The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-01-07
From the State journal.
The Hump Backed Maiden.
FROM THE GERMAN.

&C. her own dear inoLher called her. Gretchen
Was notprstty she WAS awarfed in stature,
And she hac hump between hrrs.o1 dsrs,
Which d'aigured the poor child quits sadly
Neither could her face he cal'sd attractive,
For long sickness IN De It pa'e an naeager.
But the beauty II her eyes was wondraas,
They we've mid and deep blue, like the
fowbrs.
Which sdosn he swce, fag, and which chill
dren,
Passing by hem, cknnnt lease, but pluck
ig,
Weave in aatls DIS ; bnt by far more lovely
Than these~w Ddrous eyes was l,rrles Gretch-
Heart. she was the darling of her ,mothar.
Who catssstd aud kissed her, and or told
Stories, AID i'll el.e that ch ldrsn love:
And each day, vixen the bright Gun was -ssin-
ing
Took her ontupon the common, over
Meadow pAths and through the aorsst;s Dor
der,
Where. or she could nops that her poor .d4r-
ing,
Would net be, xposcd to strangers glauoss'
Which, sue feared. nigh. some day pain ths
child. /
So i was the IA others &, eatrst pleasure
To STE Gretchen In the sunshine plsyiBg.
LlxDping her mhi.s hxpds, so small and Elen-
der,
When the painted 5utterfi'es few past her {;
Folio " leg heir ,naGge mems " tn her chances,
But deB'in ing not 10 .atGh or ataJ them.
Fo1 their joyous life she did not ehvy;
Pick no fo~ers In, tie pleasant meadow.
B ndlng them With blades Of grass Ia gar
lands
Or touqus's, aaG with her smother chatting.
Full IF joy, and lSugh:ng, too, as gally
As # she acre well. aud net a=crpple.
But, sometimes. when they were homswar
going,
Ehroug the roity stissts, all filled With peo-
pie,
L tile Gretchen, gaslelsss. asked her mother,
Dear mamma, ten me. why do the people
Gage ut mo as il make shem wonder p
'>Deare child," replied the kindly mother.
80 Els beca.se thy drcss is'bright and pretty.
"Whrn they gaze. It's THAI they are admir-
ing"
GFsschen's dress, though neat, was very sim
pie,
But the mother would not tell the reason
Why the psopts turned and locked so often,
Gazing at the little hump backed madam,
We knew OF herself that she was crippled ;
For she knew that 1t would hurt her dar-
ling.
And the mother greved alone In sllence,
For be. husbs nd, little Gre ehen's father,
Did ReD love poor Gretchen as she needed,
Was not kind, ss fathers are to children
Though the child, when evening came, and
bedtime,
Prayed for HIM as well as for her mother,
Aus, al mornin 6, greeted him with gladness,
Like ehiad who loved her father dearly.
And the mother pale became, and palers
Weak and weaker grew the slender fgure,
All. no more could she With little Gretchen
Wander forth beneath the clear blue heavens.
Sick she grew, and died, her parting nmmur
Breatfed on her Grotehen's lips "Ah who
will now
Watch DER and guard thee, love and play
with thee?
Forsaken art thou cow, poor child. indeed"
Since the death of ltsle Gretchcn's mother.
Scarce twoyears had passed, when home the
father
Brought another wife. togGretchsE saying,
"Now my child, thou hest another mother"
All. how nice, if shs will ts!l,me stories.
Laugh and play with me, and take me with
her
Out into the meadow and the forest,
IT'S so long since have seen the flowers ~
Bat the new one was not like the ffst one
Was not gentle toward poor little Gretchen
Did not laugh aud play with her, and never
Took her With her ont into the sunshine.
Al, she was not Gretchen'S own dear moth
erl
Pale and paler. grew poorHlttle Gretchen.
Longing every day for air and sunshine.
And for wild flowers. and the fields and for
est.
And one summer day she asked her mother,
Who was going out into the sunshine.
Can not go with thee, this.time, m other g'
Then the mother answered, cross and seorn-
ful.
Thou 60 walking with me! Can'st thou
think It'll
Thou art hump-backed, and an ugly cripple Il
cannot 20 walking with hump-back.
All the people IN the street would wonder.
And would laugh at me y
No more said Gretchen;