Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-07-23

atty have been more than eleven, an
p the boy was probably four years younger
d A larger figure was still invisible, ,exccp
n in the indefinite outline Of the cloak, an
9 my friend ard indulged in some whis
\ pered speculations as to what i: nigh
turn out.
"The elder sister, doubtless" said he
with one of his cold smiles ga pretty ant
disconao!ate young woman, the heroine O
: your intended romance, and the winner o
my bottle of wine"'
: Have patience, said l, "haye patience
but l had not much myself. wished tht
young woman would awake, and l ear
ncstly hoped confess the fact-that she
might prove to be as pretty as l was sure
she was disconsolate. You may suppose
therefore, that it was with some anxiety
at length saw the cloak stir, and with some
surprise beheld emerge from it one of the
most ordinary and commonplace of all the
daughters of Eve She was obviously the
mother Of the two children, bu. although
endowed with all her natural faculties,
quite as helpless and dependent as the lit
tie boy She held out her hand to the
little girl, who kissed it affectionately in
the dutitul morning fashion of Fatherland;
and then dropping with that action the
manner Of the child, resumed, as if from
habit, the authority and duties of the pa
rent She arranged her mothers hair
and dress as she had done those Of her
brother, dictated to her the place and pos
ture in which she was to sit, and passed
full half hour-I can net now tel how
in quiet but incessant activity.
Time passed on; the other passengers
had all breakfasted; but no one had seen
the solitary family eat Two or three of
US remarked the circumstance to each
other, and suggested the propriety Of our
doing something. But what do was the
question, for although poor, they were OBJ
viously not beggars. at length venturrd
to offer biscuit to the little boy He
looked at it, and then at his sister, but did
not stir. The proceeding, apparently, was
contrary to their notions Of etiquette; and
| presented the biscuit to the mother '.for
her little SON" She took it mechanically
-indifferently-as if it was thing she
had no concern in, and handed it to the
girl. The little girl bowed gravely, NUT
tered some words in German, apparently
of thanks, and dividing the biscuit among
them, in three unequal portions, Of which
she kept the smallest to herself, they all
began to eat with some eagerness.
Hunger 70 said my friend-"I told
you nothing else"
" We shall see )" but 1 could not
think of any theory just then. The family
it appeared, were starving; they had IN
dertaken the little voyage without prepa-
ton of any kind in food, extra clothing,
or money; and, under such circumstances, /
they sat calmly, quietly, without uttering
4 single complaint. In few minutes
more substantial breakfast was before them;
and it was amusing to see the GOODNESS
with which the little girl commodore ac-
ccpted the providential windfa!l, as if it
had been something she expected, although
ignorant Of the quarter whence it should
come, and the business-like gravity with
which she proceed to arrange it on their
oint laps, and distribute the shares. Moth
ng escaped her; her sharp look was on
every detail if a fold of her mothers
,loak was out Of order, she stopped her
i'll she had set it right; and when her
brother coughed as he swallowed some !
ca, she raised his face, and patted him on .
he back. | admired that little creature :
With her wan face, and quick eyes, and
hin fragile shoulders but she had no at !
ention to bestow on any one but the fam i
ly committed to her charge.
"This is comical," said my friend al S
yonder what they are. But they have
lone breakfast; see how carefully the little {
,irl puts away the fragments Let us l
low ask them for what you call their story I
nd get them to relate the romantic circum- I
tances which have induced them to emf
rate to London, TO join some of their rel f
tiyes in the business of selling matches t
r grinding organs y '
We first tried the mother, but she, in 5
ddition to being of singularly taciturn,
Indifferent disposition, spoke nothing but L
ierman. The little boy answered only V
nth negative or affirmative. The COM i
aodore of the party, however, knew some
lords of French, and some of English, land v
re were able to understand what she told u
IS with no more difficulty than arose from
he oddity of the circumstances. The fol v
owing is the dialogue that took place be- a
ween US, with her polyglot part translated