The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1867-06-21
Wistellaueons.
Cherries of Hamburg.

In the early part of the sixteenth GEN.
fury cherries were very rare in Germany.
There had been rot, and it was with tho
utmost difficulty that any could be pre-
served. But citizen of Ham burg,
named Wolf, had in the middle of the
town a walled garden, and in the garden
he had gathered the rarest of cherry
trees, and by constant watchfulness he
had kept away the disease from his fruit,
so that he alone possessed healthy cherry
trees, and those in great abundance, bear
ing tho juciest cherries. All who wished
cherries must go to him for them, and
he sold them at tho highest prices, so
that every season he reaped great har-
vest of gold from his cherries Far and
near VOLTS cherry trees were known, and
he grew richer and more famous.
One season, when his cherry-trees
were in blossom and giving promise of an
abundant crop, war broke out in tho
north of Germany, in which Hamburg
was invaded. The city was besieged, and
so surrounded by the enemy, that no help
could reach it. Slowly they consumed
the provisions that were garnered, but
famine was staring them in the face nor
did they dare yield to The enemy, for in
those days there was little mercy
shown to the conquered, and while any
hope remained the people held out, ma
king vain sallies into the enemy's camp,
and growing weaker daily, as less and less
food remained to them.
Meanwhile, the enemy had grown
moro fierce without The heat was in
tense, and had dried up tho brooks and
springs in all the country about, so that
the besiegers were becoming wild with
thirst; it made them savager, and the
commanding general would listen to no
terms, but swore to destroy the city, and
to put all the inhabitants, soldiers and old
men, women aud children, to the sword.
But would it not be better thus to be
killed outright, than to suffer the slow
death of famine2 Wolf thought of these
things as be returned one day to his gar
den in the midst of the city, after week
of fighting with tue enemy. In his alb.
sence the cherries had rpened fast in the
sun, and were now superb, fairly burst
ing with the red juice, aud making ones
mouth to water at the sight.
A sudden thought came into his head
as he looked at his cherries, and hope
sprang up that he might yet save his fell
low townsmen. There was not moment
to lose, for twenty -four hours more of
suffering would make the people delirous.
He brought together all the children of
the town, to the number of three hundred,
and had them dressed wholly in white
In those days, and in that country fune.
raj professions were thus dressed. He
brought. them in his orchard and loaded
each with branch, heavy with rich,
juicy cherries, and marshaling them, sent
them out of the city, feeble procession,
to the camp of the enemy. The dying
men and women filed the streets as the
white sobed children passed through the
gates and out in the country.
The besieging general saw the process
sion drawing near, concealed by the
boughs they were carrying he suspected
some stratagem, as if it were Burnam
Wood coming to Dunsinane. Then be
was told that they were the children of
Hamburg, who. had heard that he and bis
army we're suffering with thirst, aud were
bringing luscious cherries to quench it.
Thercat he was very angry, for he was of
cruel and violent nature, and said that
they had come to mock him, and lie would
surely have them put to death before his
eyes, even as he had sworn he would do
to all the people Of the city.