The Lincoln County herald., 1872-05-30
AUNT ,RESsIE's MISTAKE.

W sverS--my young hisces and l.
sitting closely arosnd the big white Ger.
man stove FOR the thcrnometer marked
forty degrees Of frost, and Q Hamburg
wintst ii for 'coldssSt ssthing 10 femem-
Der aud exc to talk Of in the days to
eome. u sas getting late in the evening,
sod the three girls, she eldest Of whom
was Bsasly sixteen, had just ssen their
hsther--my we'll loved brother John =
and their young step mother, who loved
Rayety snd dancing Us fair creatures of
her age are apt to do. take their depart
ure in the freezing January air-which
had ilssad y, biscS the-fr6sfset in, nipped
the life out Of two coachmen on their
boxes and three ssntries at their posts =
10 search of such gsyety ss 10 to be found
at the pondsrous entertainments gotten
up regardless Of expense by the merchant
princes Of the Free Town.
Since their dear mothers deaths sad
event which, as it had happened six
years before, time had msrcifuliy softsusd
ts us all l, being ss old maid, and more
than willing TO make myself generally
useful, had faken up my absde with
John, .snd endsavorsd, TO the bsst of my
ability, to supply the place Of her whom
they had lost. They we're good chill
dren, affectionate and compliant. Per.
haps that which was said Of me might be
true, namely, that I over indulged them
as little ones, and showed lack Of judg-
ment as they grew older but arguing
from results, no crest harm was done.
John vas satisfied, aud both before and
after his second marriage everything
went on peaceably in his household a
state Of things which he, poor. dear fellow
being of an indolent turn Of mind, was
quite capable Of approaching at its full
value.
Tho reasons for our being at Hamburg
during the bitter winter Of 1856 were
partly business. Johns first wife had
been half q Dane; and some rich rela'
tious living at Altoona being desirous o.
making acquaintance with their deceased
! kinswomau . children, it was decided
(seeing that q wealthy old bachelor uncle
was failing fast) that no time should b
lost in complying with his wishes. MAY
we all called the young stepmothsr b,
her Christian name, for she was young
and good ns,ured-made no objection
; had she done 90, John would have
Welded at once. So We set of, larg'
. par.y-via Hull, for our home was il
the north of Englaud--to the cold bu
hospitable North German city.
A good many years before, when thu
girls we're tiny trots-indeed, Lottie, th'
. youngest, had not yet made her appear
auce on lifs's stage-I had accompanied
my brother aud his family on . thrs
. months visit to the place in which VI
had now, in pleasant apartments on tn
Jungfernstieg, installed ourselves 70
the winter. Twelve years and more ha
slipped away since I, comparativs
, young woman then, passed q gay Ham
burg winter, making many acquaintance
and cementing my intimacy with on
= whom then thought valuable frieu
among the rich inhabitants Of the ol
Hanse town. 1t was concerning th
last mentioned lady, as to whose charat
ter and merits l have long ago discovere
that | had made a very decided mistake
that l was about-aftsr some entreat
from the girls, to whom l had ono
4 promised "a story" apropos Of Hambur
/. society-as wo four sat around the wei
ID heated stove, to open the budget Of M
T. memory. Perhaps was wrong and Vi
=, wise in doing so. They were 30 younI
u 80 ignorant Of evil Maybe, however,
was well that the knowledge which
required to make women wise shoul
come BY degrees, and accompanied b
the "precspt upon precept" which mo
help to neutralizs its III effects; and s
believing in this possibility, | began IN
tale as follows:
"A prettier or more winning creatul
, than GertrydA Rack psaAit yotld ha'
- been hardNtwelve yesrs 'ago, mind do
Of ling to 6nd. Yev vii probably SOC
At be able to judge for yourselves whsth'
. she las kept the promise, pf her, youtt
- for your father heard Yesterday that Il
y Ruct maun's who have been spendir
some time. 10 )praukfost, Z intsSd short
to return here for the remainder Of Il
winter, To 20 back, however, to n
% storJ. GsstrudssI mother was an, 81
Eglish woman. and about two months b
>, fore our depastars we hsd made b
acquaintance at home, and for '
bad become what girls call frieods
70 greatly looked forward TO meeting h
" agait 10 her osu country. She was ve
gay, fond Of admiration, and decidedly,
her vay, clever, and ~ shs aodI Ike
20 up, hy mutual consent, tho intims'
which had begun At home, it follow
that Gsrty. who certainly felt no shyns
in talking Of herself and her sdnirel
intrusted me with . good many Of Il
small secrets of her heart. Amo'
these, but this il forsstalliug, was b
very decided liking for young officer
the Hanoverian service, whose name "
~ Compton. and he was certainly handsou
. as we'll as agreeable, enough to justi
ur- her penehant.
A ehes mint in unv nsrpskiva -