rs of Gschaid. A road which might be called a high-road leads
through the length of their valley and many a traveler passes through it
without suspecting in the least that to the north of him, on the other
side of the snow-mountain towering high above him, there is another
valley with many scattered houses and the village with its pointed
church-tower.

Among the trades of the village which supply the necessities of the
valley is that of the shoemaker, indispensible indeed to man excepting
in his most primitive condition.

But the natives are so high raised above that condition that they stand
in need of very good and durable footgear for the mountains. The
shoemaker is the only one of his trade in the valley--with one
inconsiderable exception. His house stands on the public square of
Gschaid where most of the larger dwellings are situated and its gray
walls, white window-frames, and green shutters face the four
linden-trees. On the ground-floor are the workshop, the workmen's room,
a larger and a smaller sitting-room, the shop, and then the kitchen and
pantry; the first story or, more properly, the attic-space, contains the
"upper-room" which is also the "best room." In it there stand two beds
of state, beautifully polished clothes-presses; there is a china-closet
with dishes, a table with inlaid work, upholstered easy-chairs, a
strong-box for the savings. Furthermore there hang on the walls pictures
of saints, two handsome watches, being prizes won in shooting-matches,
and finally there are some rifles both for target-firing and hunting,
with all the necessary paraphernalia, carefully hung up in a special
case with a glass-door.

Added to the shoemaker's house there is a smaller house, built exactly
like it and, though separated from it by an arched gateway, belonging to
it like part of a whole. It has only one large room with some closets.
Its purpose is to serve the owner of the larger house as habitation for
the remainder of his days, after having left the property to his son or
successor; there to dwell with his wife until both are dead and the
little house stands empty again and is ready for another occupant. To
the rear of the shoemaker's house are stable and barn; for every dweller
in the valley carries on farming along with his regular occupation and
makes a good living from it. Behind these buildings, finally, is the
garden which is lacking to none of the better houses of Gschaid, and
from which the villag