age with Heidi and his goats. Near the church
and the parish house lay an old ruin that once had been a spacious
building. A brave soldier had lived there in days gone by; he had
fought in the Spanish war, and coming back with many riches, had
built himself a splendid house. But having lived too long in the noisy
world to be able to stand the monotonous life in the little town, he
soon went away, never to come back. After his death, many years later,
though the house was already beginning to decay, a distant relation of
his took possession of it. The new proprietor did not want to build it
up again, so poor people moved in. They had to pay little rent for the
house, which was gradually crumbling and falling to pieces. Years ago,
when the uncle had come to the village with Tobias, he had lived
there. Most of the time it had been empty, for the winter lasted long,
and cold winds would blow through the chinks in the walls. When poor
people lived there, their candles would be blown out and they would
shiver with cold in the dark. But the uncle, had known how to help
himself. In the fall, as soon as he had resolved to live in the
village, he came down frequently, fitting up the place as best he
could.

On approaching the house from the back, one entered an open room,
where nearly all the walls lay in ruins. On one side the remains of a
chapel could be seen, now covered with the thickest ivy. A large hall
came next, with a beautiful stone floor and grass growing in the
crevices. Most of the walls were gone and part of the ceiling also. If
a few thick pillars had not been left supporting the rest, it would
undoubtedly have tumbled down. The uncle had made a wooden partition
here for the goats, and covered the floor with straw. Several
corridors, most of them half decayed, led finally to a chamber with a
heavy iron door. This room was still in good condition and had dark
wood panelling on the four firm walls. In one corner was an enormous
stove, which nearly reached up to the ceiling. On the white tiles were
painted blue pictures of old towers surrounded by high trees, and of
hunters with their hounds. There also was a scene with a quiet lake,
where, under shady oak-trees, a fisherman was sitting. Around the
stove a bench was placed. Heidi loved to sit there, and as soon as she
had entered their new abode, she began to examine the pictures.
Arriving at the end of the bench, she discovered a bed, which was
placed between the wa