Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-09-05
CHAPTER w.


designated as the very pattern of ;
worthy burgher-wolnan, with all thu
virtues and failings of her class
good-natured, painfully neat, econom
ical even to stinginess, inquisitive as
maybe with regard to the affairs o
her good friends and neighbors, always
ready to help others in misfortune, anG
pitilesly stern in all moral questions
added to this, a rather choler;c tenn
permanent, a wagging tongue, and q
great liking for coffee and tea-parties
in which one could always speak &
word in season among those who were
like-mainded.
She lived on her very modest
widows pension and the income of d
fortune of five thousand thalers which
she had brought with her to her hus.
band, and lived very comfortably ac
cording to her own ideas, even saving
out something for the poor and sick
though she always stormed and
scolded horribly whenever any one
applied to her for help. Her relations
in the city of the Mark had always
been thorn in her side. She had al
ways declared openly to her late hus-
band that she couldn't bear such shift.
Every time the announcement of the
birth of a child reached her-and this
had happened nine times-she lifted
up her voice and called heaven and
earth to witness that she would never,
never do anything for these wretched
tempters of Providence; that the re-
lations in the Mark were very much
mistaken if they thought that she,
Frau Polly Berger, born a Trutz,
would ever help to put bread into the
mouths of all those superfiuous chill
dren
II never. never will Do you hear,
Berger?" she concluded.
Yes, Berger heard, but he made no
remark. He knew very well that
within the next twelve hours a little
package, with every possible thing
that could be needed for mother and
child, and even with a few shining
thalers, would be done up in a bundle
Of linen and sent off by post And so
he let her scold, the plump little wo-
man with the saucy snubnose, from
which her glasses were always falling
off.
Occasionally he would say: Polly,
you shouldn't make foolish VOWS. You
see, | sha'n't live much longer, and
when you have carried me out to the
churchyard, it will be very lonely for
you, for you won't have any one to
listen to you quietly when you scold,
and so you will be sure to take one of
the Zweidorf young ones home"
81? To be my everlasting plague
and torment" cried Frau Polly
Just consider a little, Berger, before
y L talk such nonsense, what an extra
portion of folly those children must
inherit from such parents. A girl like
that would be just as likely as not to
get up a love-affair under my very
eyes, just as her mother did before
her, or get into debt as her father
does. And you want me to lend my
countenance to thing like that?
l haven't deserved this of you"
And then she burst into sudden sobs.
Il know she is your sister-but-you
know, Berger, am your wife, and
you ought not to talk about dying. 1
shall die of grief if you leave me all
alone in this wicked world
But he did leave her alone one day,
and at first Frau Polly was quite
crushed by the loneliness which fol
lowed upon his death. 1t was for
tunate that she had so many good
friends, and was so fond of her tea,
and coffee-parties. BY degrees she
grew accustomed to her widowhood,
grew still more economical, interested
herself more for strangers, and had
plenty of time to observe her neigh
bors from her window. She did not
die of grief.
Sometimes, it is true, she was over
come by a longing for a friendly voice
when it was bad weather, and she
sat at home all alone in the twilight
with her knitting-but as yet she had
no thought of taking one Of the Zwel.
DORIS.
And now it had come to pass, after
all, Just as the late Berger had
prophesied. A Zweidorf girl was to
make her entry into the quiet widowed
dwelling of the Frau Secretary Berger
When, one day, one of those weary
anxious letters had come from Herr
Won Zweidorf, she had made answer
that he might send her, in Heaven
name, the girl who wanted to learn tC
paint 1t is true that a few hours
later she was scolding herself for it.
Now her easy life was all over, and
instead of buying half a pound of meat
as she now did, she must in future buy
three-quarters. She hesitated as tC
whether she should not write and stoI
her on the score of illness. Then thu
thought occurred to her, that thi:
ildegarde-''Whata silly, high-nown
namei Well, we will soon drive you
aristocratic ideas cut Of your head, m.
dear"-that this Hildegarde could no
paint the whole day long, and it wouI,
be very good thing il she should d
something practical in the mornings
In this way perhaps she might d.
without the charwoman, If not alto
gether. at least for some hours
Well" she said to herself, comfor-
ingly. 'T will try it." She would nc
confess even to herself that her con
passion was greater than all othe
considerations.
The good Polly When she cam
home late that evening from her tie;