THE TOWN OF WILDBAD.

25

their grey mossy beards, and won’t teil, unless she leave off her heathenish courses and assume a proper Christian name. What are names to her! —still like a good cliild she listens to counsel, and benceforth goes under tlie surname of Enz. Then she encounters man, tliat ugly creature, and he reminds her tliat she is a German woman and must work; 1 so he puts heavy loads on her hack and raakes her carry tliem, and whenever she is weary, he stops her and makes her collect her forces. At first she frowns, hut then she does it cheerfully, and as you see her passing by Wild­bad, you hear her noisy prattle, and see how playfully she puts her shoulders to the heavy millwhecls, turning them round and round incessantly. At Calmbach she is joined by her younger sister, the small Enz ; farther on the turbulent Eyach too, and the strong Nagold, unitc with her, to play and work. Tlius, as she leavcs the tall pines and taller rocks of the Black Forest, she gets over her teens, and from Enzberg sedately moves between soft meadows and grcen vineyards. She knows what she is about and never romps now, for she is well aware that her bride- groom, youthful Neckar, is ready to clasp her to bis bo- som whenever she may be inclined to join him. Well, at last she ovcrcomes her maiden-coyness; at Besigheim their union takes place, and from thencc tliey pursue their career peacefully like a good married eouple, sprcading blessings on evcry side, as tliey move along in the stream of life, until tliey dissolve in miglity Jlliine, and with his green wavcs are borne to the vast sea of Eternity. —

The town of Wildbad , as alrcady has been mentioned, is sitnated in the valley of the Enz, whicli liere runs from South-West to North-East; dividing the place into two uu- equal portions, connected by three bridges. It is sliut in by high precipitous mountains, rising from twelve hundred