LINES ON THE KÄSEGROTTE.
Pure and beautiful the streamlet flows,
Fresh from the earth it springs;
Like heavenly light that o’er earth glows,
And fans the angels’ wings.
Within the grot a Spirit dwells,
Lovely, and pure, and sweet;
Hard by the streamlet gently wells,
Cooling the fair retreat.
So, hidden in the heart of man,
Is love for nature pure;
So, ever since the world began,
Has welled God’s mercy sure.
Close to this grotto is a seat commanding an exquisite view of the Alf-bach; its course is blocked with masses of stone washed down by its torrent: these stones form the brook into a succession of little pools, in which the setting sun reflects his brightness. Paths along the brook lead through groves in which seats, beautifully placed, are dedicated to different German poets.
Another little spring, called the Peter’s Brunnen, on the side of the hill opposite the village, is famous for the extreme clearness and coldness of its waters; the water is collected into a cistern, and sitting in the shade under the rock which holds these cold waters, the air is cool even on the hottest day. A lion’s head allows the imprisoned spring to send forth its waters, which trickle and splash into a bason underneath.