Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1873-11-26
ROMANCE OF AN OLD
~. BUREAU.

and Swedish forests, i found myself 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 San oasis
of brick amid Sahara Of dust" and in
studying all the minutia OF that pipe
clayed civilization which appears TO
advance, like the national army, in time
to the music of the ,''Pass de Charge" "
Just as my ionizing fever was be-
ginning to abate, slight service, rem
dered 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 few
words with me in the frank, open-hearted
fashion of the hospitabie Teutouic race.
Our acquaintance, however, was still in
embryo, when, on the day of which /
am speaking, the old man. having taken
shelter under a thinly foliaged tree,
was in fair way to be thoroughly
drenched, came to the rescue with my
umbrella. Observing that he had got
wet through before gaining his I'M
promptu refuge, insisted upon taking
him to my lodgings (which were close
at HANDY, and drying him thoroughly
before Ilet him go; his own residence,
as found on inquiry, being at con-
siderable distance. The old mans graft
tude knew no bounds, and next morning
he reappeared with hospitable smile
upon his broad face, announcing that
he has told "his folk" OF my kindness
to him, that his ..Hausfrau" and his
''kleine Gretchen" wished to thank me
themselves that, in short, must come
and eat tea-cakes with them that very
evening, and smokes Germsn pipe after
wards, which Herr Holzmann, in com.
mon with the majority of his country
men, regarded as the acme Of human
felicity. In order TO secure himself
against any evasion, he added, with e
resolute air, that, as. I might possibly
lose my way, he would. come and fetch
me himself.
Punctual as death or collector Of
water-rates, Herr Heinrich Holzmann
presented 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, Fhe gar
den was of the .inyariable German type !;
the same trim little flower beds, accurate
as regiments on parade the same broad
gravel walk, laid out with mathematical
regularity I; the same trellis-work sum-
mer-house festooned with creepers at
the further end, aud the same small
table in the centre of it, are mounted
by corpulent teapot of truly domestic
proportions, presided over in this case
by two female figures, who, on our
approach, come forward to greet us. and
are Introduced to me by my host as his
wife and daughter.
Frau Holzmann (or. as her husband
calls her, ,Lieschen) is buxom, motherly,
active-looking woman, apparently about
fifty years of age, with that snug fireside
expression (suggestive of hot tes-cakes
and well-aired sheets) characteristic of
the well-to-do German matron but a
close observer may detect on that broad
smooth forehead, IN those round, rosy
cheeks, the faint but indelible impress
of former trials and sufferings, and
through the ring of her voice, full and
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 Gretchen
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 paper of prunes in
their pocket, and who, after flowing on
for a whole evening In slow, steady,
canal like current of sentiment, will sup
upon sucking pig and apricot jam with
an appetite of which Dando, tine oyster
eater, might have been Justly proud.
Both. welcome me with ltrue German
cordially, 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; TO give
time for which little operation Herr
Heinrich marches me into q trim little
dining-room opening upon the garden,
and thrusts me into an easy chair and
pair of easy slippers, while take hasty
survey of the chamber into which have
been thus suddenly ushered. .
L. is one of those snug, cosey little
rooms, spotless in cleanliness and fault
less in comfort, INN ortalized by Wash
ington Irving in his description OF the
Dutch settlements in North America.
The floor is-polished Like nlirror the
tasteful green and white psper (which
looks delightfully."- fresh this sultry
weather. seems as fresh as the day it
was put on; while the broad, we'll
stuffed sofa, which takes up nearly one
whole side of the room, seems Just made
for the brawny beam-ends of some portly
German burgher, or the restless rolly-
pooly limbs of his half-dozen big babies.
Above the chimney-piece, ,falong which
stands the usual china Shepherdesses,
Presents from Dresden" and busts of
Goethe and Schiller, hangs staring,
highly colored medley of fire, smoke,
blue and white uniforms, rearing horses
and overturned cannon, which some
Grabbed Teutonic letters beneath it pro-
claim to be "Die Schlacht bel Koenig-
gartz, 3 JUL, 1866 - while facing 1t
from above the sofa is rather neatly
done water-color likeness Of chubby,
fair-haired lad, in an infantry uniform,
whom 1 rightly guess to be my hosts
soldier son Wilhelm Ga household word
in his fathers mouth, now on garrison
duty at Spandsu. 70 .o--.ts-l- -'5 81
But the object which especially at
tracts my attention is tall, grim bureau
ofasrk oak in the furthercorner beyond
the fireplace, decorated with those
quaint old German carvings, which
carry one back to the streets of Nurem-
berg and the house of Albrecht Durer.
There stand Adam and Eve, in all their
untrammelled freedom, shoulder to
shoulder, like officers in the centre OF a
hollow square, with all the beasts Of
the earth formed in close order around
them, and the treeof knowledge stand
ing up like a sign-post in the rear. There
the huge frame of Goliath, smitten by
me- =