Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-03-12
THE BURNING PENNY.

town In Germany but the nelSnDoIuS PpaS-
ants came down from their mountain homes,
and sought to forget the vigor OF the season
in innocent festivity. Family groups assem-
bled together, the voice of song and OF cmd-
! ish merriment resounds from many an hum
BE home, and preparations are being made
for general Illumination.
| Veronica Madel had, for some time past,
supported her blind father and little brother
by lace-making. Once they had known bet
ter days. The father had been slater, an in
dustrious man, but had lost his eyesight from
the effects of conflagration which he had
bravely helped to extinguish. His wife
did not long survive this calamity, but died,
partly of grief, partly of over-exertion, COM
hitting her blind husband and her infant boy
to the care of her daughter Veronica, herself
stiIl q child.
Veronica's mind however, had been pre-
| matirely ripened by the care and sorrow
| which had so early fallen to her lot and well
fulfilled the charge committed to her by her
| dying parent.
On this Christmas Eve of which we speak,
the young girl had been seated before her lace
pillow, working without intermission from ear
" morning till night closed in then poor
child, she was forced to pause in her labors,
for she could not afford light. She made,
however, good fire in the stove to warm her
blind father and having placed him in his
easy chair close by its side, she yielded to her
little brothers entreaties that she would take
him out to see the illumination. ...
The two children accordingly set forth to-
gether Already the whole town was aStir.
Miners in their characteristic costume march
ed along in groups, with bands of music pre-
ceding them; and ever and anon they paused
before the door of some wealthy citizen and
carolled forth their Christmas greetings. Then
the door of the house so honored might be
seen to open, and the master himself would
generally step forth and reward the leader of
the serenade by presenting to him some small
gratuity. Children, following the example of
their elders, wandered also in little bands
from door to door, singing their Christmas
carols and seldom were the young singers
dismissed without some trif1ing present, &C
companied by kindly word.
As Veronica passed on her way holding
her little brother by the hand, and gazing on
these groups, a new thought suggested itself
to her mind "Why should she not seek to.
win some triflng Christmas gifts for the poor
blind father ~
Timidly, and with beating heart, the poor
child bent her steps towards part of the
town where she was but little known. The
character she was about to play was very new
to her; and her heart well nigh failed her when
it came to the point but love to her father
nerved her to the task and, drawing her
hood closely around her, she stepped close
under the window of a house of lowly aspect,
and sang in very clear, though subdued
tone, the following verse:
"Cheer up, We miners bold,
Nor let your courage flag!
For earth her wealth untold, o..
Yields to your patient toll
Then njoyous dig beneath the soil
And still be your gathering cry, =
Cheer up, brave hearts, cheer up"
Veronica's voice was tremulous with fear.
when she began these simple lines bot she
gained courage as she proceeded and she re-
peated the burden of the song with spirit and
energy She then paused, and anxiously a.
waited the result of her efforts. Two or three
minutes elapsed the time seemed long to
poor Veronica she felt hnmiiiated and con-
fused and was about to withdraw but at
last the door turned on its hinges, and swo-
man came out and placed iii Veronicas trem-
bling hands small cake and two-penny
piece.
The poor child could scarcely contain her.
self for joy "Oh, my dear little George p
she exclaimed, "see what happy beginning
have made You shall have the sugar plum;
but the cake and the money are for father,
that he too may be able to keephis Christmas
feast"
The night was now far advanced and
Veronica thought she would make but one
trial more before''she returned her steps home
ward This time she determined on trying
her chance at the door of rich man, an in
spector of some mines. .-.
Clear and firm her young voice now rose
through the still midnight air; and when her
song ceased, the window on the first floor of
the house opened, and an arm was stretched
out, holding slender pair of tongs by means
ofwhich a piece of money was placedin Vero-
nica' open hand. But scarcely had she re-
ceived this Christmas gift ere a cry of pain
escaped her lips, a cry which was responded
to by laugh of insulting mockery from the
heartless wretch who was still standingin in the
open window. The penny which he had hand
ed to the poor child had been drawn red hot
| from the fire. Veronica hastily dropped the
perfidious gift, and, with many bitter tear,
| retraced her steps to her lonely home. f..
When Veronica returned to her fathers
side and told him of the gifts she had brought,
it cost the poor girl severe struggle to con-
ceal her sufferings and speak to the blind man
| in cheerful tones. He, unconscious of the
pain she was enduring, asked her to sing for
him once more before she retired to rest and
| then he kissed his darling, and bestowed on
her his Christmas blessing bit Veronica's
hand panied her much, and she went to bed
with heavy heart.
In the mountain districts of Germany, the
: schools are very large, one master not unfre-
quently having charge of two hundred child
| rem. Under these circumstances, he can
scarcely be expected to have any particular
acquaintance with the disposition or tastes
| of each individual scholar, unless some casu-
| al occurrence chances to bring it to his no.
| tice.
Is not your hand healed yet ?" one day
incurred NJ. Rossel, the parish schoolmas-
ter, addressing one of his pupils Veronica Ma
del
| Veronica unfastened the bandage, which
she daily tied as well as she could with her
left hand and the worthy schoolmaster, see
ing the infamed state of the wound, became
very indignant when he learned how it had
been produced Shameful" he exclaimed,
''thus to injure child singing her Christmas
carol Will you let me hear your song, my
little maid love music we'll myself You
know 1 am the parish precentor as well as the
schoolmaster." a.
Veronica timidly obeyed The schoolmas-
ter was to her formidable auditor; but the
good mans kindness soon set her at ease -
and she sang with so much expression
that M. Rossel was not only surprised but
moved. "Who taught you to sing thus, my
child p he inquired when the young songs
tress paused. .@. : 20.
"No one," she replied ''my father is
blind, he often finds the day very long, and ]
sing to him to amuse him. 1t is almost the
greatest pleasure he has, and am so glad Of
that, for we are poor, and he cannot afford
himself many other pleasures.
| "But the melody itself, and the method