Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-10-13
THREE LITTLE EMIGRANTS.

Near the little German village of
Neiderdorf lived a man whose name
was Herman Abt. His wife Ursula.
worked with her husband to till their
small strip of garden-land, and took
care of the cottage home and the chill
dren. They were an industrious, happy
family. yet sometimes the father seemed
troubled; and when Ursula would ask
him why he sat SO silent and sad by the
fireside, he would reply:
eft is about the children / I'M think
ing"
But Ursula knew that the children
had goodpumper-nickel and sauer-kraut
and potatoes, and now and then a bit of
meat; their clothes were warm and
clean, and their wooden-soled shoes
such as other peasant children wore.
Besides, they were rosy and merry and
stout. Ulrich was ten years old. Al
ready he could take the vegetables to
market in his dog-cart, and no boy
in the parish school was as bright as he.
What, then, could trouble the heart of
the father?
One frosty December night Ulrich
came from the village with a letter in
the pocket of his blouse. 1t was not Of
ten that messages from the great,
busting world came to the peaceful cot
tage, and wife and children drew curl
ously around the table while Hermann
broke the seal.
cit is from Hans Schafer, who went
to seek his fortune in America" he
said.
The letter was slowly read aloud. 1t
told of prosperity in the New World,
and promised help if Hermann and
Ursula would come to Illinois to make
home as he had done.
Ursula laughed at the thought.
"Ach, mein!r' she exclaimed, eve
shall stay in the Fatherland. Are we
not quite comfortable and happy nowP"
Then she carried her two little girls
off to bed, and told them a story Of a
naughty child who stuck her finger in an
unbaked Christmas cake and could not
pull it out again!
But the father did not sleep that night,
and all the next day he worked as if he
were dreaming. And so, indeed, he
was. He was dreaming of a land of
foreign speech and foreign customs,
where industry was bountifully re-
warded; where freedom was more of a
tact than a theory; where the bondage
OF caste was broken; where his u
rich, who loved his books, might become
a great man; where Elsie and little
Gretchen might live q broader life than
their supplemented mother had ever
dreamed of. After two days the dotine
father told his boy the dream.
"My child" he said, for a long wear
! ho y0 hopp frv-sn~ ~ loa:J- O-s =.
aon The mother and / must go to
America. As oon as we find work and
get a bit of a home and gold enough,
thou shalt bring the little sisters to us
over the cas- Americans are friendly
to strangers, and the dear God will care
for thee"
Ulrich was glad and confident. But
alas! for poor Ursula! The mother
heart was weal-nlgh broken at the
thought of leaving her children, her
home and native land. Yet soon she,
too, began to be eager to verify the
promises Of the New World, and be-
tween smiles and tears the decisive
letter was written. Their simple pre-
parations were soon made. February
came, and brought the parting day.
Ulrich, Elsie and Gretchen were to re-
main with their Aunt Katrina.
1T shall not be long, my children"
said the father, with %quivering lips, as
he lifted little Gretchen in his arms.
mo, no; it shall not be long," sobbed
poor Ursula, with tears pouring down
her checks. 1T shall be before the
Christmas-time, for we will work dav
and night, and save every groschen to
send you"
The months in the New World went
swiftly by. At first the language and
customs seemed very hard to under
stand, but day by day, with unf1agging
industry, the father and mother 1oiled
and studied. Hans Schafer, true to his
promise. had foupd work for his friends