Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1882-07-20
CHRISTIAN waorRs STORY.
Stuttgart. May, lss2.l


I've called, Mr. Consul. this morning, To ask
you please, your advice
On matter that gives me great worry
Lets hear AZ (want money, KNOW"
Here's my citizen paper-("All righL"l-l
was born in the Schwarzwalder Kreis.
at Schramberg, and went 20 America forty
hveyearsago.
Yes, I'm near seventy now. and you see that
Plenty of trouble, / tell you'll settled In
And there. ever since, I've been working and
saving up, SO that already
I've got a nice farm, Mr.. Consul, that goes
by-and-by to my boys,
How many children? There's four, three
boys and 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 WIN
ter the good Lord In Heaven
alled home our dear little Mlnnie-she's
twelve years old to-day.
Yes. the old woman is living. She's there
with the boys on the place,
And our Lima keeps house for them all.
Next spring she'll Dc Just W na cgnoar:
there's sunshine all over her face,
can hear even now her sweet voice as she
told me farewell at the door.
Why left? Well, perhaps, Mr.. Consul,
'twere better the truth weren't told.
U
woman an had a 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 IL that I'm al
ways wrong and that She s nj ways right.
1t hasn't been always that way. In. the days
when we worked for our bread
And hadn't dollar laid by In the bank, she
and were all good
And happy together; but since We began to
She has tried 10 be boss over me, aud didnt
intend that she should.
hoped that the fghtwould die, too.
But no! It lived on 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 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 that 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
and rested her beautiful head
On my breast, that her dear heart was full OF
the tenderest pity for me.
And said: ''My Christina, we've labored
and struggled together TIL now;
Our children are grown, and you want us to
separate, now we are old?
No lawyer can part us, Christina, no lawyer
But I'll leave you and go forth alone on my
way through the rain and the cold"
Then my poor Lima cried and she bade me
reflect, and the boys they said 'Stay!"
And paused for a moment and looked at
Christina-she said not a word.
One word would have kept mo. But no, IL
came not and hurried away,
And my Lna's sweet voice "Oh, dear father
come back" was the last that / heard.
And SO have wandered back here 10 the
scenes of my childhood and youth
Have stood by the grave of my father and
mother-have seen the old home
On the hillside at acknowledgement yet, Mr..
Consul, TO tell you the truth,
1 find that cannot be happy while far from
the loved ones roam.
For my sweet Lina's words, "Oh dear father,
como back" always ring In my ears,
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, perchance, TO man OF my
years,
have come, Mr. Consul, this morning 10 ask
you TO draw up my Will.
And want you TO make my old woman en-
titled To all that I've got
In case of my death. After al can trust her
TO do what is fair
Nv the children in case she survives me.
Just say that I,Chrlstian Roth-"Whap
is your name Christian Roth? Here's let
ter addressed to you here, In my care"
A letter! My Lina's handwriting, and post
marked at Scott, Illinois;
Here, quick, let me read IL: Dear father, my
mother implores you 10 come.
She tenderly asks your forgiveness; and
now, She and and the pOys
Are lovingly waiting your coming and eager
NJ Y Tribune