The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-08-02


I've called, Mr. Consul, this morning. 10 ask II you
please, Your advice
On : matter that gives me great worry" Let's
hear It twants money know)."
Here's my cltzen-paper--''All right H1-I was born
IN the schwarzwalder Krels,
At echramberg, and went to America forty-nye
years ago.
Yes, I'm near seventy now, and you see that my
stop IA unsteady
Plenty Of trouble. tell you'll settled In North
Illinois,
And there, ever since, I've been working and saw
ing mp, 90 that already
I've got nice farm, Mr.. Consul, that goesby-and
bye to my boys.
How many chIldren7 There's four, three boys and
agir. We've had seven;
But whom the war came along, nay William and Carl
marched away.
Both Of shem fell on the field, and last winter tho
good Lord In Heaven
Called home our dear little Minnie--she's twelve
years old to-day.
Yes, the old woman ia living. She's there with the
boys on the place,
And our Lima keeps house for them all. Next
spring she'n be Just twenty-four
She's the handsomest girl in the county; there's
sunshine all over her face;
can hear sven now her sweet voice as she told me
farewell at the door.
why Iiefs7 Well, perhaps, Mr.. Consul, twere bet
ter thetrath weren't told
But no mntter--it wasn't my fault. Ny old woman
and had nght
She is sick and can't work any more, and she's idle
We're both getting old;
So she's cross, and win have It that I'm always
wrong and that shs's always right.
nhasnt been always that way. In the days when
we worked for our bread
And hadn't a dollar laid by In the bank, she and
were All good
And happy together; but since wo began to be get
ting ahead
sha has tried to be boss over me, and didn't in
tend that she should
And when our poor dear Minnie died, had hoped
that the aght would die, too,
But mol II ivedon just the same and one day, about
four weeks ago,
The old woman sent out for lawyer, and then, for
the first time, knew
That ehe wanted 70 separate from me-from ma, who
have borne with her so.
And the boys they all tried to make peace; she
would listen to nsught that they said,
not, twas easy to see,
As abe put her sweet round my neck and rested
her beautiful hesd
Or my breast, that her dear heart was full Of the
tendcsest pity for me-
And sald "My Christina, we've labored and
struggled together TIL now;
Our children are grown, and you want us to sepa-
rate, now we are old7
No lawyer can part US, Christina, no lawyer can
sever our vow,
But IN leave you and go forth alone on my way
Through the rain and the cold"
Then my poor Lima cried, and she bade me re-
feet, and the boys they said stayP
And paused for moment and looked at Chris
tina-she said not word
0ne word would have kept me. But no, 1t came
not, and hurried away,
And my LinAs sweet voice. "oh, dear father, come
bdck," was the last that heard.
And SO have wandered back here to the scenes of
my childhood and youth
Have stood by the grave ofmy father and mother
have seen tho old home
On the hlIlsde at Schramberg--and yet Mr.. Consul,
to tell you the truth,
find that cannot be happy while far from the
loved ones roam.
For my sweet Lna's words, Oh, dear father, come
back" always ring in my eaA
And I'm going this day; but for fear there should
come on the journey some ILL.,,
There's no telling, you know, what might happen,
peFchance, to a man Of my years,
have come, Mr.. Consul, this morning to ask you
TO draw up my Will
And want you to make my old woman entitled to
all that I've got
In case of my death. After all can trust her to do
what Is fair
BY the children in case she survives me. Just say
that ]. Christian Roth" What
Ie your name Chyishan Roth7 Here's letter sd-
dressed to you here in my care"
letteri Ny Iina's handwriting, and pOstmarked
at Ssott, Illinois;
Here, quick, let me read it: "Dear father. my
mother implores you TO come
She tendeFiy asks your forgiveness; and now, she
and and the boys
are lovingly waiting your coming, and eager to
George L. Catlih