Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-12-15
THREE LITTLE EMIGRANTS

mann Abt. His wife, Ursula, worked
with her husband to till their small strip
of garden land and took care of the cot
tage home and the children. They were
an industrious. happy family, yet some.
times the father seemed troubled; and
when Ursula would ask him why he sat SC
silent and sad by the tireside, he would re-
at is about the children 1 am think.
ing"
But Ursula knew that the children had
good pumpernickel and sauer kraut and po-
tatoes. 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 10
years old. Already he could take the veg.
etables 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 Ulrlch came
from the village with a letter in the pocket
of his blouse. IL was not often that mes
sages from the great, busting world can. e
to the peaceful cottage, and wife and chill
dren drew curi0ugly 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.
Zach. nein 20 she exclaimed, eve shall
stay IN the Fatherland Are we not quite
comfortable and happy now?"
Then she carried her two little girls off
to bed and told them a story of 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 land of foreign speech
and foreign customs, where industry was
bountifully rewarded; where freedom was
more a fact than a theory; where the
bondage of caste was broken where his
Ulrich, who loved his hooks, might become
a great man; where Elsie and little
Gretchen might live a broader life than
their smple.hearted mother had ever
dreamed OF. After two days the dosing
father told ms boy the dream.
" Nv child, he said, for long year |
have been trying to decide-now it IS done.
The mother and must 20 to America. As
soon as we find work and get a bit of a
home and gold enough thou shalt bring the
little sisters to us over the seas. Americans
are friendly 10 the stranger and the dear
God will care for thee !!
Ulrich was glad aud confident. But
alas for poor Ursula The mother-heart
was well.niah broken at the thought of
leaving her children, her home and native
land, Yet soor she, too, began to be eager
to verify the promises of the New World,
and between smiles and tears the decisive
letter was written. Their simple prepare
tions were soon made. February came
and brought the parting day. Ulrich,
Elsie and Gretchen were to remain with
their Aunt x atrina.
1T shall not be long, my children, said
the father, with quivering lips, as he Iii ed
little Gretchen in MS arms.
"No, no it shall not be long" sobbed
poor Ursula, with tears pouring down her
cheeks. 1t shall be before the Christmas
time, for we will work day and night and
save every grosohen to send you"
The months in the New World went
swiftly by. Athrst the language and Gus
toms seemed very hard to understand, but
day by day, with untiagging industry, the
father and mother toiled and studied.
Hans Schafer, true to his promise, had
found work for his friends with a gardener,
where Hermauns strength and skill and
Ursula's faithfuluess soon won the conf
dence and regard of their employer.
One day Mr. Martin came upon the
Dleasant.faoed German woman bending over
a bed of lettuce. with one hand buslly
pulling up the weeds with the other brush
ing the tears from her eyes. She was talk
ing softly 70 herself. He stopped, and
Ursula, looking up suddenly, saw kind
but curious gaze upon her.
She began 60 tell her story, half IN
broken English, half in the mother-tongue,
but with az arE.ess pathOs more eloquent
than words.
Hermann makes toys by night, she
added, and I knit stockings and shawls
to sell TO the Germans in Milwaukee. But
the children viii not be here for the Christ
mas festival The money comes too slowly,
though Hermsun drinks no more glass OF
beer, hut puts the money in the box tor
the children.
From that day money came much faster
90 the strangers. There were ready pur-
chasers for the German toys, and they
brought a larger price than in the home
markets. soon they were settled in a coy
LITTLE horne of four rooms, and by the mid
die Of September, with Mr.. Martin 8 help,
the father sent the tickts and the money
for the chi.dren's long journey.
If you could only have seen the glad
faces, if You could only have heard the
glad shouts when that package came
You would know then surely that the
hearts OF German children are Just as eager
and loving as those of American children.
Aunt katriua's home would be very
lonely without them, she said, And how
could such little folks go so far alone
But there was the letter for the Captain
and money for warm clothing and tickets
to bring them I'll the way to e. ermania,
where the father and mother were working
and waiting for them.
1--WE are not afraid to trust Ulr;ch with
his sisters" wrote the father, The boy
grew manly and strong in spirit IS with
Glowing eyes he read those words.
So Aunt Katrina gave the three children
into the care Of the genial German Captain
Taen she put in dear little Gretchen's HAND
tipv Testament TO carry all the way. Or
the fy-leaf were written the names anC
AGES of the children, where they came
from and where they wished to go-fo
Aunt Katrina was sensible woman-an'
these words were added
Jesus said, whosoever shall give to on
Of these little ones cup of cold waite
only. he shall in no wise lose his reward
And now came the long, long voyage
sixteen DAYS Passengers and crewt wer
kind to the Captains little friends. Man,
happy hour they passed on deck, watch
ing the waves and listening to the songs Q
the sailors. Sometimes the odd htti