New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-11-26

1AC11UO0 VoEy AAO VAO IOOA VI = UVO00e
and it Is not difficult to make it seem
% though it were really . roof, with it,
heavy thatch Of gray moses % COM
pletely covering it.-Csr. Boston Jossr'
0al
BERTHA AND THE OCEAN.
WHEN Berths looked from the win.
dows of her homo she could see the
ocean shining, and darkening, and
moving restlessly under the sun, the
clouds and the wind.
Bertha little knew Of the sorrow the
ocean had created. To her it was q
joyful mystery. Who put the great
water therei Why did it whirl and
dance, and frown, and smile, along the
beach and never 60 to sleep like little
girlsf These were questions Bertha
asked herself and could not answer.
It brought her fine gifts, too, Of
pearly shells and trailing sea-weed, and
traced rare curves aud delicate mark
ings along tho sand.
Bertha's mother used to sit by the
window sewing, and once in . long
while her hands would rest idly in hei
lap and her eyes look far away over the
rolling waves.
Then Bertha would leave her play
and nestle close by her mothers side,
and ask her many questions, and chief
among them where her father could be,
and why he never came home; but her
mother only answered, still looking al
the waves, that father had gone away
into far country, she thought, and "a
it was not long before Bertha noticed,
or rather felt, that her mother never
smiled at tho sea.
1t was lonely shore where Bertha
lived. and she used to play about a
great deal, talking sweetly to herself
all the time.
Bertha was q queer little girl. Often
she sat down in sheltered nook,
secure among the rocks. and wished
there was some one 10 play with her.
But there was no one. Often in the
quiet afternoons she had long dreams
about her father, who went away in q
great ship, and whose face she could
Just remember.
From her place among the rocks,
she could see. far away along the sand,
. little village where there were white
houses and . port, and once in while
= sail would grow slowly ont from the
silent horizon, and glide gently toward
that village haven.
"All the ships go in there," said
Bertha, one day. "Perhaps my papa
viii come that way: I must 60 and
see It he don't, right away this min
ute."
Without thinking how frightened her
mother would be, or how long it would
take her to reach the village, she ran
swiftly away over the hot and shining
sand.
For long time she walked, and her
feet began to ache and her heart to sink
within her, and tho village seemed fur
Their away than ever before.
The sun went behind . cloud, and
the waves instead Of dancing joyfully,
as when she started, now seemed to
shout, - they rolled in upon the shore,
"Go back-returng' over and over
again But when she looked back her
home was not to be seen.
She was lost, and in her minds eyo
che saw her mother running shout
among tho rocks, very white and fright
ened, calling, Bertha, Bertha, whore
are your The village, too, 1.s now
hidden BY . vail Of rock, and Bertha
at down respondent and weeping.
A. she sat there wondering what she
should do, she saw Q bearded man ap-
preaching her. Az soon ~ he reached
her he put his great brown hand gently
upon her shoulder, and said, very
kindly:
my little lass, what il the troublep''
I" / am looeed," said Bertha.
" Lost, you mean, y said the stranger,
smiling. And how came you soi
What Is your namep''
"Why, don't you knowp'' she said.
(" l be Bertha. I was going to find my
papa, because and mamma be ali
alone. and papa has been away, oh,
dreadful long time, such . long time
think he never will know the way back
IT l don't find him and show him where
we ive-oh, look ct that big white bird
out there! But l be 'fraid can't find
my papa now. Do you know where
Bertha stopped talking suddenly.
The stranger was pressing her in his
arms 90 close she could not speak, and
there were tears in his eyes.
~ win take you home, little one, y he
said, huskily.
HAS you got . ooldf' said Bertha,
..'cause you don't talk right and plain,
like do
When Bertha and the stranger en-.
tered the cottage her mother gave .
great cry.
That night the waves upon tho beach
had hushed Bertha t. sleep before she
could believe she had really found her
father at last George +. Barnes, 10
Youths Companion.