The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-06-26

frau, Alice, pack themselves In a pew Of
the Dutch Lutheran church to hear the
good words OF their good pastor During
the long evenings of winter, when NO gar
den work Ii to be done, and after the tolls
of the day are over, Johan smokes very
many pipes by the stove, while his Alice
knits, and his hound sleeps in his snug
corner. Nine o'clock p. m finds no one astir
in Johan's household. Everything ia shut
up, and everything looks dismal, and the
Dutch clock ticking and Johan snoring
are the only sounds to be heard within the
walls Of Johan's house.
Things do not 20 quite a. much by clock
work in Jeans household, yet Jeans af-
fairs are always in order. Jean never
seems to be busy, and he can not be taxed
as one who is an idler Everything about
his house Ii done in due season, and with
apparent ease. His family, besides him
self consists Of Madame Berthe, his well
beloved femme and MddansOiselLe Blanche,
sprightly young lady Of twenty, an only
e'yaHt. Blanche helps her mother, feeds
her canary birds, waters the flowers and is
not above reaping and sowing. Jeans
household linen is always well washed and
kept in the best of order. His food is well
cooked, his hearth is well secured but no
one ever sees Madame or Madamoiselle
busy with the wash tub or scrubbing
brush. Everyone knows they hire no help,
and some say the work in Jeans house
hold is performed by some magic art
But if yOu pass Jeans house very early Of
morning, you will hear blythe young
voice minghng its music with that Of the
canary birds. Three or four busy hours
InW,f hav hakA -,
later in the day. Some people talk of
slavery. Any one who has work to do
may do it as a slave does it, by lingering
over it all the day long, and leaving it un-
finished at night. II the slave has no
other master, that unfinished work is the
master that uses the whip. 1t sets to the
mind like the thought Of an unswallowed
dose of salts to a child's palate II any
Sldotsh work is done in Jeans house 1t
must be performed cheerfully during those
early hours when you hear the chanson of
the charming cantratice, and the song Of
the canary birds mingle with each other
The balance Of the day is spent iii those
leisurely occupations found in the deeper
recesses Of fine needlework, of music Of
reading and many others, which are 50
well adapted to ladies, which, after the
work has been bundled of out Of the
house are enjoyed as one round of pIdeSir.
Those lovely eyes Of Mademoiselle and
her charming countenance and plump
figure, with her other items Of loveliness
are at the foundation of an old fashioned
story, which is likely to end in the usual
way.
1t would be impossible for a beautiful
girl like Blanche to live until the age Of
twenty without having a due share Of
worshippers. But Blanche really has
lover. Her romea is Johan's, grown up
son Karl, now at see, and on on his return
voyage from Liverpool. He is at this time
first assistant engineer on one Of the large
steamers which ply between New York
and Liverpool. He was once a naughty
little boy, and then he ran away from
home at very early age. He found
means to learn engineering in the city
shops. From the shops he was trans
ferred to the ocean steamer, and employed
first as a greaser. From this humble post
he rose step by step to his present import
ant position. He is fine looking young
fellow, and his engineers livery well be-
comes him. His leaves of absence" have
been few, and of short duration. He has
divided his short leaves among his friends !:
and Blanche has as it has been maliciously
remarked, on these occasions received very
much more than her equal share Of his at
tentions. They are betrothed in the face
Of all the opposition Of all the Dutch
neighbors, who have unmarried daughters
on their hands, and who have wrought
upon Johan's feelings to such an extent
that he threatens to disown Karl the mo-
ment he makes blanche his fraw. Karl
laughs at Johan's threats, and in his turn
threatens to make him dance at his we'd
ding in spite of himself. The truth is that
Johan has always considered Jean a kind
of aD enemy, because French, and that it
was his bounden duty to hate all belong
ing to him. He has hated bitterly Jean,
and Berthe, and Blanche, and the canaries,
and the flowers, and everything else-fence
rails included the bonds of Jean s
estate. Whatever other weakness and
sins Johan my have been guilty Of in his
lifetime relation Of his hatred towards
Jean, and jeans has never been of them.
How he will bottle up his wrath and kiss
Blanche as his daughter, and dance at the
coming wedding remains to be seen. Karl q
mother silently reloices at the prospect OF
Karls happiness, ard she silently longs to
wrap up alllllfeeling towards her neighbors,
and wishes to embrace them as friends.
She has always looked on her husband 3
hatred of his neighbors as a sort Of mo
mOmania, which in her heart she be-
lieves that the wedding will heal. She is
in plot with Karl, but it must never be
told to Johsn for fear he will get mad and
pull down some Of the fixed heavenly
bodies. | say he must never know of that
plot, and he must not know that Karl has
on the vessel with him to be presented as
special gifts a barrel of the best lager beer
that the Vaterland can produce, and a
small bale of his fathers favorite brand Of
tobacco, and one of the best meershaums
to be found in all Europe. 1t is to be
hoped that when Johan receives these
gifts he will forget all drink of the lager,
90 and pat his dog, shake hands init X arl,
kiss Blanche, salute Berthe and Jean, ad-
mire the canary birds and flowers, drink
of Jeans port, partake of the wedding
fast, sing " Der Bully Lager Beer" and
der Deutcher's Dog" and dance the
Aurora Waltz init Blanche first, and init
Berthe, and then with Jean. These are
hopes entertained both by Karl and his
mother, at the sight Of Karl's cap with
the silver band and his clothes with their
bright silver braidings. Johan always has
smoked several extra pipes of tobacco.
How can he disown him, and how can he
refuse to accept his fate and the friendship
Of the excellent family Of Jean !
Karl's holiday will be extended to a
week, and Blanche goes with him to
Europe in his big steamship. Warrant you
the canaries win miss her during her alb
scence, and even Johan will wish for the
return Of the voice that has saluted him
so many years. Johan will get awaken to
the fact, that many are asleep under that
he has been near to 90 many blessings for
long time, and has never had the good