. She begins to tremble with fear, to cry, she wants to run away, when behold! a white sheep comes toward her from the wood, behind her a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, till the whole flock stand about the spring. These are her father's sheep, for here comes the shepherd's large, white dog, and here is Barta, the shepherd, himself. She cried out Barta! and ran to meet him. The good shepherd was delighted to find the lost child, and greatly astonished to hear her speak. He took her in his arms and hastened to the farm-house, which was but a short way off. Lady Turynsky was there distracted with grief, for the sudden disappearance of her daughter had filled her with consternation. But her joy knew no bounds when Barta placed the little one in her arms all safe and sound and healed,—able to speak and hear. The happy parents, out of thankfulness to God, determined to build a chapel upon the spot where the miracle had been performed. The chapel you see yonder is the very same chapel, and the well near it is the well out of which she drank, and those woods are the