Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-08-31
THE wHIrELILY.

] am eighty-one year. old tonight
when the clock strikes twelve. Nv
name is Ezra Steele, and / was born
in the city of New York. II was q diff
ferent. place then from what il is now,
and people walked in the Bowery for
fresh air, and thought Pearl street pref.
ty far up town. .i--
Our home was almost out Of town
nearly where Canal street is to-day.
We had q garden about il, and our gar
den touched that Of . peighbor, who
was q German by biElh, snd fond q his
flowers as Z German can be. f...-.
He had beds Of great gaudy tulips
and wonderful roses and enormous
double poppies. but used to think the
sweet white lilies the prettiest of all,
and always thought little Gretchen
Just like one of them.
She never had much color, but her
forehead was like snow, and her hair,
long and light, curled down to her
waist.
She used 20 come to her side Of the
fence and look over it, and talk about
such things as we were interested in.
Sometimes she came in to play with
me, but my mother would never allow
me to 60 into neighbor Werner's gar
den for fear that should injure the
flowers, through which could never
learn to walk quietly and reverentially
as Gretchen did.
Indeed neighbor Werner was not
fond Of children, and not one to tempt
them into his garden or his home, OF
anywhere where they would be apt to
meet him; gruf, oldish man, who had
lost his wife years before, and had no
one in his house to care for his little girl.
who was quite left to herself, and had
a womanly way with her at the age OF
ten that some have not at sixteen.
She knew even then how to make
her fathers soup and coffee, and how
to put the buttons on his shirts. Work
which was too much for her little hands
he must have done himself; but the
house was very clean and bare and tidy,
not carpet on any floor, and not a
blanket, for-as my mother said, who
had seen-they slept between feather
beds, as though they wanted to smother
themselves.
But such as the house was little Gret-
chen took more and more care of it as
she grew older, and helped her father
with his flowers and knew each indi-
vidual blossom. 1t used to seem to me
that they knew her.
While | was very young, a mere
clild in years, used to say that Gret-
chen should be nv little wife, my moth
er always answering:
Il couldn't wish you better, if she
grows up what she is now"
When ! was older stopped saying
this out Of shame, but thought so more
than ever. l knew before | was old
enough to be called man that should
never love any one but Gretchen Wer-
ner. She never thought about it until
| put it into her head by making love
to her.
For while she was very shy and
would not listen to me, but at last she
told me that she liked me better than
any one else in the world, and let me
kiss her.
had not known her before since
was ten years old. Then l was one.
and-twenty. | have seen young men
kiss the girls they love in light, care.
less way. I felt that night as though |
were touching something holy with my
lips.
A few DAYS after this I gave her a
plain gold ring with our names upon it,
and the date Of the day on which she
told me she liked me, and il seemed as
though that bound her to me.
| was not as good As might have
been, and did not 60 to church always
when my mother wanted me to do so
but prayed that night As earnestly as
ever man prayed that might be worthy
Of Gretchen; that might always know
what to do 10 make her happy, and
always be able to keep her from any Of
the Troubles and trials of poverty.
After this, in our American fashion,
which seemed 50 wrong to Englishmen
and Europeans, I asked her father if
might have Gretchen.
"She has told me that she will be
happy with me-" said, and stood
trembling before him, hat in hand. for
| saw a cloud upon his forehead. and
saw him take his pipe out of his mouth
in hurried way, which always showed
that he was angry.
"iou speak to Gretchen .frsf," he
asked in his strong German accent
"You dare do that;''
We always do it here, SIR" I said,
I'VE try to find out whether the younp
lady is willing We should speak to her
parents, and then"
But neighbor Werner stamped his
foot furious!y.
IL am German" he said. my
daughter obeys me. She will not mar
~ poor man."
Il am poor ye.," / said, "but I will
make my fortune some day. will in
deed l."
He laughed.
You are not worth being angry with.
boy" he said. IAN will saw TO you
is, you cannot have Gretchen. / have
other plans for her.
Then he turned his back upon me,
and walked away among his tulips,
leaving me angry and defiant.
never thought Of giving Gretchen
up. however, and when for days the
old man kept her from me, and do
what I might I could catch NO glimpse OF
her. vowed to punish him for his cru
city BY running away with her and
marrying her against his will.
IL h u L.