The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-01-28

CHAPTER l.
One beautiful April morning, 1862,
two children, little girl eight years
old and a boy two years younger, de-
scended the vine. hill of Koso-
heez, where the beautiful and rapid
waters of the Moldau flowed with
tumultuous roar as they wound around
the antique Bohemian forests.
Instead of running along with that
carelessness so natural to their age,
these two children, holding each others
hands, walked slowly-with all the dig
nifty of grown people, together with the
piquant glaces, candor and simplicity
of childhood.
Their dress showed poverty rather
than wealth, and though the color of
the little girls dress had faded, the
little boys clothes were worn out, and
different mate rial had been used to
patch both the elbows and knees, one
could guess, however, from the coquet-
tishness with which their beautiful
golden hair was combed, and from the
delicacy of their hands and features,
that careful and attentive mother
took care of them.
Each held in their hand very large
DlcCt VI anu tNtlN nOM dlh llltu
they would carry it from their mouths
without touching it.
When they reached the bottom of
the hill and had sought the shade of
the forest trees, the little boy broke the
silence:
" Did you notice, sister, mammals
manner when she gave us breakfast
this morning, and her sigh when / said
Nothing but bread?'"
"Yts, brother; she wept TOO" said
the little girl. " saw her tears, and
her look which seemed to say: There
is nothing but bread in the house, we
must be contented.' But why are you
weeping, Wolfgang?" added Frederika,
bursting into tears. {" weep just be-
cause you weep" replied Wolfgang,
Frightening little, land then, also
because we had nothing but bread for
breakfast"
"Poor little fellow said Frederika,
stopping so as to kiss her brother,
"Poor little fellow would that you
could never have greater troubles; but
eat your bread"
4" l am not hungry"
Little gormandizer; if there were
raisins in it l would not have to beg you
to eat it,"
No, really, sister, | am not hungry"
The little girl drew her brother to
her, and brushing back the hair from
his forehead said 81 am going to kiss
you again and tell you what / have
been thinking about this morning; but
l am afraid you are too little to give me
any advice"
Too little! you are so big, you arel"
said Wolfgang, with comical air.
'Now confess, l am larger than you"
"Only few thumbs taller; there
now, aren't you proud"
Well, l am older than YOU"
Bah-only few months"
"A few years, monsieur, but we
won't fuss about that, and we will cal
culate," said Frederika sweetlv. 8" l
was born on January the 3Oth, 1854"
"And | on the 9th of January,
1856" interrupted Wolfgang.
Well, that makes two years"
Three days lessl"
Well, then, three days less than
two years. But let's return to the
subject. We were talking of relieving
the poverty of our parents"
"Oh, then, do speak, sister, what
can we do?"
cit is about that very thing I've
been thinking. Oh, God, what must
we dol''
of we prayed, sister, perhaps we
could think of something," said Wolf
gang.
"You are right, my brother, let us
pray; let us kneel down right under
this tree. We can see heaven through
the foliage and God perhaps can
see u.s."
"And he will hear us too; mamma
told me he would always hear little
children when they prayed for their
parents"
ooh, then, he will hear u.s." said
Frederika, joining her hands.
Wolfgang knelt by the side of his
sister, and putting his bread on the
ground, so as to clasp his hands easier,
said: " Must we address Notre Dame
de Lorette or the great Saint Jean
Nepomuk?"
First the st, Nepomuk."
"Then begin, sister; I'll follow"
The little girl began saying aloud a
prayer to the saint of Bohemia, the
little boy repeating after her. Both be-
gan praying so earnestly and feelingly
that neither perceived an aged gentle
man, with noble and distinguished
nien, who was standing at some dis
lance from the tree under which they
were praying.