The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-07-26


VI NTVl three years before,
NJ 11f' to make a home for
them, had gone, no one knew where.
The woman with whom he had board
ed, and whose address Christina had,
knew nothing of his whereabouts.
each, Gottl" Frau Werlein ex-
claimed. "But Hans said you would
come not for two year. :"
"No," Christina answered, trying to
choke down her sobs. 'fBut the me ther
wanted to see him, oh, so much, and
she got weaker and sicker all the time.
Then the mother says, Il must see my
boy before l die, and the good neigh
bors, oh, they feel so sorry. They sell
our things for us, and they give much
money to pay our way here. And the
mother is at the bottom of the sea, and
Hans is gone, and l am alone"
The poor girl burst into passion of
tears, while Frau Werlein sat much
troubled in mind, between sympathy
for her countrywoman' grief and pru-
DENTAL considerations. She was not
an unkind woman, but long struggle
with poverty had blunted all delicacy
of feeling, and in trouble or not, she
could not afford an Improbable lodger.
She had found out that Christina was
penniless and friendless, and she must
be made to understand that she, Frau
Werlein, could not give her a home
without some equivalent.
'But then, what will you do?" she
cried. al am poor, and can keep
you not without the money. Hans will
come not back, perhaps, and how will
you live?"
Christina took her hands from her
eyes and looked up. She had been too
much stunned by grief and disappoint-
ment to have given a thought to her
own situation. But she was practical
and sensible, and it did not take her a
minute to meet the emergency.
81 can cook, can wash, can nurse
children, can embroider, and make
fine lace. Ach! j can do many things,
and in this great city there must be
plenty of work. And then when Hans
comes back.
"Ah, yes, yes, Frau Werlein said,
much relieved. "If you can do all those
things You will not starve. We will go
tomorrow to the intelligence-office,
and you may get fine place.
/ happened to go to the same Office
that day in search of nurse, and heard
Frau Werlein's voluble enumeration of
Christmas accomplishments.
/ saw short, stout girl with large
features and pale blue eyes. Her cos
tune, short blue skirt, velvet jacket
with innumerable silver buttons, long
earrings, silver rings on her red,
stumpy fingers, only seemed to in
tensify her remarkable ugliness. Bat
she was clean, strong-limbed and
healthy, and there was frank, good
humored expression in her pale eyes
that took my fa4cy. l thou ght
could safely trust baby Ruth to her
care.
Her English was almost unintelli-
gle, but that would improve every
day, so then and there l made arrange
ments with her, or rather with the
frau, that her protegee was to enter
upon her duties the next day.
"Upol my word, Helen," my hus-
band said to me when the new nurse
arrived, "where did you pick up that
frightful specimen? That girl is as
clumsy as she is ugly. She looks like
the old woman of Banbary Cross, with
rings on her fingers, and l suspect she
has bells on her toes as we'll.
81 never said she was handsome" l
answered. "But do think, Paul, she
has good open countenance.
"Open, indeed, he laughed. Every
open Nose, mouth, eyes stretched
10 their widest Well, my dear, we
can only hope she will do better than
she looks.
And she did. In her strong capable
hands the work of the nursery became
trihe. My children were carefully
dressed and systematically cared for.
But it was on baby Ruth that all the
treasures of her love were poured. 1t
was pathetic to watch her strain the
child to her bosom, and kiss it, with
little tender German love words on her
lips. She spoke to me often of Hans
but the baby had brought healing to
her sore heart.
''She do make me TO forget" she
said.
The hot June had prostrated me as
it usually did, and Paul proposed that
/ should take the children and spend
the summer at Last Island. There was
fine surf-bathing, and it was neaI
enough to the city for him to run
down for a holiday every fortnight.
The island was little else than long,
narrow strip Of sandy sand extending
into the sea. Looking at the slight
elevation of the land from the water,