The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-01-31
THE BRAVE FRAULEIN MALCHEN.

Nv AOO WIN 81 w SuulOu Gulo
evening, MalchenP" said Otto Won
Polheim to his eldest daughter, one
Sunday in December, as he and the
rest of his family were setting out for
the market-town to hear Pastor Knopps
preach an Advent sermon.
"No, father, Dorothea can 90 in my
stead, and will keep the house"
keep the house alonep No; will
leave Hans to protect thee and the
manse too"
81 would rather not have Hans"
said Malchen with little pout, as she
glanced at an ugly gawk, who was her
fathers head servant.
"Then thou shalt not have Karl"
grumbled old Polheim, speaking rather
to himself than to the girl. and wrap
ping his ancient blue cloak tightly
round him, he struck his iron-tipped
staff two or three times on the flags of
the hall, to intimate to the members of
his household that it was time to be off.
They came Gathering down stairs and
trudging out of different doors-a large
and rather noisy troop. Otto Won Pol
helm was a landowner on small scale
what would be called in England a
~ VI uon suns anu uaug nuefs, wIcnOuiJ
counting two servant-wenches and a
couple of laborers whom he treated as
his children. The eldest of these two
1aborers, tall, rosy-cheeked, fair
haired, blue-eyed fellow named Karl,
had shown signs of late of icing "a bit
Soft about Fraulein Malchen, and this
displeased.her father; for though he was
a kind master he had a 'Squire's pride,
and would have kicked Karl straight
way out of his house if he had suspected
Malchen of cherishing any regard for
him. At least this is what he had once
said to Karl with more bluntness than
prudence, for worldly wisdom would.
perhaps, have suggested that he should
begin by turning off Karl before NAL
chen's sentiments toward him had
ripened into affection.
Now, come, come, let's be off," re-
peated old Polheim, impatiently;
"come, wife, and you, Bertha, Frida
and Gretchen; you, Hans, take one of
the lanterns, and you, Karl, lead the
way with the other"
Karl skunk out, looking rather Sheep
ish, but scarcely had he got into the
open air than the candle in his lantern
was blown out and he ran back to get
another. Malchen was standing in the
hall and struck match for him. She
struck second and third, for some
how the phosphorus would not act, and
the operation of lighting was delayed a
little. When Karl took the lantern his
hand touched Malchen's, and the girl
blushed. "It's cruelty cold night to
go out in." faltered she.
"And don't like leaving you alone"
whispered Karl. 81 think / shall steal
out of church and come back to see if
you are safe"
90. no, the door will be barred"
exclaimed Malchen in a futter.
"Then I'll climb over the orchard
WALL" answered Karl, nothing daunt-
ed, and he executed wink as he went
forth into the cold.
How very audacious he is becom-
ing" muttered Malchen to herself; but
she apparently thought that it was of
no use to bar the door if Karl meant to
get over the garden wall, so she simply
shut it and turned back to spend her
evening in the kitchen.
Herr Won Polheim's farm stood in a
lonely part of the country, about two
miles from R., in Bavaria. 1t had |
once been castle, and all the rooms
on the ground floor were large, windy |
apartments, with wainscotted walls and |
old oaken furniture. The kitchen,
which served as the ordinary sitting
room to the family of an evening, was
made comfortable by some screens,
which shut out the draughts, and by
the large fires which roared in the i'm
mense chimney all day long. There
were two arm chairs under the bullying
mantel of this chimney on either side
of the and-irons, and in one of these
Malchen took her seat. She began to
knit, but soon her work subsidized into
her lap and she began to stare at the
fire in soft reverie.
There were faces, of course, in the
red embers of the crumbling pine logs,
and Kar's was chief among them.
who was pretty, sentimental
young lady of eighteen, but somewhat
as beseems the daughter of
gentleman who can prefix Won to his
name, asked herself if she liked KarlP