Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-05-23
AUNT BESSIE,S MISTAKE.

We were-my young nleces and L
sitting closely round the big white Ger
man stove; for the thermometer |
marked forty degrees of frost, and a
Hamburg winter is for GOODNESS a thing |
10 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 we'll
beloved brother John-and their young
step-mother, who loved gayety and
dancing as 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-princes of the Free Town.
Since their dear mothers death-a
sad event which, as it happened six
years before, time had mercifully soft,
ened 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 acquaintance with their de.
ceased kinswoman's children, it was
decided seeing that 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 step-mother by her Christian
name, for she was young and good
natured-made no objections; had she
done so, John would have yielded al
once. So we set off, large party-vis
Hull, for our home was in the north oil
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 APP
pearance on life's stage-I had &C
companied my brother and his famil,
on three months visit to the place il
which we had now, in pleasant apart
ments on the Jungfernstieg, installe,
ourselves for the winter. Twelve year
and more had slipped away since I,
comparatively young woman then
passed gay Hamburg winter, maxim
many acquaintances, and cementing m
intimacy with one whom then thou ght
valuable friend among the rich inhat
itants Of the old Hanse town. 1t wa
concerning this aforementioned lady, a
to whose character and merits l hav
long ago discovered that l had made
very decided mistake, that l was abou
after some entreaty from the girls,
whom l had once promised a STORY
apropos of Hamburg society-as we fou
sat round the well-heated stove, to ope
the budget of my memory. Perhar
| was wrong and unwise in doing 81
They were SO young, so ignorant of evi
Maybe, however, it was as well that tn
knowledge which is required to max
women wise should come by degrees
and accompanied by the "precept upo
precept" which may help to neutraliz
its i'll effects; and so, believing in thi
possibility, l began my tale as follows
"a prettier or more winning cres
ture than Gertrude Ruckmann it woul
hare been hard-twelve years agt
mind, darlings-to find You wi
probably soon be able to Judge fc
yourselves whether she has kept til
promise of her youth; for your fathe
said yesterday that the Ruckmann
who have been spending some time i
Frankfort, intend shortly to return her
for the remainder of the winter. I
go back, however. to my story. &c,
trude's mother was an Englishwomar
and about two months before our d.
parture we had made her acquaintanc
at home, and for we had becom
what girls call friends-greatly locke
forward to meeting her again in he
own country. She was very gay, fon
Vi aomlfatlOD, ana decidedly, In he
way, clever; and as she and kept u,
by mutual consent, the intimacy whic
had been begun at home, it followe
that Gerty, who certainly felt no sh,
ness in talking of herself and her az
mirers, intrusted me with good man
of the small secrets of her heart. Anon
these, but this is forestalling, he
very decided liking for young office
IN the Hanoverin service, whose nam
was Compton, and who was certainl
handsome, as well as agreeable. enoug
to justify her penchant.'
At this point in my narrative I wa
momentarily startled by an excited lii
tie spring from her place on the foo
beside me of Minna, my second niece
Minna was romantic little puss, VIII
took prececious interest in love story