Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-10-07
A Story for tho Little Folks Tho Stony
Potatoes.

A Story for tho Little Folks -The Stony
..n, Potatoes.
TtilassA from tho German for the Atlthesist.
Ivan obscure tillage in tho beautiful
landed DGSlxi6, there once lived q good
family. who were oontentsd and happy
with lhe iHta1e they .poesessed. and with
what they uohld gain by hard labor. IL WAS
oftensdihcult fer tho parents to support
their: vseharen during Tie brad va5ti,ne
whet Nape1son was spreading such havoc
through Europe.
In the year 1872, the war between France
and Russia broke out. aud the head Of this
little family was compelled to become a
soldier in the army of Napoleon. When
the the hour came for him to separate from
his family he hardly knew how to do it,
especially because he had to leave them in
poverty, and almost without any hopes Of
assistance. The mother aud her children
chung to him a. long as they could, expect
ing never to see him again. His last words
before leaving were: '"rrust in God. pray
and labor; aud the Merciful Heavenly
Father will not leave you."
The mother did all that she could, by
sewing and spinning to gain bread for her
! children, but she was not able to do it.
for she was not strong enough to work all
the time. Just a. soon az the war began,
all kinds Of provisions became very high,
and the few friends. who had helped to
! support the poor peasant woman and her
children, after her husbands departure
for the war. had all they do to take care Of
themselves.
One evening, poor Maragrst, for that was
the mothers name, was looking out of the
window, at the sky, and as the cold winter
wind beat against her face, the hot bitter
tears streamed down her cheeks. In the
corner of the room her poor children were
sitting worn ont by hunger and aud shiver-
ing with cold. The day before. they had
eaten the last remnant Of bread. in the
house with the exception OF q piece Of crust
which the mother handed to Carl.
mo, dear mother, " said Carl, III Finette
cannot have anything, then also can eat
nothing" -, 49,
These words pierced her heart and she
did not think 81 any means ~ which she
could help The children. 81 -
"Mother." sid little Fritz, ''why don't
you give us potatoes, If there is no bread?
Yesterday our neighbor, Mr.. Muller, had q
large basket full ofthem, and I'm sure We
are just as hungry as they are"
Poor little Fritz did not understand what
poverty was as yet, though he knew that he
was very hungry. His mother, almost in
despair, rushed out of the door, went up
the road some distance, and brought back
in her apron number of good sized peb-
bles; which looked AZ if they might be po-
tatoes. She brought them into the house,
slipped them into the kettle, poured water
on them. and sid 20 the children: Now +
hope YOU, will Be encouraged. @ss
The children were almost wild with de-
light for they now thought that they would
have all the potatoes they wanted. They
soon became very impatient, but the moth
er would not allow them to look into the
kGttle. After while one aftcr another
begged her to ses if they were not cooked;
but I'll the time she knew that she had on.
~ put stones into the kettle, yet had done
so IN order that her children might be en-
couraged, and that, if possible they might
fall asleep.
& ssbs gained her end. Worn ont by weep
ing and expectation, Is we'll as by hunger,
one after smother fell asleep and poor Mar:
garet, when she saw that they were all
sound asleep, took the stones ont of the
kettle and threw them again into the road
The night was very dark, and when she
ner, and prayed the very words our Saw
ior uttered: MY God! My God why
hast thou forsaken me ~ Then abe fur
Their prayed: .'Give my children some
thing to eat If thou will, cannot stone be
made bread? II these children whom
thou hast given me do not have something
to eat soon, they must certainly die OF hum
GER
=. Her tears fell thick and fast, as she pray
ed, but all at once voice seemed to soy to
her: BE comforted, good woman your
prayer shall be heard and your tears shall
not be annoticed.
She arose and went to her children, who
were now sleeping soundly. She covered
them over with tho scanty bed clothes that
she had. and lay down 10 sleep herself. q
p She did not wake the next morning I'M
til the sun was shining against her little
cottage window. When she opened her
door what was her joy to find large basket
full Of potatoes and bread, and q large
pitcher of milk, before it !. On the basket
lay noto With these words: 'For the poor
hungering Children" 4 III ! 5a,t
She collected her chitlfen about her.
and as all fell ySon their knees, she thank
ed God for y. Kindness. While she was
IN tho Witlst of her prayer. she heard some
body approach the door. After she had
finished praying. she opened it again. when
she found before 1t q gentleman Of highly
respectable appeassncsi who said to her
these words = 6 ~ ~ q rs
Good woman you shall hunger NO more.
I know it alL Az I drove through the vii
lage last night, one Of my carriage wheels
ed, I took . walk In the darkness of the
night, through the strests. Fortunately,
came intoithe peiGhbolhood of your cot
tage andiI heard youH psaylr to our Heav.
eniy Fakherto RiveI your children some.
thing to eat. Behold he has not forsak-
on you; he has made mo an instrument to
caro- for you. learned from tho landlord
where took lunch, that your husband
had been drafted in the war, and that you
and your family were compelled to live in
great poverty. I also had : son in the wal
and he was as promising young man az
ever went to the battlefield But he came
back NO moSe. He was q hussar officer,
and he died heroic death. have money
and property left me, and, as have NO
ION, now, I must show to the needy that
love and bestoW upon them those favora
which would have given to- my son. !:
win be father to you. and will care fol
your children, and I have . house on my
estate, which has no tenant, and If you
children shall have at that You Iced.
An this seemed TO Margaret like q dream.
Her breath grey short and the gentleman
who stood before her ana spoke as he had
feared ahe wo1ld &int. 20 PAID. did me sud.
denly become Her;hlat thouRhtwas grat,
itude to God; for such unexpected good:
ness. and yet, said she to. her children: 81
am not surprised that my prayer had been
heard. fos It would IS stranger II our Heav.
emily Father did not bear aprayer Of faith
The next month found Margaret aud he,
children in tho house which the noblemar
had promised them. and II. was such 9
change ~ sesmad like : picture, or . dream
than real event IL their lives. Carl, in
his childish simplicity and innocence, said,
a. they entered the neat cottage, and found
. table spread for them with everything
that was nscesss1y; "gow, Finetts, We
need not hunger any more"
Remarkable Phenomenon.
From the Rochester Express.
On Saturday last-the day of the great
rain in Watkins-the most extraordinary
atmospheric phenomenon ever experienced
in Schuyler county took place near the res.
idence Of Isaac Zero, in the town of Orange.
,,,no - Aha Anan~:~k:o>> ,~o,>o10., loo1,,>