The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-03-29
THE YARN OF A WEAVER.

event occurred in the life of Johann
Bierslinger which quite broke up the
monotony Of his existence. am par
ticular about the date, not because the
even. IN question was OF any Importance
TO you or me OF anybody except the
two or three Immediately interested
therein, but in order to fix some def
mite startingpoint for my story. This
having been established, we may pro
ceed very comfortably and methodically
which is only following out the prin
ciple OF our friend Johann, who was as
methodical young man as there wa;
in Golgau. Ever since he had com.
menced TO learn the trade OF his father
in little back room on the KONG
strasse, Johann had been the same pru-
dent youth; and the united economic
virtues of father and son had caused
the little back room TO grow into large
and prosperous establishment. Time,
flying, had dropped the old man behind
when he became weak and burdensome
and the young weaver was left TO carry
on the business alone. He had wrought
so assiduously during these first years OF
his life, that he had quite neglected the
pleasures and pursuits TO which young
men are generally addicted. believe
| can state positively that Johann was
not considered fast young man. To
be sure, he had his little circle of male
friends, TO whom he impaired such
ideas as occurred to him land they were
very few, and with whom lie drank
sour wine and beer. AS far as | am in
formed, he did have weakness for beer,
as well as for a very long-stemmed pipe
which he smoked of nights with great
industry. Yet, for all this, he was very
moderate in his habits, and would listen
in astonishment TO the tales of young
men Boosting OF their exploits with the
fairer sex. Having always lived alone
with his father his mother had died be-
fore his faculty of recollection had de.
veloped J, and his acquaintance with the
sex had been limited to rusty old
aunt or two, ii Is natural to suppose
that MS ideas Of females were rather
vague. He was so difiident that for the
life of him he could not breathe freely
in passing one on the street.
What must have been his bewilder.
ment, then, when all at once he found
himself in love with the prettiest girl in
Golgau Little Kathrina was the only
child of an army officers relict, and
lived with her mother in a cottage be.
hind two high brick mansions on the
KONG strasse. 1t Happened that Johann
went 10 the K.rche once-he had never
contracted the habit of church. going,
for which perhaps the elder Bierslinger
was partly to blame-and there he saw
Kathrina, and fell hopelessly in love
with her.
You may imagine with what surprise
the villagers heard that Kathrina and
Johann were to be married That, Of
course, was some time after the coup
d'amour in the Kirche; | shall not at
tempt to explain the steps that led to
their engagement. Indeed | know
nothing about 1t, except that it was
finally settled; and somewhere near the
year eighteen hundred and fifty the
outset broke up the monotony of Jo-
hams existence and this fetches US
just as far along in the story as we were
when we commenced.
Poor, simple Johann How he adored
the parcel OF flesh and blood and cloth.
ing which he bashfully but fervently
promised in the Kirche to love and
protect And Kate looked so lovely
and so modest that he felt disposed to
pity the bystanders at the wedding, who
were forever debarred from sharing his
happy lot. Yet there were those who
said she married him for his pecuniary
rather than his personal attractions.
Perhaps these expressions were not un.
heard by Kate; for shortly after the
marriage she began to suggest that Col
gau was too small a place for them. The
plan Of emigrating to America was set
forth by her in glowing colors; and 10.
ham, having no thought but for her,
willingly assented. So, after some de.
lay, he sold out his shop, and they set
their faces toward the United States.
Johann's available property amount
ed 10 about ten thousand dollars. All
the fortune of his bride was comprised
in the house where she had dwelt with
her mother, and small pension, which
she must forfeit on leaving the country.
The house sold for four hundred dollars,
which amount was generously donated
to the common stock. Before starting
on their journey Johann procured an
insurance on his life to the amount Of
twenty thousand dollars, which he set.
tied on Kate so that in case of any &C.
cident to himself she would be provided
for.
The voyage passed pleasantly enough,
and, as they had determined to try
their fortunes in the West, their stay in
New York was short. Arrived in Chi
cago, family council was held, the re-
suit Of which led to their settlement in
that city. Johann Immediately set at
work at his old trade. Having invested
their Joint funds in shop, he resumed
his old line of hard work, and was soon
doing prosperous business. Their
lives for the next few years partook o!
nothing of the romantic. They-at
least Johann-lived as happily as the
average Of frail mortals are supposed to
be capable of living. Johann, il is true,
did not entirely fail to discover faults