St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-09-22

motive. In after-times, | think the
look of gratitude which beamed from
the soldiers eyes, the broken words
of blessing which dropped from his
white lips, must have been a dearer
more blessed memory to the heart oi
her who, naturally timid, forgot tina,
. timidity under the influence of wo
mans holiest promptings of tender
ness and mercy, than the subsequen,
+ homage, the brilliant fortune showercd
on the being who, with eager eyes
and avaricious grasp. was busily em.
ployed in examining her pockets with
that which indeed ultimately proved
+ more valuable towards her aggrand
izement than the gold for which she
took the packages strewed around.
/. But Johanna's career of greedy &C
4uirement is speedily stopped. A
Prussian colonel rides up. lie has nc
idea of the girls sclf.deception. He
hastily dubs her in his mind-a mind
heated by the excitement of action
as an ardent heroine aspiring to aid
his troops in their temporary distress.
My brave girl those pockets will
not hold enough fill your apron.
Quick, here, young woman !" Ito Caro-.
line, who still knelt by the dying,
" do the same-as one goes, the other
can come back !"
There was no murmur of disobe.
diencc possible Here was the terri
BILE Prussian flaming with lond voice,
stern IN command, indisputable in au,
thorlty. johanna was quite uncon,
scious OF the admiration with which
the great man, whom she took for a
general at least, viewed her. Fear
alone made the girl obey, and indeed
as her retreat was by this time cut of
by body of advancing troops, to Sc
back was impossible, to go forward
lnadvisablc. Her acceptance of the
duty imposed was, however, as prompt
and ready as if the action had really
emanatcd from herself. She was al,
ways sturdy and bustling, and not
less SO now, when bullets whistlcd
around, and she was in mortal fear.
Quickly she filled her apron, and as
quickly ran with her burden, to the
poor fellows, who for want Of them,
were being rapidly picked off by the
French fire, man by man. AS she re-
turned Caroline performed the same
good Office ; so, backwards and for
wards amidst a rattling fire, and vol
lcys of no less fiery oaths, amidst
blood, carnage, the groans Of dying
| a. I II
Stegen and Caroline Berger carry pal
after pail of cartridges, distributing
them to the troops, till the day ad
vanced, and the allies had gained the
victory-gaincd it, as all to a man
declared, by the heroic conduct of a
woman-that woman, Johanna Stegen
Caroline, her pale face heated by
the danger and stern excitement o
the scene, equally arduous, equally
even more usly-obliviou o
danger, is permitted, unnoticed, un
thanked, to make her way back a:
best she can to Grimm, there to amaze
the pastoral inhabitants with the reel
tai of that adventurous and blood
stained morning.
Our Johannah was not too much
overpowered by bashfulness to remain
on the field, waiting for applause apd
thanks. She had wit enough to sec
that she was appreciated beyond wha'
she had merited. However, Just then
every one was too busy with rejoicing
/. and hopes of plunder, to notice her
whom they considered the victress O
the day.
As, weary and disappointed, sh,
was about to return to Grimm, tn,
same colonel who had directed tn,
milk-girl's efforts, rode up to her, hot
and ready to drop off his horse will
fatigue.
MY girl-quick-your apron-giv,
to me. Not word-off with it
| that's right--now, your name-Johan
, na-Johanna what2 Johanna Stcgel
so Now, my lads, onward Strag
glers fall back
2 And theroupon, one of the strag
glers, who could not comprehend wha
, that grand, terrible, fierce soldier coul
want with her apron, now half,drty
f stained with blood and the moistur
= OF her weary brow fell back at tn
Y word OF command, and PRESENT.
5 changing her mind about Grimm, sh
0 slowly followed in the rear of the al
my, who acknowledged her as its pre-
Y server, and who by this time ha
hoisted her apron in front of the troops
!. as an ensign and emblem of how
!, great victory had been won.
G Arrived at Luneberg, our milkmai
who, as yet, knew not she NIGH
place the adjective fortunate betor
o her name-went at once to the hous
o OF her mother, who Ca poor widow
0 gained hard bread and little enoug
t salt by charing and washing. Sh
n feared, perhaps, to return to Grimm
d where heroism was likely to kick tn
p beam when weighed against the los
!, OF sundry pals Of milk, wasted {
$ seized by thirsty fellows as lawf'
9 spoil, and for which she had not tn
e means of paying. She claimed til
n shelter Of the maternal roof and rel
e ted her adventure to her mother, nj
II without many reproaches on the pal
/, OF that virtuons matron, for interfe
e ing among a party of rapscallion sc
a diers, who ate, drank, and devoure
IS that night at the expense of LuneberI
a But Johanna's triumph rose ne,
is day with the sun. The King of Pru
% sia took possession of the city, an
II the first act Of royalty, was to maxi
a proclamation for the owner of ii
(, White Apron, who was by no mcaI
backward in creeping forth from ht
x obscurity.
n That night a grand banquet wa
h held at the Schloss Lupeberg, and J,
g hanna sat at the monarch's right han'
N Robust and horid as she was, no bell
8, attracted such universal notice or a,
n miration as this fortunate milkmai,
d Her glowing hair was called colder
IF her ruddy cheeks blooming, and h'