Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-07
sat down to write. rubbing his old
gray eyes with his knuckles before lie

began: 4S
Ny chickens--You did not come to say goodby
to the old man. Might your All, well, there e
land where they part no more, where saints i'm
mortal reign.
sit here alone, and I think Of you Will Won
forget the old mani When you wake tomorrow,
he will be far away, The old horse Is lazy Init
he has his stick to help him That is three legs
He comes back one day with gold and diamonds
Will You welcome himg 4 Well, we shall see
go to meet Waldo. He comes back with the
wagon. Then he follows me. Poor boy! God
knows. There is land where all things are
made right, but that land is not here.
My little children, serve the Saviour Give yonr
hearts to him while you yet young. Life is
short
Nothing Is mine; otherwise would say, Lyn-
dali. take my books, En- my stones. Now say
nothing The things are mine. 1t is not right
eous. God knows But am silent. Let it be.
But feel it. must say I feel it,
Do not cry too much for the, old man. He goes
ont to seek his fortune and Games back with it in
bag, 1t may be.
love my children. Do they think of meY i
am old Otto, who goes out to seek his fortune.
o. F.
Having concluded this quaint pro-
duction, he put 1t where the children
would find it the next morning and
proceeded to prepare his bundle. lie
never thought of entering protest
against the loss of his goods. Like a
child he submitted and wept. He had
been there IL years, and 1t was hard to
go away. He spread open on the bed
a blue handkerchief and on it put enc
by one the things he thought most
necessary and important-a little bag
of curious seeds which he meant to
plant some day, IN old German hymn
book, three misshapen stones that lie
greatly valued, a Bible. shirt and two
handkerchiefs. Then there was room
for nothing more. He tied up the bun
die tightly and put it on u chair by
his bedside.
THAT is not much. They cannot say
take much he said, looking at it.
He put his knotted stick beside 1t,
his blue tobacco bag and his short pipe.
and then inspected his coats. He had
two left, a moth eaten overcoat and
black alpaca out at the elbows. lie
decided for the oyercoat. 1t was warm
certainly, but then he could carry it
over his aim and only put it on when
he met some one along the road. It
was more respectable than the black
alpaca. He hung the greatcoat over
the back of the chair and stuffed hard
bit of rooster cake under the knot of
the bundle, and then his preparations
were completed. The German stood
contemplating them with much sats-
faction. He had almost forgotten his
borrow at leaving In his pleasure at
preparing. Suddenly he started. An
expression of intense pain passed over,
his face. He drew back his left arm
quickly and then pressed his right hand
upon his breast.
All, the sudden pang again!n he
said.
His face was white, but t.auickly re-
gained its color Then the old man
busted himself in putting everything
right. s.
II will leave it neat. They shall not
say / did not leave it neat he saia.
Even the little bags of seeds on the
mantelpiece he put in rows and busted.
Then he undressed and got into bed.
Under his pillow was little story
book. He drew 1t forth. To the old
German a story was no story. Its
events were as real and as important
to himself as the matters Of his Own
life. He could not go away withous
knowing whether that wicked earl re-
Tented and whether the baron married
Emilina. SO he adjusted his spectacles
o,,r1G II ~ n
his feelings became too strongly NOV
ell, he CALCULATED: "Ah thought so!
That was rogue. l saw it before. I
knew 1t from the beginning" More
than half an hour. had passed when he
looked up to the silver watch at the
top OF his bed.
"The march is long tomorrow. This
will not do" he said, taking off his
spectacles and putting them. carefully
into the book to mark the place. This
will be good reading as walk along
tomorrow" he added as he stuffed tile
book into the pocket of the greatcoat,
Every good reading" He nodded his
head and lay down. He thought lit
tie of his own troubles, good deal of
the two little girls he was leaving. OF
the earl, of Emilina, of the baron, but
he was soon asleep, sleeping as pence
fully as a little child upon whose limo
cent soul sorrow aud care cannot rest.
1t was very quiet in the room. The
Goals in the fireplace threw dull red
light across the floor upon the red
lions on the quilt. Eleven O'clock
came, and the room was very still. One
O'clock came. The glimmer had died
out, though the ashes We're still warm,
and thereon was very dark. The gray
mouse which had its hole under the
tool bog came out and sat on the sacks
in the corner Then, growing holder,
the room was SO dark. 1t climbed the
chair at the bedside, nibbled Mt The
roaster cake, took one bite quickly at
the candle and then sat ON its haunch-
es listening. 1t heard the even breath
ing of the old man and the steps of the
hungry Kaffir dog going his last round
in search of bone or skin that had
been forgotten, and it heard the white
hen call out as the wildcat ran away
with one Of her brood, and it heard the
chicken cry. Then the gray mouse
want honlY ~ I,Nln ,,xIo,, 49,