The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-06-17
A SIMPLE STORY.

the lap-stone from his knee. ut has happen
now more ss one year ago, but hardly yet
can SPEAK about it."
Here Max paused and let his blue eyes
wander out over the water, while his hands
nervously rolled and unrolled the leather
apron across his knees. The little cottage,
whose front room served as shop, stood close
to the edge OF the bay, and he had the whole
marine traffic of the port before his eyes
whenever he raised them from the old boots
and shoes, the repairing of which formed his
chief industry.
Transatlantic steamers pulled in and out,
barquss and schooneIs fitted noiselessly past,
bound for the tropics with cargoss of bread
stufs or returning freighted with shaggy CO.
coanuts and miraculous punches of bananas;
strenuous tugs, lsboring vsliantly with their
tows Of barges conveying cotton to the ships
at anchor in the rosdstead; vegetable boat
from the main land, fishing bosts from the
deep sea fishing grounds. all these went by
bis door, and the shuttIes carried the thre ads
of his thoughts to and fro across the ocean,
weaving for him q web of speculative and
imaginary experience, quite distinct fem
the dull routine of his daily life Thus
while what We called Max was pounding
Rwsy with sober industry upon the new
half-sole of boys stubby shoe, or stitching
a Patch upon the side of o cowhide boot,
another Max, of whom We had only nov
snd then an evanescent glimpse, aud stand
ipg on the deck of that low blsck steamer
with the red smokestsck, with his face set
against the spray-laden wind, while his heart
leaptd up and his veins throbbsd with that
glad sense of wings, born Of swift buoyant
motion and wide horizon.
"You see," resumed Max, in low tone,
while his eyes came back from the white
sails CT a brigantine that were melting slowly
In the evening sky, my mutter she marry
for the second time, und she COON NIT her
husband to Texas but shtay behind in New
York, where learnin' the shoemaker trade.
By and by finish my trade, und when there
don't be much work in New York say will
/ 60 TO Texas. may be / there shall my NUT
ter find. So COON, ind for long time
don't find noting of her, md then, ioost all
at once, COON right into her house. It was
one night gettin' poorly late, und l walk
into little tsverns up there by New Braun
fels, ind when 1 ask the landlady can some
supper have, she joost catch me round the
neck und begin cryin', und say, why,
Max, Max, don't you know your own
mutter? Poorly soon l find out that
her husband had been since dree year dade
und she Gas this little tsverns keep, und
hardly could living make cause of the
times beln' so very hard. By und by, when
I done supper, she say, Coon NIT me; got
something to show you und she take me
into her bed room ind show me the poortiest
little eirl sleepin' in her bed. She was joost
So white like lily, NIT yellow hair like gold
all rumpled up in leetle curls all over her
head, und her cheeks so red like two roses
My muitsr bold up the light 50 can better
see, u she look at me und say:
. Max, this is your sister,
well, il you belief me, that go all over
me joost like when drink glass of good
wine, und I could not rest before had take
her up in my arms und make her laugh ind
say in German
H'Ich liebe dich, bruder Max"
Here Max paused again, while two great
tears rolled unchecked from his wide, blue
eyes and ran unreservedly down his cheeks.
$50, them" he resumed, with simple de
reetness, ~ say to my mUtter, Coon you
mil me, und make living for you bote.'
so, then, we sell the taverns so quick as
we can, ind We COON down here, und buy
this leetle place und right away l get work
in shop on Aarget street, Und we live very
happy Sophy she grow more poorly every
cay. Now you zee me. L joost common
ugly Dutchmans, und neider my mutter amt
no beauty, und all my sisters at the Mort,
they joost the same. plain, and noting at all
peTtickler about them. But little Sophy?
You do not think she belong to the some
family. Every day when look at her 1 10
myself say, How ever you come TO be
bnrn'd like thatr Und am always AFRAID
she grow ugly by und by, when she older is
Frow, Bot she keep joost on the same like
that first hight see her, only her hair gro
long, md she get tall und SHIN like one Of
them tell white lilies seen growing la some
gardens. All my heart joost wrap Itself
around her. People say to me, Max, why
you not marry? there pes so Und SO, nice
girl, make you nice wifeP But no; wheE
look at Sophy, all oder girls look like barn
yard geese beside my canary bird there Ach,
Himmell She was beautiful"
The low voice died away in sigh. The
sun wss no quite out OF sight, and only q
pink flush fingered across the sky, which,
miTroTed in the water of the channel, seemed
10 mark out the pathway for the fishing
beats TINT came slipping in from the gather
ing shadows before a ftful wind. Bolivar
Light flashed oHt across the tumbled waves
that marked the outer bar, aud lesser lights
began to rock at the mastheads OF the ships
in the offiDg.
There was a sound of somebody moving in
the sdjoining room, and the ray OF a lamp
shone through the partially open door. Max
leaned forward and peered in, then resumed
almost in whisper:
my mutter, too, Worship her, und bote of
Us don't think OF nothing but how we shall
please her. She was in the house joost like
q queen on q trone. She 90 to school, und
always / 20 NIT her ind carry her books.
At school she learn singin' some little songs,
ind she sings 80 sweet. l say to my mutter
she must lessons have. So buy pisny, q
second hand, you know. but still good, und
/ hire the bestes professor in town, und
pooty soon 1t was Joy to hear her sing und
play. The professor is organist at the Ostolic
Church. Ny mutter und me we bes Lutheran,
uDd st frat we ike il not that she sing at the
Cstolics, bat the professor say she one grand
voice, ind when she learn good sing the best
music she always can plenty money make
for herself.
$50 then she go to that church, und go
always NIT her, because 1t seem not right
that tender. young thing like that 60 ever
out by herself. Und besides 1t was such 10y
TO hear her voice soar up above the organ