The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-09-25
Barbara's UqcIe,

were great piles OF vests, which she had
just finished. Though the room was so
small, the sunlight came in and tinged
everything with its golden light. In
deed, the sun is no respecter of persons,
and steps as freely into the dwellings
of the poor, as into the mansions of the
rich.
The young girl paused in her work to
listen to the song of robin under her
window; then she began to sing to her
self in a care-free, happy way. Just
then she heard an old body hobbling up
the stairs, and afterward came knock
at her door. Barbara went to open it.
An aged man stood before her-ninety
he might have been, to judge by his
withered face.
''Is this Barbara Heinrich p he asked
in piping voice.
eyes, said Barbara, smiling. "Come
in"
The old man put his hand to his ear,
as if quite unable to catch word.
''Come in," she shouted; and he fol-
lowed her into the room.
'I'm your Uncle Jacob" he screamed,
as if she were as deaf as himself" -"your
mothers only brother; and have come
to find you"
GAY, ay," said Barbara. with whom
the love of kindred was very strong.
The longer she gazed into his face,
the more she saw the look of her mother.
There was the same kind smile, the same
merry glance in the twinkling, gray
eyes. So she fell to Misunderstanding in
her hearty German fashion; then came
the tears, and it all ended by throwing
her arms around his neck and kissing
him.
A short time afterward, Barbara be-
gan to set the table, for to talk with her
old uncle was impossible. Just as she
had finished, by placing huge platter
of cabbage as a centre dish, up the stairs
came her brothers, Conrad and Joe.
They were much the worse for lager, as
they usually were at night, and when
they saw a decrepit old man sitting at
their table, they were anything but
pleasant.
"Its our Uncle jacob said Barbara,
softly, "come to us from Germany-our
dear mothers only brother. wish he
wasn't SO deaf, l so want to talk with
him"
A moment afterward, as Conrad and
Joe began to swear, she was glad that
he could not hear them. Barbara gave
the old man her bed; then she sat down
to do little extra work, that she might
buy comforts for him. At length she
lay down upon hard couch, but slee p
soon came, for she was young and
healthy. Next morning, Uncle Jacob
was too i'll to rise.
"Send the old body to the poor-house,
said the brothers in breath; "it's too
much to expect us to support all our
pauper relations"
"Indeed he shall not Co." said Bar
bara, with spirit; "our mother loved him
too well for that. Don't you remember
how she used to talk about him? He
was her only brother, and has neither
chick nor child to care for him. Just
see how like mother he looks-as she
did in her very last sickness"
The young men answered her roughly,
and, putting on their boots, stalked out
of the room. Barbara bathed the old
mans head, and with few soft touches
about the pillow, that love alone can
give, she went back to her work.
That night the brothers came home
more drunk than usual-to pick up their
things and start for the West, they
said.
"You'd better go with US, Barbara.
We're going to make money like dirt;
and as to staying here and supporting
an old pauper, we will not do it,"
"No, indeed, l will not leave him."
said Barbara. But when she saw them
going down stairs with their satchels on
their arms, the love of kindred, which
was so strong in her heart, made her
follow them. "Let us shake hands,
she said, softly, 1--WE may never meet
again. and, rough as they were, they
returned her warm kiss, and said, 'God
bless you," ere they departed.
When they were, gone, Barbara went
back to her room and cried as if he1
heart would break. In the midst of her
weeping, there was well-known foot
fall on the stairs, and in minute more,
her friend Fred Heiberger, was beside
her ~