The Portland daily press., 1869-12-18
Selected story.
Something Like a Story.

the poor man needs fattenlng soTeiy, ior Wnat
with standing upright all DAY IKE SUCK
watching on the ramparls, anu oouguis pc
Lind corner of the tower when those base
Hohenstauieners make target of his honest
face. he peeds good oatmeal to keep his cour-
nee up. It's i'll fighting on an empty stom-
ich, and one needs eat and sleep, whatever
happens"
"Oh, mother!' cried a little child from her
stool by the fire, "when will the wicked sol.
oilers go away? do so want to run out into
The fields again, and gather the flowers, and
zee our poor COW. 1t would be onice to have
some beautiful rich milk again; don't like
porridge without any milk in it, and the poor
dear COW must be so sad and lonely WITHOUT
ever seeing us; she must long for some SAT- as
much as L long Tor the cream, mother; and !
want to show her my doll. Dolly hasnt mad
walk for ever SO long"
"ru tell YOU what will happen if you walk
in the fields with your precious old doll" cried
Heinrich; :" the soldiers will catch you, and
they'll make big fire, a huge fire as big as a
house, and they'll lay a spit across it where it's
hottest, and they'll put the doll on the spit
so-and it'll friz and smell horribly, like the
shabby bits Of the old fleece when mother
burnt them; and then won't YOU cry! Oh!
oh! oh! what fun! I'd go and walk in the
fields II l were you, wouldn't II and Master
Heinrich turned head over heels across the
kitchen table.
Go away, you naughty boy" said little
Elfrida, beginning to sob; how dare you say
my doll would smell horribly? She's a beali
tifal dear, and they shouldn't burn her, they
should bum me first" and the little five year
old maiden stamped her tiny feet and shook
her fist defian:ly.
They'd burn you afterwards, leased Helm
rich; when Dolly was frizzed, they'd cook
you; you're so fat you would be first rate, and
when you were done real brown, they'd take
You to The great fierce Conrad, and he would
open his mouth-so--.nd swallow you at one
gulph. They'd give the doll to the soldiers
she'd be tough"
Heinrich made horrible contortion and
snapped expressively at the air; Elfrida cried
hot angry tears chasing each other down the
round, pink cheeks, till the mother, who had
been gazing from the door needless of the
childlen's talk, turned round, and seeing her
little daughters distress and vaguely compre-
hending it administered swift jnstice on the
cuIprit with sounding blow from the por-
ridge spoon, and taking the little one into her
comfortable arms, she kissed and consoled
her.
A plague on the boys! they are worse than
any one. Haven't we trouble enough outside
the walls, but you must needs make your sis
Ter cry, aud worry my life out What is it,
my lamb? tell mother where he hurt you.
All! here's father; now it's all right, then, and
fatheril give her some of his supper and we'll
dry our eyes. Well. my man, you must be
tired enough and hungry too. What, faint
hearted. father! Why, never saw thee come
home with such a hang-down face before.
Hast lett the walls in ruins? Why, pluck up
heart, man; as long as the old town stands
we'll show tight; CHEEKY lace goes long
way in t5is world, and glad eyes make glad
healt. I've no patience with folks who de-
clare it's always raining because they are cry
ing behind their own windows. Eat the Dor.
ridge, father, and then thou wilt shout" down
with the best of them"
'Eb, tits easy taking wife," said the BERG h.
er, as drawing Off his heavy cap, ne sank down
YEARLY on the settle. "'Tis hard to lest with
heavy heart; who'd care to make fight for
The saucepan when the soup was eaten |?
Don't handy words with me, but kiss thy hus-
band and give him his supper; it's the last
thiog tbou'it do tor him in this world, unless
may be thou art up in time to cook me a
breakfast"
"Now, thunder and lightning the mans
gone clean DAFT in his bead! It's liker cuff
than kiss you'll get if you'll come home
with such talk as that as relish for supper.
Eat your food and thank Heaven for ii and
for giving you wife who will dish YOU I'D
another bowliul for the next fortnight, an
the meal hol1 o1t.
Nay, nay, then, Elspeth. 1t is no Joke of
mine or wandelings either. The town sent a
nag OF truce to the Hohenstaufens at twelve
to-day, and Conrads answer was free pardon
for the women and children, who should de-
part uuscathed, each laden with her treas
ures; but Tor the men, unconditional surrep-
der; and 'us thought it will go hard with us
and the town, for the soldiers are apeered nv
our long defence, and their master is hard to
deal with when his will has been crossed"
And you sit there and tell such a tale as
that to your own wife," cried Elspeth, "and
think you can look me in the face while you
do it! What do you take me for, father.
whove looked after you, and loved YOU. and
mended and cooked for you all these years"
and her voice shook 81, who'ye vowed to
care for you this side of heaven land precious
hard you'd find it to get there without me
to say nothing of the washing and have stood
by you and the children through thick and
thin? You are going TO say, Good morning,
Elspeth; fine journey to you,' and Pm to 20
rom my own home and my own house, and
leave you and the Hohenstaufeners to sun off
schinken together! You've not got to the
bottom OF The wife's mind yet, nv master.
II go from Weinsburg tomorrow morning,
I'll take you with mew
The father only answered, "Eh, eh! 'tis
easy talking" and smothering something that
sounded like groan, he held out his arms to
Inc child. Elirida seated herself costly on his
knee, and stroked the sorrowful face and fed
MIN with great spoontus Of porfidge, as it
was her nightly pleasure to do. She was a
very fair little maiden, so short and so fat that
measure where you would she was the same
length al over; her eyes were very large.
round and blue, just like the bluest Summer
sky when you have forgotten there can ever
be clouds again and her cheeks were round
also, and summer and winter, two roses bloom
ed there from morning till night The child
lad her face against her fathers shoulder, and
whispered '1N
You won't let me 90? Heinrich saws
they'll cook Dolly and me, and he saws She's
Tough; it was very cruel of him. Oh, faith ar.
don let them have Dolly and mer
a great sob came in her fathers throat. he
tried TO look as If the porridge had choked
hlm, and cleared his voice; but after all the
words would not come, so he only held her
very closely and kissed her shining hair
Meanwhile Elspeth was restless; she walk
ea ABOUT the house with an air OF strange ex-
cltement pacing hurriedly up and down the
rooms. AT length, flinging hood over her
head, she cried
Don't speak to me, or wait for me, but put
the child to bed, and let those sleep who can.
must speak a word to the Town Council
before ever close my eyes,
Poor SOUR sighed the husband; "thv mo-
theirs bit sharp, little one, at times, but she's
true as steel. knew it would go hard with
her; let her talk as she will, she'll find the
deeds done and the terms accepted, and be-
fore the sur set tomorrow every wife and
child will be safe out of poor old Weinsberg,
and Heaven help those who are left! You'll
nave to begin new life tomorrow, nv son.~
ne SAID, turning to Heinrich, who, astounded
by the sudden tuln matters had taken. sat
quiet and opened-eyed by the fire, having
swallowed the last morsel of supper.
-, Thou must care now for mother and the
httie one, and work hard to earn them a piece
OF bread. It'll be lucky if poor fathers head
isn't stuck on his own pikestaff."
AT this awful representation Heinrich be-
gan to cry, and as his sister instantly Joined
the chorus, the burgher found he had hardy
improved matters, and so proposed as more
cheerful suggestion that they should all 60 10
bed. This the children did accordingly, cry
ing Justify Tor the first five minutes when they
were laid down, and, after the manner of
chldrea, forgetting all their sorrows Ia sound
est sleep at the end OF the next ten.
Elspeth was back again before midnight:
she iound her husband weared out and living
asleep by the cold hearth.
Let MIN sleep, poor SOUL" she said; she'll
DC more out OF my way, and there is plenty
10 be done between this aud cockcrow. What. |
,nou thought l should 60, did'st thou. with
Dag and baggage, and by your leave to the
army out yonder, and let those blood,hirsty
soiuiers walk over the Threshold and fire a
goou Two dozen arrows into nv husband. and
hot tnere 10 cover him; and a woman of |
my nSure Is brave target and a figure not to |
pe oesp se9. r. n'ess thee, dear hearth and |
see stopped ioI q moment, and in sudden ten !
derness pressed her lips on tue tired foraheaj. |
march