The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-03-29

VHE IAhN VI a WEA E0s
It was somewhere near the year
eighteen hundred and fifty, that an
event occurred in the life of Johann
Bierslinger which quite broke up the
monotony of his existence. l am par
ticular about the date, not because the
event in question was Of any importance
to you or me or anybody except the
two or three Immediately interested
therein, but in order to fix some def.
mite starting.point for my story. This
having been established, we may pro-
coed very comfortably and methodically
which is only following out the prin.
ciple of our friend Johann, who was as
methodical young man as there was
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 he drank
sour wine and beer. As far as l am in.
formed, he did have weakness for beer,
as we'll as for q 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 boasting of their exploits with the
fairer sex. Having always lived alone
with his father This mother had died be.
fore his faculty of recollection had de.
veloped) and his acquaintance with the
sex had been limited to a rusty old
aunt or two, it is natural to suppose
that his 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 cottage be.
hind two high brick mansions on the
KONG strasse. 1t happened that Johann
went to the Kirche once-he had never
contracted the habit of church.going,
for which perhaps the elder Bierslinger
was partly to blame-and there he saw
KATRINA, 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 10 explain the steps that led to
their engagement. Indeed. | know
nothing about it, except that it was
finally settled; and somewhere near the
year eighteen hundred and fifty the
event of their marriage, as said at the
outset, broke up the monotony Of Jo-
hams existence and this fetches US
just as far along in the story "a 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 we're not un-
heard by Kate; for shortly after the
marriage she began to suggest that Col
gau was too small place for them. The
plan Of emigrating to America was set
forth by her in glowing colors; and Jo
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 to 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