The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-11-04

which she was in the habit of riding almost every
dav and the four miles which intervened between
her home and that of her German neighbor were
soon passed over.
The house was a very small affair, hardly large
enough for the burly German and his wife both to
turn around in at the same time, so the man.
when at home in good weather, generally sat i'm
the porch smoking his pipe. He was in this posi-
ton when Bertha rode up, but never offered her
any assistance in alghting or fastening her horse
She was troubled to find bush large enough to
securely hold the animal, there was yet no
fence around the house; but she finally tied him
to a big sage bush and approached the dwelling
a large dog rushed out from under it and assailed
her with terrific sounds but, as he kept at a re-
spectful distance, and his master swOre at him
vehemently, she ventured to the door, where she
met the wife hurrying to meet her.
my gOotnessi haf to hurry nit all my might.
l sees not it vas you. EXcoos me, please, Miss
Russell, dot l takes not your horse Dot boy
Hans! Ware ish dot boy?"
/ She seemed not TO see her husband, and he sat
! placidly smoking and paid attention whatever
! TO the new arrival.
! Bertha was taken into the house with the ut
most solictude, and placed in big rocking-char,
| which the only chair in the room. Wooden
benches served for seats at the table and the chill
dren could sit on the clean white floor without
any danger of soling their coarse strong clothes
| Everything about the one room was neat rs
work, though it served for kitchen, parlor and
bedroom \ rude loft overhead with ladder
for staircase was the children's bed-chamber
Three girls were in the ROOM The eldest looked
about fourteen years old, and the youngest not
more than one. They all had very light hair and
lovely compilations, and the eldest, Greta had
sweet face, much prettier than any of the others
The baby, Hilda, looked so clean and innocent as
it crept around the floor that Bertha longed to
get it in her arms.
The mother hustled about and rearranged the
benches and stirred up the children, sending Greta
for "dot boy Hans to feed Miss Russelrs horse,r
though Bertha declared il needed no attention
whatever.
''Nel, veil, Miss Russell, l thinks you not cooms
to see me at all. Mine hoosband goes to Meester
sanders, und goes nit him, und likes to sthop
NIT you, but I always been bashful to 90, ven
peoples not cooms to me- but / ish glad dot
you cooms now. 1 sees Miss Sanders; you know
dot folks dot lif dere Oh the creel, past you?'
'Yes," said Bertha al know Mrs. Sanders.
She was at my house yesterday. Has she not a
nice baby >"
/ "Hcr baby ish very mics. dlucht She slUst SO
hice as my Hlda. Vat YOU tinks2"
Bertha laughed, and said Hlda was nice too.
and asked if she was afraid Of strangers
"Oh, no. She ish never afraid. She will 20 init
YOU"
so Bertha took the baby, and it sat as quietly
and placidly as its father continued to sit on the
porch, and looked up into Bertha's face with wide
eyes, full Of wonder but very little of any other
expression.
Its mother sat down and began to tell Bertha
about the trouble She had with her first husband
Her two eldest children, Hans and Greta, were
his children and their names were Schuman.
"Greta ish goot chlder She helps me NIT
der work. But dot boy Hans ne do giebs me soch
troubles; ne likes 10 do notinks."
"Oh, yes, mother" said Greta who had just
come i'm, che likes to tend Hilda He is real good
for that"
"veH, dot ish all dot boy ish goot for and der
fader wants plenty york done We're ish he?'
ole is attending the ladys horse. Never fear,
mother, he will do it right. I told him just what
to 20, said Greta.
! The time for dinner soon came, and Bertha sat
down to an excellent meal. The bread deli
cious, and the coffee and sponge-cake equally
good
After dinner Mr.. Zimmerman condescended to
unbend, and asked Bertha if she would like to
look at his place
"You moost see mine spring. 1t ish de best
spring in de coontry," said he.
So they walked down a steep hill TO the spring.
It was quite distance from the house, and bub
bled ont with much force from the rocks.
''It is very fine" said Bertha. "But l should
think you would have preferred to have the house
nearer, 50 that it would be handler to the water"
"Oh, der childer can bring de water" said he ;
'und mine wife she wants not to lif too low down
by de water, for fear it ish not healthy"
"Ihere is a pretty knoll only few yards
away" said Bertha; "and should think it would
be very windy up on the hill in the Winter"
"Will, you shust ask mine wife, and if she says
she likes to moot de house, moofs it," said de
gOOd-natured man.
"Oh,' said Bertha, laughing, 'I did not mean
to meddle., I presume Mrs Zimmerman knows
what she likes without asking me-"