The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-10-24
FRANZ.
A TRUE STORY.

A family whom we shall call Steli
lived in Germany near the tamou
river Rhine. This was in the TIM
of Napoleon. During the wars bet
ween Germany and France they wer'
alternately subject to the one or tn,
other country. When the German
arms were victorious Germany
claimed their allegiance: when Ma
poleon carried off the victor's crown
they Immediately became French
subjects.
This unhappy state of affairs soor
reduced the well TO do family to ex
treme poverty, making it necessary
for the white haired father to be
come a day laborer in order to keer
the wolf from the door, and forcing
the good woman to turn washer
woman that she might do her par
towards keeping the traditional po
boiling.
Their eldest son Franz, a bright
ambitious lad, who for one short
happy year, had been allowed TO at
tend the village school, must need:
go to work also, that he, too, nigh
help along. Although a cruel tat,
thus thrust him from the schoo
room, it could not bar the doors o
knowledge, and accordingly eacf
night found the ambitious Franz be
side the little garrct window, wher
the moon was at the full"-for ht
could afford no other light-indus
triously poring over his much below
ed books.
One fine day when the father wa'
busy sowing seed, anh had giver
Franz a sack of seed grain to plant
and the lad had gone to one Of the
trenches to put his seed in, tn,
schoolmaster came along, and, tax
ing the father aside, began speaking
TO him in a very earnest and conf
dental manner.
This Franz could perceive, al
though he was too far distant tC
overhear a single word ofthe conver
sation. Fearing the master had
come to report some tale detrimental
to himself, which might possibly en-
title him to a thrashing-for in those
DAYS the elders had faith in the rod
and never failed to wieldit, be it for
the mischievous pranks or the grave
offense-Franz crawled near the
speakers, taking good care the while
to keep well hid in the bitches and
bushes along the way. If the master
was speaking i'll of him it were Ger
tainly better that he should hear it
for she is forearmed who is fore.
warned" thought Franz; but to his
surprise and great joy the converse.
ton to which he listened when he
got within hearing distance was very
different from what his fears had
prepared him for.
The schoolmaster-could he be-
lieve his ears-was actually urging
the father to send Franz back to
school, for she is bright lad" said
he.
But the father sadly replied that
it was impossible, that they were
very poor now, and the lad must
henceforth help to earn his bread.
Then the schoolmaster sighed and
said:
1T is a pity, there is certainly
something in the lad, he would sure
ly make his mark in the world if he
but had an education
The father only shook his head,
and declared it was not to be thought
OF.
Franz crawled back to the trench
es and mechanically went to work.
How the seed got into the ground
that day he never knew, for a wild
JOY thrilled his being and bright
fancies filled his brain, and ever be-
fore his eyes cleaned the words, "he
would surely make his mark in the
world if he but had an education.
An education he then and there
determined to have. So while the
hands went on working. working,
working, the head went on thinking,
thinking, thinking-and by thetime
the tasks OF the day were finished
Franz had resolved to 60 to the great
CITY.
There | can certainly earn money
and when l have money the rest
will be easy,' he reasoned.
At first his parents tried to dis
suade him when informed of his
ambitious plans; he was so young
and inexperienced, they argued, he
would scarcely be able to earn his
bread, to say nothing of SO expensive
a thing as an education.
Why, you will certainly starve,
or worse still, go to the poor house,
y ~.kl.~