Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-11-03

Zach, ia, !" said Marie, and uncle said
cordially, That's good"
"You make you everything in Ger
man." said Alan; "but suppose ought
to have saii, mach dur"
''Yes, that's so. It's always 'du' to
children and interiors"
"Or intimate friends" added Alan.
81 don't suppose Marie is our intimate
friend"
~ htve recently come to regard her
as my bitter enemy" said uncle thought,
fully, Though we seem to be getting
along all right"
Alan rang the bell again, which
seemed to alarm his uncle, but the boy
pointed to the soup plates and they wero
removed. Then came baked bluefish
beautiful to look upon. "There isn't
any lemon with it," said uncle. Il wani
some lemonr
II don't know how you are going to
get il" said Alan.
'There's lemonade here in the die
tionary," said uncle, consulting his
book, "but lemon is probably an en-
tirely different word, and don't think
lemonade would be very good on blue
fish, even if she knew how to make it.
I'll have to go without it."
There was ring at the basement
doorbell and Marie was heard as she
walked through the hall. Then there
was colloquy in which somebody with
an Irish brogue seemed to be figuring.
: Uncle and Alan dropped their forks and
waited results. Presently the door was
closed; Marie made detour through
the kitchen and appeared in the dining
room. "Ein Manu." she said.
81 knew that" said uncle. "Who is
he? Vie is ter? What does he wantY'
"Was?" asked Marie.
"Who is he? Is it beggar, a-what's
that word Alan? You know that comic
opera"
"Pinafore?" asked Alan.
"Pinafore? No, what an idea! Der
Bay something -Bettelstudent. Ist er
elm bettelstudent-or bettel, I mean."
"Ich yerstehe nicht," said Marie.
''Of course you DON'T" cried uncle.
"You don't understand anything. That
will do. Aus gehen." And uncle waved
his napkin like woman shooing hens,
Marie fled, while uncle took up the
carving knife and started to carve.
''As usual" he remarked, "this knife
is too dull to cut custard. She's got tt
sharpen it."
"Well, how on earth are you going to
tell herr asked Alan. Il don't know
what sharpen is"
"Tll find it," said his uncle, opening
the dictionary. "Just ring that bell"
Marie appeared and waited while IN
Gle ran over the leaves, muttering to
himself. a'Ah, here it isl 'Scharfen.'
You tell her to 'scharfen' the knife"
whats 'dullY I've got to know that
too" :
"sDall?'F Let's see. It's any one of
half dozen things. Try 'abstumpfen.'
That's the longest of the lot.
''Knife is 'messer, said Alan. II re-
member that; but I've forgotten whether
it's masculine or feminine. I'll compro-
mise on 'das, which is neuter. Marie,
das messer is-whaCs that word-ab-
stumpfen-das messer ist zu abstump-
fen abstumpfen. See?'" hacking at the
roast as he spoke. "'Scharfen du'-J
know that grammar is off, but starving
men can't talk grammatically- 'scharfen
du das-das messer- -scharfen-du YER
stehnY"
Maria looked doubtfully from Allan
to his uncle and then asked:
"Was haben sic gesagt"
"What did tell your" groaned uncle.
''That's just what she says to me, and
talk the very best kind of German to
her. I'll get along with the knife some
way. Aus gehen,'' and again Maria was
Bhooed out of the room.
u Have you stopped drinking claret at
dinner, uncle?' asked Alan, as he
Strengthened out ragged slice of beet
on his plate.
II have stopped doing everything
ever did," said uncle. II don't dare to
ask for anything, and can't go down
into the cellar for the clafet, because
there is a spring lock on the door, and il
l shut myself in Wos-haben-sie-gesagt
wouldn't know enough to let me out.
tried to ask her for some mustard the
other day and she didn't understand
Then l said it was hot-meaning Of
| course the stuff I wanted-and she
opened the window. I shook my head
and said hot-or sheizs'--over and over
again and pointed to my mouth. She
thought for moment and then disap
peared. I heard her banging away al
the refrigerator, and pretty soon she
came in with bowl of cracked ice.
tell you, Alan, that girl will drive m,
crazy"
"Why wouldn't it be good scheme
for us to teach her English"
,"Teach her Englishl Good heavens
we can't teach her anything. shuddel
at the thought of speaking to her. Say
how would you like to have some ic'
cream tonight?'
'sTiptop. But there isn't any in tht
house, and we couldn't make her under
stand if we tried to send her out fol
some."
| "She'd probably bring back soap. No
when we finish this we will just sneal
out---I think we can get ont without he
knowing it--and we'll go down to Man
haitian Beach and finish our dinner ther
with ice cream and coffee"
"But what shall we do about break
fast2 We've got to tell her about that.
4 ssWe'll stay down there all night AM
get breakfast there in the morning
And, by the way, ] don't think it hardl.
fair that your vacation should be spoiled
and think you had better go back =
New Jersey tomorrow. I'll get alon,
some way It'll your mother returns"
How uncle got along may be under
stood from this extract from the lette
to Alan's mother that he wrote the mex