The Portland daily press., 1872-04-20
Aunt Bessie'S Mistake.


Aunt Bessie'S Mistake.
We were-my young neices and I-sitting
closely round the big white German stove |;
for the thermometer marked forty degrees of
frost, and Hamburg winter is for GOODNESS
thing to remember and exc to talk of in the
days to come. 1t was getting late in the
evening, and the three girls, the eldest of
whom was nearing sixteen, had just seen their
father-my well-loved brother John-and
their young step-mother, who loved gayety
and dancing as far as creatures of her age
are apt TO do, take their departure in the
freezing January air-which had already,
since the frost set in, dipped the life out of
two coachmen on their boxes and three sem
tries at their posts--in search of such gayety
as is to be found at the ponderous entertain
ments got up regardless of expense by the
merchant-princes of the Free Town. r--
Since their dear mothers death-a sad
event which, as it had happened six years
before, time had mercifully softencd to us
ALL, being an old maid, and more than will
ing to make myself generally useful, had
taken up my abode with John, and endeavor-
ed, TO the best of my ability, TO supply the
place of her whom they had lost. They were
good children, afiectionate and compliant.
Perhaps that which was said OF me was 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 mar
riage everything went on peaceably in his
household; state of things which he, poor
dear fellow, capable of an indolent turn of
its full value.
The reasons for our being at Hamburg dur
ing the bitter winter of 1S6-were partly
business ones. Johns first wife had been
half Dane; and some rich relation living
at Altoona being DESTROYS of making acquaintI
ance with their deceased kinswoman's chill
dren, IL was decided seeing that certain
wealthy old bachelor uncle was failing fast)
that no time should be lost in complying with
ms wishes. 'May"-we all called the young
step-mother by her Christian name for she
was young and good natured-made no OBJ
lection; had she done so, John would have
yielded at once. So we set off, a large party,
via Hull, for our home was in the north of
England-to the cold but hospitable North
German city.
A good many years before, when the girls
were tiny trots-indeed Lottie, the youngest,
had not yet made her appearance on life's
stage--I had accompanied my brother and
his family on three months visit to the
W. Il
ments on the Jungfernsteig, installed our
selves for the winter. Twelve years and more
had-slipped away since /, a comparatively
young woman then, passed a gay Hamburg
winter, making many acquaintance, and ce-
menting my intimacy with one whom then
thought a valuable friend among the rich in
habitants of an old hanse town. 1t was con-
corning this last mentioned lady, as to whose
character and merits have long ago discov-
or ha6 nd I<o .loI
was about-after some entreaty from the
girls, to whom had once promised "story''
apropos OF Hamburg society-as we four sat
round the well 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 knowledge which is required to
make woman wise should come by degrees,
andaaecompanied by the "precept upon pre-
ccpt which may help to neutralize its ill
effects; and SO, believing in this possibility.
l began my tale as follows: n
"a prettier or more winning creature than
Gertrude buchanan it would have been
hard-twelye years ago, mind, darlings-to
fnd.A You will probably soon be able to Judge
for yourselves whether she has kept the prom
Use of her youth; for your father heard YES
terday that the Ruckmanns, who have been
spending some time in Frankfort, intend
shortly to return here for the remainder of
the winter. To go back to my story. Ger
trude was an Engishwoman, 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 ad-
miration, and decidedly in her way clever.
and as she and Kept up, by mutual consent.
the intimacy which had been begun at home.
1t followed that Gerry, who certainly felt no
shyness in talking Of herself and her admir-
ers. entrusted me with a good many of the
small secrets OF her heart. Among these,
put TINS is forestalling, was her very decided
liking for young officer in the Hanoverian
service, whose name was Compton, and who
was certainly handsome, as well as agreeable
enough TO justisfy her penchdnt,
At this point in my narrative / was mo-
mentarily startled by an excited little spring
from her place on the floor beside me of Min.
ma, my second neice. Minna was romantic
little puss, who took precocious interest in
love story. The approaching appearance of
the hero on the scene had been TOO much for
her equanimity, and hence the eager start.
followed by an exclamation of delight, which
by her less excitable sisters was summarily
and sternly put down. -'
Major Compton," continued, "made his
nrst appearance among us as a single man.
Then he was married?' in a voice of Mt
ter dismay from Minna, while even grave
Laura calculated, 80, aunt Bessie, how very
fatg' ''-'
fwas silent for moment, feeling sorry in
my heart for the poor children's disappoint-
ment, and then said seothingly:
III you will wait little, and listen pa
tiently, my dears, you will perceive that the
individual in my story In whom expect you
VIII take the most interest is not the hand
some Major who, for short while, turned all
our neads, more especially that of Gertrude
hnckmann. When this girl, whom / was sill
enough to call, for short time, nv dearest
iriena, was nrst introduced to Burford Comm
ton lne mad irish blood in his veins, which
may parity account for the peculiarities of his
conduct she had not been MANY da y, I 10
Hamburg. Her youth and girlhood had bean
passed In England, and the German reIatives
with whom she had come to spend the w;nter
months being quite unworldly people. there
was little chance of their young guest becom-
ing early initiated into the gossip on dts of
Hamburg society.
The ball at which Gertrude Buchanan
made her debut was as brilliant an affair as
money money and liberality combined could make it.
rne Iestive entertainment was given by the
~ ;Suung mercantile bachelors of the city,
foreign as well as German. and the cost of Il
Wa saio 10 be prodigious. By some il was
es.imated at lOO,O 900 marks, but that mnst
eninh, nate Deen an exaggeration obaII
never totally forget our first dinner at TIKI ~
note for that dinner was at Hotel Petarsh, 49,
where number of young men. who Vs. d,
seated opposite to our party, gave freq ven.
70 tneir high animal spirits, while thew dis
.b psseo now in English and now in German
, LIZ arrangements for the already famous fete
mn.en was In few more DAYS to come off,
On sI, 'nose who were the most remarkable
for their reckless talk and extrsYsasn, ., naoe
sitions stood first and foremos, ',a ploPe-
cer-for such he, even 10 onr Young ON,
minds, appeared TO be-whom We u, .
tined 10 know later as Major Bursorwae r Re des-
ton. 1 can see him now in his fai, SSonp-
beauty - blue-eyed, brown-haired. taS,s oh
bearded That handsome beard of his was
reconect, subject for good-humored chafina
among his friends; for, as it would appear
foreign officers are obliged to be closely sha,
ven, aud compton, who had been six months
on leave in England, could hardly venture 10
report himself at headquarters with that do.
S1aediy ornamental appendage to his face
Ihe dinner, as is always the case in Cor.
many, was very long affair; and as II nro-
crossed, our neighbors grew more and |" rl pro,
uproarious, sending the chamnane-c n,ute
right up, when the startling 'pon' came no
u! Lhe vaulted skylight above our heads. and a.
'AS'' "hen the numerous courses had been