The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1902-08-16

broken boots and crooked eyes before?
Take him 70 your rooml" she cried to
the German Rilt all the sin he does
lay AZ your door"
The German having told him how
matters were arranged. the stranger
made a profound bow 10 Tant' Sannie
and followed his host. who led the way
20 his own little room.
II thought she would come 10 her
better self soon" the German said joy
ously. srant' Sannie q not wholly
bad-far from IL, far" Then. seeing
his companion cast a furtlve glance at
blm. which he mlstook for one of sur
prise. he added quickly: All, yes, yes,
we are all a primitive people here-not
very lofty We deal not In titles.
Every one is Tanta and Oom--aunt
and uncle. This may be my ROOM"
he said. opening lie door. 1T is
rough; the room is rough-~not a pal
ace. not quite. But IL may be better
than the fields. a little better" he said.
CHANGING round at his companion.
Come In. come In. There Is some
thing TO eat. mouthful not the fare
of emperors or kings. but we do not
starve. not yet" he said rubbing his
hands together and looking round with
a pleased. half nervous smile on his
old face
MY friend, my dear friend" said
the stranger, selling him by the hand,
may the Lord bless you, the Lord
bless and reward you-the God of the
fatherless and the stranger But for
you would this night have slept In
the fields, with the dews Of heaven
upon my head"
Late that evening Lyndall came
down TO the cabin with the Germans
rations. Through the tiny square win
dow the light streamed forth. and
without knocking she raised the latch
and entered. There was fire burning
on the hearth and il cast its ruddy
glow over the little dingy room, with
It's worm eaten raftcrs and mud floor
and broken, whitewashed walls, a curl
GUS little place, filed with all manner
Of articles Next 10 the fire was a
! great tool box beyond that the little
bookshelf with It's well worn books;
beyond that, in the corner, heap OF
fillcd and empty grain bags. From the
/ rafters hung down straps, "reims,' old
/ boots, bits OF harness and n string OF
onions. The bed was In another cor
ner. covered 10y a patchwork quilt OF
faded red lions and divided from the
rest OF the room by a blue curtain,
now drawn back. on the mantelshelf
was an endless assortment OF little
| bags and stones. and on the wall hung
a map of south Germany, with n red
! line drawn through II TO show where
the German had wandered. This place
was the one home the girls had known
for many a year. The house where
Tant' Sannie lived and ruled was a
place TO sleep in. TO eat In. not to be
happy In. Ii was In vain she told
them they were grown too old 70 go
there. Every morning and evening
found them there. Were there not too
many golden memories hanging about
the old place for them 10 leave ~
Long winter nights. when they had
sat round the fire and roasted potatoes
and asked riddles and the old man had
told Of the little German village where,
80 years before little German boy
had played 1T snowballs and had car.
ried home the knitted stockings OF a
little girl who afterward became Wal
dos mother. did they not seem TO see
the German peasant girls walking
about with their wooden shoes and
yellow. braided hair and the little chill
dren eating their suppers out OF little
wooden bowls when the good mothers
called them In TO have their milk and
potatoesf
And were there not yet better times
than these moonlight nights. when
they romped about the door with the
old man. YET more child than any OF
them. ana laughed ill the old roof Of
the wagon house rangY
Or. best Of all. were there not warm
dark, starlight nights when they sat
together on the doorstep, holding eacf
others hand. singing German hymns
their voices rising clear in the still
night air. till the German would draw
away his hand suddenly 10 wipe quick
~ tear the children must not See
Would they not sit looking up at the
stars and talking OF them-of the dear
Southern Cross; red. fiery Mars; Orion
with his belt, and the Seven Mysteri
GUS Sistcrs-and fall to specializing
over them? How old are they? Who
dwelt In them? And the old German
would say that perhaps the souls we
loved lived In them. There. In that lit
tie, twinkllng point. was perhaps the
little girl whose stockings he had car
rled home. and the children would look
up at II lovingly and call 1t Uncle OF
to's star" Then they would fall to
deeper speculntioN the times and
seasons wherein the heavens shall be
rolled together as n scroll and the stars
shall fall as fig tree casteth her I'M