Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-07-07
Miscellany.


[suttgart, May, 1921
I've called, Mr. Consul this morning, to ask, If you
please, your advice
on matter that gives me great worry-"Lets hear It
wants money, know)."
Here's my otizen-piper-lA An right9 9.-I was born in
the Schwarzwader Kreis,
AZ schramberg, and went to America forty-hyo years
ago.
Yes I'm near seventy now, and you that my step
Plenty Of trouble, tell you. settled in North
Illinois,
And there, ever since I've been working and saving
I've got nice farm, Mr. Consul, that goes by-andby
to my boys.
How many children There's four-three boys aud
girl. We've had seven,
But when the war came along, my william and Carl
marched away;
Both Of them fell on the field. And last winter the
good Lord in heaven
Called home dear little Mnnie-shes twelve years
old to-day
Yes, the old woman is living She's there with the
And our Lima keeps house for them all. Next spring
she'll be just twenty-four.
She's the handsomest girl in the county; there's
shine all over her face,
can hear even now her sweet voice as she told me
farewell at the door.
why ef7 We'll, perhaps, Mr.. Consul, 'twere better
the truth werenttold.
But no matter-it wasn't my fault. My old woman
and had fight
She is sick and can't work any more, and she's idle
We're both getting old;
SO she's cross, and will have it that I'm always wrong
and that she's always right.
1t hasn't been always that way In the days when we
worked for our bread,
Aud hadn't dollar laid by in the bank, she and /
were all good
And happy together; but since we began to be get
She has tried to be bosa over me- and didn't intend
that she should
And when our poor dear Minnie died had hoped that
the fight would die, too;
But no lived on Just the same. Aud one day. about
four weeks ago,
ho ,,I9
FIRST time knew
That she wanted to separate from me-from me, who
have borne with her so.
And the boys they all tried to make peace she would
listen to naught tina; they said.
But my Lima stood up by my side-though she spoke
not, twas easy to see,
AS she put her sweet arms round my neck aud rested
her beautiful head
On my breast that her dear heart full Of the
derest pity for me.
And said: "Aiy Christina we've labored and struR-
gled together till now;
Our children are grown and you us to separate
now we are od7
No lawyer can part u.s. Christina no lawyer can sever
our vow;
But III leave you and go forth alone on my way thro'
the rain and the coldn
Then my poor Lima cried and she bade me reflect and
the boys they said "staylp
And paused for moment and looked at Christina
she said not word.
one word would have kept me. But no. It came not
aud hurried away;
And my sweet Lna's voice "oh, dear father, come
baek!" was the last that heard.
And have wandered back here to the scenes Of my
childhood and youth;
Have stood by the graves Of my father and mother
have seen the old home
on the hillside at Schramberg: and yet. Mr. Consul
10 tell you the truth,
find that cannot be happy while far from my loved
ones roam.
For my sweet Linas words-"oh, dear father, come
baek!'-always ring in my ears,
And I'm going this day; but for fear there should
come on the journey some ill
Ingrg'F
chance, to 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 of my death. After all, can trust her to do
what is fair
By the children in she survives me. Just say
that /, Christian Roth-"What!
Is your name Christian Roth ? Here's a letter ad-
dressed to you here in my care.r
letterl Ny Lina's handwriting, aud postmarked at
Scott, Illinois;
Here-quick-let me read III "Delr father, my moth
er rimpores you to come;
She tenderly asks your forgiveness and now she and
and the boys
Are lovingly waiting your coming, and eager to well
come you home"
George l.. Cdtlin.