Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-10-13
TH : WHITE LILY.

! is Ezra Steele, and | was born IN the cltv
OF New York. 1t was different psce
then from what il Is now, and people
walked into the bowery for fresh air, and
thought Pearl street pretty far up town.
Our home WAS almost out of town
nesrly whore Cannl street is to day We
had n garden shout it, and our garden
touched that of neighhor, who was n
German by birth, ,nd fond OF his howeys
~ GtrmAn csn be.
He had beds of great gsudy tulips and
wonderful roses and enormous double
poppies, but | used to think the sweet
white lille. the prettie-t Of all, and al
WAYS thought little Gretchen just like one
ol them.
She never had much color, but her
forehead WAS like snow, and har hair,
long aud llgft, curled down to her waist.
She used to come to her side of the
fence aud loo; over it, and talk about
such things as W. were Interested in.-
Sometimes she came in To pay with mo,
]
e. into neighhor Werner's garden, tor
teur that | should injure the flowers,
through which could never learn to
walk quietly and reverentAlly, MS Crotch
en- did.
Indeed, neighbor Werner was not fond
OF chi dren. and not one to tempt them
intn his garden or hi. home, or anywhere
where they would be- apt to meet him, n
grtf, nld-h man who hid lost his wife
year. before. and who had no one in his
house to care for his little girl, who was
quite Iett to herself, nnd hnd womanly
wny with nrr at ten that some have not
at sixteen.
She knew even then how to make het
fathers soup and coffee, aud how To- pat
the buttons on his shirts. Work which
was too mach for her little hands he
must have done himself; but the house
was very clean and bare and tidy, not y
caipet on any tl"or, and not blanket,
tur-as my mother ~ad, who had seen-
they slept between feather r-bedsa us though
they wanted to smother themselves.
But such rs tho house was, little G etch
en- took more and more care %! it rs She
grew older, and helped her father with
his flowers, and knew each individual
bios .on 1t used to seem to me that
they knew her.
While | was very young, mere child
in year, | used to -ay that Gretchen
should be my little wife, my mother al
way answrlipg:
Il couidn't wish you better, if she
grow, up what she is now"
When | was Older | stopped saying this
out of shame. but Thought 50 more than
ever. | knew before Wa old enough
2 to be called man that should never
love any one but Gretchen Werner. She
never thought about it nt Nil, until | pat
it into her head by making love to her.
, For "A while she was very shy, and
would not listen to me but at last Ia,
, told me that she liked ne beltar thar
I any one ese in the word, and let mo ki-i
p hor.
/ had not known har before since ! WA
b ten yenrs old. Then ! wss one and
e twenty. | have seen young men kl-s The
! glrIs they love in "A light ca'eles- way.
I telt that night rs rhuugh | wore touching
l something holy with by lips.
e., A few days ntter th. gave her plail
gold ring with our nnmes upon 1t, aI'
tho date oi the day on which -le to d m'
a she liked me-, aud 1t seemed as though
= that bound her 10 mo.
, was not ~ good ~ might have beer
: aud Gid not 60 to church always ~hel
! my mother wanted me to do; but ptny
ed thai night n earnestly Ms ever MAJ
prayed that might be- worthy ol Gretch.
cn tllnt ! might Hlway' know what to d'
u make her happy, and ai~ays be abi'
to keep her from any OF the troubles o
. trials Of poverty.
After thi, in our American fashion
which seems so wrong to Engllshmrn an'
Europeans, | asked her father il ! nigh
hive & elchen.
"She has tod me that .hc will be hap
py with me-" aid. aud -lood tremblnl
before him, hat in haud, tor saw clou'
upon his lorehend, and saw hlm TAX hl
; pipe out Of hi. mouth in u hurried way
which Away. showed that he WA angry
"Yon speak to Gretchsu Grstf' h.
II. kod ia ms strong German accent. " fo'
dalc do that ?"
: ave always do it here, SIR" said
ave ind out whether the young lad.
is willing we should peak to her parents
and then'-
But neighbor Werner stamped his foo
fu,iou.ly.
II am German" he said. IN
daughter obey. me. She will not MARI.
I u posr man.
b II an poor yet" said, "but ] vii
. mike my fortune some day. will in
derd-I"-
. H. laughed.
e "You nfe not worth being angry with
i boy, all have to say to you il you can
q not hive Gretchen. have other pian
t for her."
Then he turned his back upon me anC
walked away among his tulips, leaving
me angry aud defiant.
never thought Of giving Gretchen up
however; and when Tor days the old mat
kept her from me, and do what nigh
F, | could catch no glimpse Of her, vowe'
? to punish him Tor his cruelty by running
away with her aud marrying her agAins
bis will.
a If She loved me she would not be will
ing TO be separated from me, / thought