River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-04-11
From Demorest's Young America.
Gran dmother Halls story.
BY MRS. DENIsoN.


"That's not half so strange story as
/ could tell,n said Grandmother Hall
smiling upon the little group around The
fire.
Herbert, the eldest boy, had been read
ing aloud the Adventures Of little
Wanderer," but the announcement made
by Grandmother Hall that she could tell
story, a true story, threw the adventures
they had just been listening to far into the
shade, and they all crowded round the
knees of the handsome old lady, with shin
ing eyes.
alt was in little Swiss town that my
hero and heroine were born" said grand
mosher, when order was restored. The
boy was named Fritz, and the girl Ma
delien. One year, when the children were
aged respectively seven and nine, there
came a plague which killed many of
the inhabitants, and among them the
parents of little Fritz and Madelien. The
children were taken out of compassion, by
two of the neighbors- Margery and john
who pitied them at first, and treated them
like their own children. Nobody knew
who their relations were-the little ones
talked sometimes Of their Uncle Strollern,
whom they had seen often years ago, but
that was all, and they could get no clue to
his whereabouts.
One day John came in full of a new
project; they would 60 to America, where
the streets were paved with gold, and
diamonds could be had for the asking.
But the children" said Margery.
"We'll take the children; they'll work
for US if nothing can be done; we'll make
our fortune by Them"
So Margery and John came to America
where all was new and so strange. John
found that gold was not plenty, and that
diamonds commanded the usual price
but ne found WORK in a mill, and that
kept him from starving. After while
the children began to seem troublesome,
and John cast about in his mind how he
might be rid of them.
"Fll tell you what, Margery," he
said one day, there's circus in town.
and I'v4 had talk with the agent. He's
coming up tomorrow TO look at the chill
dren.n
"What for ~ asked Margery.
"Oh, you'll see," said John.
On the following day black whiskered
man came to the cottage. Little Fritz
and Madelien were at play together in
the yard. They were very pretty then,
and wore their Swiss costumes, such as
you see in the little picture III my bed
room. The black wbiskered man looked
thoughtful and considered. "They are
pretty children he said,n "but it would be
a long time before they could be of any
service to me. I'll see your husband
again, madam and off he went.
Presently in come Fritz and Madelien,
she with he hands full OF bright leaves,
which she had found upon the snow, for
it was the first storm of the season that
very day, and the snow was still whirling
in tie air.
al cut you some long sticks, dame"
said Fritz, as he stood on the threshold,
his great dark eyes shining, the curls
falling over his white forehead as he
pulled off his bright blue wooden cap. Il
psf them all in the shed-didn't i,
Madelien and we went ever so far In
woods.'
"You mustn't 60 in the woods" said
Margerv,-" they say there are wolves
there; keep about thine own doorstep"
"IIere are some pretty leaves" said
Madelien, offering them to her.
"Leaves won't pay thy board, child" ?
muttered Margery, but the little girl did
not hear. "Let you busy" she continued
in louder tone ''set the table,"
Fritz turned out the great leaves of
the shining old oaken table, prattlipg as
he did so.
awe saw somebody ride by that locked
like my uncle,p he said didn't he have
splendid horses, though
"Yes,n prattled Madelein abe almost
stopped when he saw us; and he looked at
us so. Fritz declared il was Uncle
Strollern, aud ran after the carriage.
But Uncle Strollern wouldn't be in Amer
lea, Of course not
"Of course not muttered the dame.
"And we saw some Of the circus peo-
pie, didn't we Fritz +? oh, they had great
white horses all covered with red cloth
and gold. Don't wish we could 90 and
see them? / never saw circus IN my
life.p
"Perhaps you will,n said the dame,
and then her face grew red.
"0h, if we couldw cried the child, her
sparkling eyes growing brighter" only
think, Fritz the white camel with lots OF
humps, and the ladies all riding on horses,
how fine it must be
They won't let US 60 in without