The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-09-25
ROMANCE OF AN OLD BUREAU.

In the summer of 1867, after o pro-
longed course of Russian steppes,
Crlmean hill-sides, Moscow churches,
st. Petersburg boulevards, Finnish
lakes, and Swedish forests, I found N.Y.
self at Berlin, and during the first week
OF my stay was busy from dawn to dusk
IN exhausting, with the systematic in
dustry of the genuine British tourist,
the Sights of that methodical CITY,
which Mr.. Murray's Koran" in red
binding, politely defines as "an oasis
OF brick amid Sahara of dust" and in
studying all the minutie of that pipe
clayed civilization which appears to
advance, like the national army, in time
to the music of the "Pas de Chargs."
Just as my lionizing fever was begin
ming to abate, slight service, rendered
in a pouring wet day in the park,
brought me into closer relations with a
pleasant-looking elderly German, who
had frequently crossed my rambles, and
more than once halted to exchange a
few words with me in the frank, open
hearted fashion of the hospitable Teu-
tonic race. Our acquaintance, how
ever, was still in embryo, when, on the
day OF which L am speaking, the old
man, having taken shelter under q
thinly foliaged tree, was in fair way
to be thoroughly drenched, came to
the rescue with my umbrella. Observ-
ing that he had got wet through before
gaining his impromptu refuge, [ in
sisted upon taking him to my lodgings
(Which were close at handy, and drying
him thoroughly before let him go; his
own residence, as I found on inquiry,
being at considerable distance. The
old mans gratitude knew no bounds,
and next morning he reappeared with q
hospitable smile upon his broad face,
announcing that he had told "his folk"
of my kindness to him, that his CLAUS
frau" and his "kleine Gretchen "
wished to thank me themselves; that, in
short, L must come and eat tea-cakes
with them that very evening, and smoke
a German pipe afterwards, which Herr
Holzmann, in common with the major
lty OF his countrymen, regarded as the
acme of human felicity. In order to
secure himself against any evasion, he
added, with resolute air, that, as /
might possibly lose my way, he would
come and fetch me himself.
Punctual as death or collector of water
rates, Herr Heinrich Holman present
ed himself at the time appointed, and
marched me off in triumph to a neat.
comfortable-looking little house on the
southern side of the town, with a small
garden in front of it. The garden was
of the invariable German type the
same trim little flower beds, accurate as
regiments on parade; the same broad
gravel walk, laid out with mathematical
regularity the same trellis-work sum
mer-house festooned with creepers at
the further end, and the same small
table in the centre of it, are mounted by
a corpulent teapot of truly domestic
proportions, presided over in this case
by two female figures, who, on our
approach, came forward to greet us,
and are introduced to me by my host as
his wife and daughter.
Frau Holzmann Cor, as her husband
calls her, Lieschen+) is buxom, moth
erly, active-looking woman, apparently
about fifty years of age, with that snug
fireside expression (suggestive of hot
tea-cakes and well-aired sheets) charac-
teristic of thewell- l-to-do German matron;
but close observer may detect on the
broad, smooth forehead, in those round,
rosy cheeks, the faint but indelible i'm
press of former trials and sufferings {;
and through the ring of her voice, full
and CHEEKY though it is, runs an under
tone of melancholy that would seem to
tell of a time in the far distant past
when such sadness was only too habitual.
The daughter, Margarethe-or Gret
chen, as her parents call her-who may
be about eighteen, is one of those
plump, melting damsels, with china
blue eyes and treacle-colored hair, who
never appear without miniature of
Schiller on their neck, and a paper of
prunes in their pocket, and who, after
flowing on for whole evening in slow,
steady, canal-like current of sentiment,
will sup upon sucking pig and apricot
jam with an appetite of which Dando,
the oyster eater, might have been Justly
proud. Both welcome me with true
German cordiality, and overwhelm me
with thanks for my courtesy to the
head of the family, reproaching him at
the same time for bringing me in before
they have completed their preparations,
and made everything comfortable for
me I; to give time for which little opera
tion, Herr Heinrich marches me into a
trim little dining-room opening upon
the garden, and thrusts me into an easy
chair and pair of easy slippers, while
take a hasty survey of the chamber
into which l have been thus suddenly
ushered.