The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-03-28

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In the meantime Frau Lore had re-
turned, and was now engaged, with
womanly dignity and grace, in setting
the table, while the two children,
with an air of the greatest importance,
assisted her. Suddenly Huhnchen
smiled over at his wife and raised his
finger as he said, "Lore, 1 think the
time has come" The little woman
smiled back understanding1y, and
presently appeared with bottle of
wine and some wine-glasses which
she arranged on the table. Huhnchen
nodded at me as he said, cit is Tokay
wine sweet Hungarian wine, and
the best of its kind. Some time ago
was paid for some extra work, and
as the money jingled SO merrily in
my pocket, got reckless and went
and bought this bottle of wine but
in the evening, as I was about to
draw the cork, felt sorry, and I
said to my wife, Lore, put it away
perhaps there will be some special oc-
casion when we will just want bot
tie of wine 1 believe I had a pre-
sentiment, for at the time sudden
remembrance of the good old times
we had together flashed through my
mind"
How merry we were over the little
meal It seemed almost as if some
of the sunshine which had ripened
Hungary vine yards and had become
imprisoned in the wine was diffused
through the bare little room even
the pale cheeks of the woman oppo-
site me took on rosy hue. The
meal ended, she seated herself at the
WORKOUT piano in the next room, and
in a sweet, plaintive voice sang some
old folk-melodies, while Huhnchen
and I sat opposite each other at the
table enjoying cigar.
I learned in the course of the even
ing that Huhnchen was doing an
amazing amount of work for an amaz-
ingly small salary. I'm former
times" he said, "during the financial
boom that followed the Prussian war,
things were better, for there was often
an opportunity for extra work. But
now-well, twice year we go to see
really good opera, and in former
times we even allowed ourselves the
luxury of seats in the first balcony,
where we sat, proud and stately, and
dreamed of the time when we should
sit in the parquet, from whence gleam-
ed the bald heads of the wealthy sub
scribers. But times got worse instead
of better, and now we have decided
we prefer the gallery, and have come
to the conclusion that the enchant-
ment of the stage is enchanced by
longer distance from the stage"
1t was eleven o'clock when 1 rose
to say goodnight. Before I was al
lowed to go l was led into the bed
room to see the children, who lay in
happy steep or'cnilonood. Hiinncneh
laid his hand softly on the footboard
and said, "This is my jeweled case
here keep my treasures-all the
wealth of India could not buy these.
In my lonesome walk through the
deserted streets in the warm summer
evening I lived the evening over
again, and my heart was stirred with
in me; what good did I not wish
these delightful people And yet,
what more did they need? Would
riches bring added happiness would
honor and fame be welcomed? "Mer-
ciful Heaven" murmured, grant
them health, and enough to eat till the
end-as for the rest, they will provide
for that" For they who journey
sunny-hearted through life, and
avoid the perilous paths which the
vain and ambitious throng pursue, al
lured by the gleam of gold, find hap
piness; the most precious possession
of all -contentment- theirs.