n the opposite, northern, eastern, and western sides of the valley the
mountains rise in long ridges and are of lower elevation: scattered
fields and meadows climb up along their sides till rather high up, and
above them one sees clearings, chalets, and the like, until at their
edge they are silhouetted against the sky with their delicately serrated
forest--which is indicative of their inconsiderable height--whereas the
mountains toward the south, though also magnificently wooded, cut off
the shining horizon with entirely smooth lines.

When one stands about in the centre of the valley it would seem as if
there were no way out or into the basin; but people who have often been
in the mountains are familiar with this illusion: the fact is, diverse
roads lead through the folds of the mountains to the plains to the
north, some of them with hardly a rise; and to the south where the
valley seems shut in by precipitous mountain-walls, a road leads over
the "neck" mentioned above.

The village is called Gschaid and the snow-mountain looking down upon
it, Gars.

On the other side of the "neck" there lies a valley by far more
beautiful and fertile than that of Gschaid. At its entrance there lies a
country-town of considerable size named Millsdorf which has several
industrial enterprizes and carries on almost urban trade and business.
Its inhabitants are much more well-to-do than those of Gschaid and,
although only three hours away, which for these labor-loving
mountaineers used to great distances is only a bagatelle, yet manners
and customs are so different in the two valleys and even their external
appearance is so unlike that one might suppose a great number of miles
lay between. This is of common occurrence in the mountains and due not
only to the more or less favored position of the valleys but also to the
spirit of the natives who by reason of their differing occupations are
inclined this way or that. But in this they all agree, that they adhere
to established customs and the usages of their forefathers, lightly bear
the absence of great traffic, cling to their native valley with an
extraordinary love; in fact, can hardly live out of it.

Months, ay a whole year may pass without a native of Gschaid setting
foot into the valley beyond and visiting the town of Millsdorf. The same
is true of the people of Millsdorf, although they have more intercourse
with the country beyond and hence live in less seclusion than the
village