Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-04-15
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From the New Eclectic Magazine.
LITTLE BAREFOOT.
FROM THE GERMAN OF BERTHOLD
AUERBACH
AUTHOR OF or THE meHTs," rHR VILLA
ON HE RHINE" ETC., .To.
v.

CHAPTER v.
Dami now came with the key. Amrei
wished TO take 1t from him, but be would
not give it to her. With the conceited
importance Of child, he said that he had
soiesrnly promised the charcoal burners
wife 20 give the key to no one but his un>
Gle. Her uncic took it, and il seemed as
if charmed secret was about to be dis
closed, when the key ratified ard turned
in the loek,-the latch was pressed down
and the door opened. A peculiar vault
like chill breathed out from the dark
room. A small hear of ashes lay on the
hearth Of the room which had been used
as kitchen; on the door still remained
the name OF Casper Mclchoir, and Bal;nss,
beneath which the year of their rarcnts
death was written in chalk. Amrei read
II aloud; her father must have written
that. Lock cried Dami, the eight is
drawn just as you make it, and as our
teacher has forbidden, from the right to
the left Amrei signed to him 10 he qui>
ct. Ii was fearful and sinful 10 hear
Dami speaking SO lightly. here where /,
seemed to be like church, In the midst
of eternity, quite away from the world,
and yet within. She opened the door Of
the chamber. The room was as dark as
the grave, for the shutters were closed. snd
only faint ray of sunshine came through
q crevice, and fell on an angels head ur>.
en- the tiled stove, 30 that the angel ap>
peared to smile. Amrei fell down from
terror; and when she arose, her uncle had
opened the shutters, and The warm air
came in. Within here, Il was cold. In
the room, there was nothing LEFT Of the
furniture except . bench nailed TO the
wall. There her mother had spun, and
there she bad guided little Amre,s hands,
how to knit.
We'll. children, less 60 now their uncle
said; II. is net good to stay here. Come
with me to the Bakers, and l viii. buy
you some white bread; OF would you
rather have . prctzel.
No, let Us stay here while longer,
Amrei said, and continued to caress the
bench where her mother used to Sit
Pointing to white spot on the wall, she
continued musingly: 'OIr cuckoo>clock
used to hang there, and there my fathers
soldiers discharge. and there the skeins
Of thread my mother spun; she could
even spin better than Black Marann, for
Black Msrann has said so; always a pen.
ny more for the pound than any other
person, and also everywhere was net the
smallest knot in 1t. And do you see that
ring up there In the ceiling? That used to
be there when she spun the thread. II l
had only known it at the time, wsuld
not have permitted them to sell mothers
distaff; il was an heirloom. But no one
took any interest in US. Oh, mother! oh.
father. fyou oalY knew how We were
tosssd about, you would mourn up there
In heaven
Amrei began to weep aloud and Dami
with her. Their uncle, too, wiped away q
tear, and urged them to 60, for it afflicted
him to give unnecessary pain 10 the child>
rem; but Amrei said paSsionately. Even II
you 40, will stay here
What do you mean? You will not go
with mes'
Amrei was frightened, for she now be>
came conscious of what she had said, and
she replied:
No, In the Other matterI have deter
mined nothing yet. ] only mean this: That
l will not leave the house Until l have
everything again. Come, Dami; for you
are my brother; go up with me to The loft,
where we used to play hide>and-seek be
hind the chimnvy; and then we will look
out Of the window where we used 10 dry
mushrooms. Don't you recollect what
fine gold pieces he used to get fer theml'
Something rustled and rolled over the
ceiling. All three were frightened. But
their uncle said: Remain here Dami, and
and you too. What do you want up
there7 Don't You hear what rattle the
mice are making7'
Come along; they won't eat us, urged
Amrei. But Dami was positive he was
not going, and although Amrei was fright
ended, che still took courage, and went up
alone 10 the left. But shs soon como back
y pale - death, with nothing bot wisp
fsf straw In her haads