The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-17

fair hair, hung behind in two long golden
braids from her neck to her knees.
AS she turned from the window, a
curly-haired boy burst into the room.
Il have a message for you, Krescenz.
I met Karl, and he told mo to tell you he
could not see you tonight. He is sud-
denly sent on business
A look of disappointment clouded the
girls face; but after few moments OF
silence, she said:
GLOW good it is that they find him SO
useful! But come, Max, you shall not be
disappointed Of your excursion. You
and l will 60 for our walk, and I will
take you for peep at our cottage"
Max snatched his hat, which he had
flung off in disgust, and. locking the door
behind them, the sister and brother de-
scended many stairs, and took their way
through the streets, and out by the
Porta Nigra, into the country.
''Look here, Max, did you ever see
anything so gloriously blue as the
Moselle this evening! Could you bear
to live away from it? How glad am
our new home will be near it. And look,
how magnificent the red light is upon the
uncovered banks, with the crimson
earth glowing between! How the tall,
dark poplars and the golden acacias
seem to thrill as they bask in this wond-
erful light! i'll had been man, Max,
should certainly have tried to be an ar
fist. Karl laughs at me when say so;
he does not care for such things, and
gets annoyed when talk about them !;
and yet Inever saw half the beauty of
things till he loved me-
Chow many people are out walking to-
night, Krescenz! / never saw the road
so gay. Oh, there is that Gretchen kiss
ing her hands to me, and l will not look
at her. Why? Because she was imper-
tinent this morning, telling me that Karl
had left off loving you, and was going to
marry LOUISE
lit was silly joke, Max. I hope you
did not get angry. What did you say z
'sSomething that ought to have stop
ped her kissing hands to me-" said Max.
1T was too foolish to be angry about,
little brother. Some one said it to my
self the other day, and only laughed.
knew so we'll it was because sent Karl
message to Louise the other evening
But Gretchen ought not to have said it
to you, Max. When I 60 to my new
home, don't think I shall ask her to
come and see Inc. do not want to hate
anybody, and"
Il will do the hating for you, Kres cenz
and hate every one who says that Karl
does not love you"
Every one! Don't give such a big
name to two people, Max. If Karl did
not love me. should not be the first to
know of it? All! do you see our little
house peeping above the acacias mp in the
fields over there? How delightful it will
be to live there, Max, with all the flowers
growing in at ones windows. And Kari
is providing this home for me! All, lit
Tie Max, this looks rather like loving
one, Doesn't it q
Max was silent, and kept his face turn
ed away, with slight frown on the
brovs.
Il wish l could suddenly grow: big,
Krescenz,' he said abruptly.
The sister Laughed. my dear, you
must watt she said, gayly. "By.and.
by you shall copy your brother Karl,
and if you can manage to grow like him
you will do very well. In the meantime,
you are not quite so small as you were,
my boy, when l first took you in my
arms, and carried you about our poor
garnet, trying 20 put you to sleep. Mother
had died the day before I was ten years
old, and you were only born; Twas a
very little nurse, wasn't I? But it
seemed to me that my heart was hun.
dred years old. How proud I was Of you,
and how loved you!'
"And you worked for me, Krescenz e
"Ah, didn't l? We were alone in the
world, only you and me. paid poor
old woman, a very, very old woman, who
could not do anything else, penny a
day for taking care of you, and I worked
for US two. l was strong little girl, and
as industrious as bee. People gave me
work to do; it was very hard until was
about fourteen, and then learned to sew,
and things began to be better. At six.
teen was able to rent little room 70.
myself, and to bring home my little
brother. All, Max, how often have we
been hungry together ! and yet you are
a brave boy for your age. have pulled
you through the worst, and DOW God has
taken US both into happiness and safety.
No more scanty crusts for you. No more
sitting up all night, sewing by candle,
for me. No more pinching at the heart
when rent-day is coming round. Who
could have thought Of it, that Karl,
whom every one admires, should have
sought out me! I did not accept him
hastily, Max, for I was afraid he might
change his mind; afraid that he had no,
known what he was saying, or that he
did not know perfectly how much people
thought OF him. But he would persist in