Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-09-27

! pleasant-faced German woman bending
over bed of lettuce, with one hand
busily pulling up the weeds, with the
other brushing the tears from her eyes.
She was talking softly to herself He
stopped, and Ursula, looking up sudden
ly, saw kind but curious gaze fixed
upon her.
She began to tell her story, half in
English, half in the mother-tongue, but
with an artless pathOs more eloquent
than words
Hermann makes toys by night, - she
added, land l knit stockings and shawls
to sell to the Germans in Milwaukee.
But the children will not be here for the
Christmas festival! The money comes
too slowly, though Hermann drinks no
more a glass of beer, but puts the money
in the box for the children
From that day money came faster
| to 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 home with four rooms, and
by the middle of September, with Mr.
Martins help, the father sent the tickets
and the money for the children's long
! journey.
If you could only have seen the glad
faces, if you could only have heard the
glad shouts when the 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 Katrina's home would be very
| lonely without them, she said. And how
could such little folks 90 so far alone?
la e., ~.
and money for warm clothing and tick
cts to bring them all the way to Ger
mania, where the father and mother
were working and waiting for them.
eve are not afraid to trust UIrich
with his sisters, wrote the father. The
boy grew manly and strong in spirit as
with glowing eyes he read those words.
So Aunt Katrina gave the three chill
| dren into the care of the genial German
Captain. Then she put in dear little
Gretchen's hands tiny Testament to
carry all the way. On the fiy-leaf were
written the names and ages of the chill
dren, where they came from and where
! they wished to gO-for Aunt Katrina
was a sensible WOman-and these words
were added:
''Jesus said, whatsoever shall give to
one of these little ones cup of cold wa
ter only, he shall in no wise lose his re-
ward.
And now came the long, long voyage
of sixteen days. Passengers and crew
were kind to the Captain little friends
Many happy hour they passed on
deck, watching the waves and listening
to the songs of the sailors. Some
times the odd little group would be seen
| 1O1 -, he 81 ~
Gretchen fast asleep with her curly head
against her brothers shoulder, and the
Testament tightly clasped in her hand.
When a storm came and the good ship
rolled heavily in the trough of the black
pillows, Ulrich was fearless and cheer
full. He told the sisters fairy tales, and
watched by their box-like berth every
night till the big, blue eyes were fast
closed in sleep.
New York City looked like new
world to these simple peasant children.
There were forests of masts, and great
ocean steamships and crowded steam
ferry-boats. A multitude of Americans
were waiting to welcome long-absent
friends. There was laughing and cry
inc and shouting and mOtiOning.
exclaimed little Elsie all at once, as the
ship drew slowly near the crowded pier.
mo, no, Elsie! I see that man, too,
but it is not our papa. Oh, 1 wish ii
wasI'
but it 5Sr'
No, it was the father of the little Ger
man boy who had played with them
during the voyage, and who had come
with his mother from Berlin. 1t made
our little folks cry for Joy and envy tc
see him welcome his child. But Ulrich
quickly brushed away his tears.
''Do not cry, sisters" he said
''After two days more we shall see him,
and the mother, too. "
So they watched the passengers leave
the ship, watched the custom-hOuse
officers inspecting the luggage, and by.
and-by, when the November twilight
was fading into night, and the great
city was all aglow with lights, came
their kind Captain.
Come now, my children" he said
cheerily. Tonight you shall stay
with me. Tomorrow I shall start you
of for Germania.
Tightly holding each others hands
they followed him down the half-de
serted pier to a carriage which was wait.
ing for him. A steward followed with
their box and the Captains handbag,
and soon they were rolling through the
streets.
Sitting on those soft cushions the lit
tie emigrants gazed about them il
wondering, awe-struck silence. Surely
they had sailed away into fairyland!
They were a prince and princesses riding
in crimson chariot through streets
7 paved with precious stones to the door
of splendid palace!
A colored servant put the children tt
bed. Poor little Gretchen cried fol
fright. She had never seen negro be
fore.
In the morning the Captain tool
them to the Chicago express. They
kissed his hand gratefully when he badt
them goOd-by.
And still our wanderers were in fairy
land A vyOndayfu1 river tho Ike n