New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-01-08
4 RESCUE FROM CANFIBALs.
"A Story For New Years.

"A Story For New Years.
aulda came down into the bowels of
the earth to find me, as she usually was
compelled to do. There was no necessi.
ty for her remaining amid the rust and
reaches, the gloom and interminable
stream, of that cavernons kitchen floor OF
ours on Brooklyn Heights. We had kept
boarders. now for years and years, OF per-
haps the boarders had kept US or it
might have been mutual eking out OF
existence. But took care of the cook
ing, because in that the nam strength of
success lay, and l didn't want to keep
boarders all my life.
When we began it was to please broth
er Bob. He was well-to.do salesman
in the city. and used to come down to the
dear old homestead with 80 many airs
and graces about him that we grew to
look upon him with sort Of awe, end
wonder if this pinky gentleman in the
high hat and linen duster could be our Bob
that used to kick all the bottoms out of
the chairs, and never had a whole knee in
his breeches: that robbed the BIRDS nests;
worried the schoo,master, was nearly
drowned in the millrace and had his leg.
broken by fall from the hay-rick. No
body would dream he had ever kink in
bis leg, now that he had got to be CON-
mercial man. He was as straight and
tall as the finest of our scarlet-runner
poles, and butter wouldn't melt in his
mouth, he was that smooth and sleek AID
soft-spoken. How surprised we were
when he proposed himself to go and hear
Davide Divine's first sermon, holding the
hymn book all the way, and carrying
Hulda's best shawl on his arm used tn
be his fayorite in the good old days when
he didn't know Stub nose from Gre
clan one, and Bob found my carroty hair
and freckles much finer than the silken
locks AID delicate complexion of Hulda
lie used to call Hulda the milk and wa
ter baby. and was the one he came to in
all his scrapes and short comings. But.
somehow, after he got to the city never
could fird much favor in his sight, and
had no relish for dead delight. The
boy was gone from me as utterly as if
he lay in the old church-yard by sister
Betty's size. The memory of him was
tar sweetcr than any present delight in
his prosperity.
l was always opposed to giving up the
homestead when mother and father died,
and going to the city to keep house for
Bob. But Bob persisted. and won over
Hulda, as he always did. l think he had
a sneaking design from the first that
Hulda should win the admiration Of one
of his employers-the bachelor member
of the firm of Marley & Brothers. he
came out with Bob in one of the vaca-
tons, and certainly seemed to admire
Hulda, as one might say, ravenously.
He ate more in quiet way than any per-
son I ever saw; and it seemed a very
high compliment, in Rob's eyes, that
while he was eating, his grave, owl-like !
eyes were fixed upon Hulda, though why
I can't say, as always did the cooking.
I used to tell our young preacher, Davy
Devine, that he couldn't expect the hot
place would have the terror for me it |
mad for Others, seeing that l was used to
the hottest corner and rather liked it.
David made some kind little reply in his |
pleasant way: and must say my choice |
for Hulda had always been this hand
some, tair-wo1ded, pure-hearted, God |
loving young neighbor of ours. He had |
always cared for her since they were
children together; and I knew father and |
mother would have been we'll content 10 !
have Hulda the parsons wife in the old |
Dutch church where they had gone to-
gether year in and year out, and now lay
resting close by.
Hulda was little more than child, |
but was taking kindly to the wonderfully
pleasantly ways of Providence just then
and after mother died she chung more !
aud more to me and David. He and l
used to talk the matter over, even to the
furnishing up of the old parsonage,
never dreaming but that all would be
right. It seemed as natural To me rs
seed time and harvest that Hulda should
marry David, and walk up the aisle in
her plain silk gown and close bonnet,
and everybody should say what a sweet
wife was the young pastors.
But in the meantime Bob married a
fashionable city girl, and in the hot sea,
sons he brought his wife and children
home. / couldn't find much fault with
the girl, though tried to hard enough;
she spent too L.uch time dlstorting her
pretty hair out of its natural comeliness,
and put as many queer artificial humps
about her as camel; but3she had win
some, CHEEKY way with her, ard I always
had . weakness for beauty. be it in man,
woman or beast; and, besides, she always
had good word tor thel young parson,
often Turing Marley away with her
coquetry and wiles, so that David could
have word with Hulda.
"He's worth dozen of that bald,
blinking Marley she would say, land