The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-09-22
MYRTLE, THE Gypsy GIRL.
BY NJ. NJ. ERCKMANN CHATRAIN.

BY NJ. NJ. ERCKMANN CHATRAIN.
At the extreme end of the village of
Dosenheim, in Alsace, few steps above
the sandy footpath which leads to the
wood, stands pretty little house sur
rounded by fruit trees, its fiat roof
laden with heavy stones, its gabled front
projecting over the valley. Flights of
pigeons are whirling about, hens scratch
ing under the hedges; upon the little
garden wall is perched a cock, whose
crow is repeated by the echoes of the
Falberg two branches of vine cover
the front of the house and spread them
selves out under the roof; a staircase
with wooden railing, on which clothes
are hanging out to dry, leads up to the
first story. Mount this staircase, and at
the end of short passage you come to
the kitchen, with its plates and dishes
and fat soup-tureens open the door on
your right, and you enter the large sit
ting.room, with its old oak furniture, its
ceiling supported by heavy brown
beams, its old.fashioned Nuremberg
clock ticking the time.
A woman about thirty-five years old,
wearing closely-ftting bodice of black
silk and black velvet cap with wide
hanging ribbons, is sitting there spin.
ming.
A man in plush coat and brown cloth
breeches, with wide forehead and calm,
thoughtful expression, is whistling to q
fat, chubby-faced boy, and jumping
him on his knee.
Such was the House of Bremen, and
such were Bremen, his wife Catherine,
and their little boy Fritz, in the year of
grace 1920. | picture them to myself
Just as ! have described them to you.
Christian Bremen had formerly served
in the chasseurs of the Imperial Guard.
After the year 1915, he married Cathe-
rine, his old love, when she was no
longer young, but still blooming and
full of charms. With his own property,
his house, four or five acres of vine
yard, the land which he got with Cath
crime, Bremen was one of the most we'll
TODD men in Dosenheim he might
have been mayor or deputy mayor, or
principal councillor, if he liked, but he
did not care for these honors, and when
he had done his days work in the field,
his only pleasure was to take down his
gun, whistle to his dog Friedland, and
90 for turn IN the woods.
Now one day, when he came back
from shooting, he brought with him in
his great game pouch, little gypsy
girl, lively as a squirrel and brown as
berry. He had found her at the foot
of tree, beside a poor gypsy woman,
dead from fatigue, and perhaps from
hunger.
Catherine cried out and protested
against having the child, but Bremen,
who was quite the master of his own
house, simply announced 10 his wife
that the little one was to be baptized
and given the name of Susan Frederick
Myrtle. and was to be brought up with
little Fritz.
OF course all the gossips in the village
came by turns to look at the little
gypsy, whose grave and thoughtful face
quite astonished them. "She is not
like other children" said they. She
is little heather IA regular little
heather. You can see by her black
eyes that she understands everything.
She is listening to us now. You had
better take care, Master Christian; gip-
sizes have hooked fingers. If you rear
young weasels, you will find out one fine
morning that your cook is throttled and
your eggs all gone
''Get along with your exclaimed
Bremen, "and mind your own business.
| have known Russians, Spaniards,
Italians, Germans, Jews, some had
brown skins, some black, some red
some had hooked noses, some snub
noses; and everywhere, yes, among all
of them, have found them to be hon.
est, worthy men,"
THAT might be-" said the gossips,
"but then all those people lived in
houses, whereas gipsies live in the
open air"
Bremen would hear no more, so he
took the women by their shoulders, and
pushed them gently enough toward the
door. saying as he did so, go along, 90
along don't want any of your advice.
1t is time to attend to the farm, to clean
ont the stables and wash the floor
The gossips were not, however en-
tirely in the wrong, as unhappily was
proved twelve years afterward.
Fritz delighted to feed the cattle and
10 take the horses to water, TO go with
his father to the fields to dig, or SOW, or