Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-12-28
GRETCHEN'S SUBTERFUGE.

Quaint Little Christmas Story Cleaned
from the Folk Lore of Holland.
Il was Christmas eve in Holland and
the ninety little bells rang out their
merry chime and the old century bell
toilet a deep. full tone TO finish the
Christmas song. The clouds scurried
away ana the stars twinkled joyously
aud al! the world seemed glad-but Hans
was s0Yrowful.
Hans was a tutor in tn. family of
Dutch rector and he had found his work
very pleasant; the children all loved him
and they were bright to learn, but there
was Gretchen.
Hans met Gretchen. the rectors daush-
ter one Christmas day a year before ne
became tutor in her fathers family, and
now another year had gone and still
he dared not tell Gretchen of his love
He feared it would not be returned, aud
so he kept his secret close in his heart,
or supposed he had, but he was mlstaE-
en-.
Gretchen loved Hans very dearly. and
knew he cared as much for her, bur she
was proud and would not help him in any
way 10 say what he wished to say, and
what She was most anxious to hear; she
grew sad and almost i'll, and poor Hans
was as miserable as he could be.
nv -'tu ltNNuL anu MS vic HhN ilbh
matters stood, and they decided that
something must be done about it; so
Gretchen mother talked with her ana
told her il was right that she loved as
good young man as Hans aud il he
was too bashful to tell her of his love-
She must devise some plan to set the
trouble straight and make them all hap
by.
That afternoon Gretchen was left
alone' the children had gone with Hans
To gather eyergreens to decorate the
church for Christmas, and her father
and mother were out ON deeds of mercy
TO the poor. She took her pan of APP
pies to pure, and sat before the fire, but
her fingers would nos work and she put
the dish upon the floor, and let her
thoughts wander rs they would, and OF
course they wandered to Hans; she
thought and thought and soon the tea
kettle seemed to sing her n song Give
yourself 10 Hans for a Christmas gift,
give yourself, give YOURSELF but how
could she do that?
You know. of course that we got orr
Christmas from the Dutch. and that ST
Nicholas is an Old-time friend of theirs
hut IN some way we have changed things
ana nang up our stockings, while the
people Of Holland and Germany set out
a shoe OF some kind and put in it grain
for 81, Nick's horse and in return he
leaves them gifts of love
Hans and the children had returned
and he was helping them to make some
pretty httle shoes of cloth to offer to St
NICK, while Gretchen sat by watching.
lie felt nervous, and no one need won
DER mat they all laughed at him when
tncE saw that he had cut out a figure
that looked norc like heart than n
Shoc. Gretchen knew why Hans had
made such blunder and She felt both
glad ana sorry. and tried TO smooth the
matter over aS best she could She said
theerll{: You must set out your slip-
perS, Hans. and so will put out mine -
~ am 100 old, Gretchen" but the
children all insisted, and to please them
ne promised; so when he went TO he'd
mat night he placed the slippers outside
ms bedroom door, thinking PERTAINS
Gretchen has planned some little Gift
LOT me. as she must know how sad |
am, ana wishes to let me think | nm,
nor forgotten at Christmas timeP"
Nheh morning came, he found that he
was rs eApectant as child. and hurried
y opened the door to see whati ST Zirl
had tett for him. He was more disan
pointed than he had thought he could be
tol thffe was no gift. and what wa,
worse. no slippers, perhaps il was MI i
Joke, and he felt more Sorrowful Than bp
TORE and wished he had gone away iron
me feetor'S home for Christmas. m,
3h'Iureh we're calling TO him To com,
downstairs and see the pretty things
aud ne tried to appear as cheerful M h,
tould. W aeu he went into the dinin.
room, t1ey all greeted him with "A NIer
~ tnnsJmas, and What did you fin,
IN your slippers. Hans?"
lie smiled little aud said: "Nothiu,
at al, and even my slippers were spirite,
away. think st, Nick must have ;
Srudge against ne and has taken mi
way t. let me know about il. ="
ihe children were all very sorry 70
Hans. and he felt glad that the rector nm,
his wife did not offer their sympathy
and also that Gretchen was nor 'tbai,,, :,
he felt foolish and childish and HEARTH,
wished that he had not tried to please m,
little people at all.
There was shutting noise at the doc
and everyone turned TO see who it coal,
De, ana there stood Gretchen with 4
MERRY Christmas for all, and roses il
her cheeks and sunshine in her ewes
She moved slowly across the room il
Such queer way and stopped right ~
front Of Hans Her face was quite She,
now, and fall of bushes. and everyone
understood but Hans himself, ami the
children cried ont, 20, that is lovely
and Hans, looking down ut the floor. sq,,
Gretchen S little feet almost lost in his
great slippers, and the truth came to him
and ne took Gretchen in his arms ana
cried for very JOY. His old slippers he,i
the most precious gift that St Nick coul.l
give ana ms heart was filed with glad
ness.
Outside the window the birds sang =
Christmas carol and the teakettle over
the IRE sang more cheerily than ever. for
It had had a part in the play.
am afraid you viii think Hans a
very silly lover and not much like the
Young men of today. hut YOU must re-.
member that this is an old-time love tale
of country different than ours. ana |
think il ended about right. don't you?-
Lena Bhnn Lewis in Detroit Free Press.
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