The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-05-24
AUNT BESSIE,S MISTAKE.

man stove for the thermometer
marked forty degrees Of frost, and
Hamburg winter is for GOODNESS a thing
TO remember and exc to talk of in the
dals 10 come. 1t was getting late in
the evening, and the three girls, the
eldest OF whom was hearing sixteen,
had Just seen their father-my well.
beloved brother John-and their young
step-mother, who loved gayety ana
dancing rs fair creatures of her age are
apt to do, take their departure in the
freezing January air-which had al
ready, since the frost set in, nipped the
life out of two coachmen on their boxes
and three sentries at their posts-in
search of such gayety as is TO be found
at the ponderous entertainments got
up regardless of expense by the mer
chant-priAces of the Free Town.
Since their dear mothers death-a
sad event which, as it happened six
years before, time had mercifully soft,
enod to US ALL being an old maid,
and more than willing to make myself
generally useful, had taken up my
abode with John, and endeavored, to
the best of my ability, to supply the
place of her whom they had lost.
They were good children, affectionate
and compliant. Perhaps that which
was said of me might be true, namely,
that | over-indulged them as little ones
and showed lack of judgment as they
grew older; but, arguing from results,
no great harm was done. John was
satisfied, and both before and after his
second marriage everything went on
peaceably in his household a state of
things which he, poor, dear fellow, be-
ing of an indolent turn of mind, was
quite capable Of approaching at its full
value.
The reasons for our being at Ham
burg during the bitter winter of 1856
were partly business ones. Johns first
wife had been half Dane; and some rich
relations living at Altoona being DESTROYS
of making acquain ance with their de.
ceased klnswoman's children, it was
decided seeing that a certain wealthy
old bachelor uncle was failing FAST that
no time should be lost in complying
with his wishes. MAY we all called
the young ster-mother by her Christian
name, for she was young and good
natured-made no objections had she
done so, John would have yielded at
once. So we set oft, large partv-via
Hull, for our home was in the north of
England-tO the cold but hospitable
NCrth.German city.
A good many years before, when the
girls were tiny trots-indeed, Lottie.
the youngest, had not yet made her APP
pearance on .ife's stage-I had ac
Companied my brother and his family
on a three months visit TO the place i'm
which we had now, in pleasant apart
ments on the JungfernstieC. installed
ourselves for the winter Twelve wears
and more had slipped away since /, a
comparatively young woman then,
passed a gay Hamburg winter, making
many acquaint noes, and cementnc nv
intimacy with one whom then thought
valuable friend among the rich inhab.
itants of the old Hanse town. 1t was
concerning this aforementioned lady. as
10 whose character and merits | have
long ago discovered that ! had made a
very decided mistake, that | was about
after some entreaty from the girls. to
whom | had once promised story {"
apropos Of Hamburg sOciety-as we four
sat round the wel.heated stove. to open
the budget of my memory. Perhaps
| was wrong and unwise in doing So
They were so young, so ignorant of evil
Maybe, however, it was as well that the
knowledge which is required to make
women wise should come b. degrees.
and accompanied by the precept upon
precept which may help 10 neutralze
its i'll effects and so, believing in this
disability, | began my tale as follows:
I" A prettier or more winning crea.
ture than Gertrude buchanan it would
have been hard-twelve years ago,
mind, darlings-to find. You will
probably soon be able to Judge for
yourselves whether she has kept the
promise of her youth for your father
said yesterday that the Ruckmanns,
who have been spending some time in
Frankfort, intend shortly to return here
for the remainder Of the winter. To
90 back, however. to my story. Ger
trude's mother was an Englishwoman,
and about two months before our de
parture we had made her acquaintance
at home, and for we had become
what girls call friends-greatly looked
forward TO meeting her again in her
own country. She was very gay, fond
of admiration, and decidedly, in her
way, clever; and as she and kept up,
by mutual consent, the intimacy which
had been begun at home, it followed
that Gerty, who certainly felt no shy
ness in talking of herself and her adj.
mirers, intrusted me with a good many
OF the small secrets of her heart. Among
these, but this is forestalling, her
very decided liking for young officer
IN the Hanoverin service, whose name
was Compton, and who was certainly
as well as agreeable. enough
TO Justify her peachanL"
At this point in my narrative I was
momentarily startled by an excited lit
Tie spring from her place on the floor
beside me of Minna, my second niece.
Minna was romantic little puss, who
took presocious interest in love story.