Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-06-15
GreteI's Letter and
Its Unlocked For
Consequences . o

day, gnadige Frau" smiled tn,
little lady's maid as she held out t
her mistress a tray piled high will
New Years greetings.
Six weeks before the Grain Vol
Wartenburg had brought to the city
the daughter of one of her farmers ii
order to train her, as a maid, but
Gretel was moi yet very proficient.
How many times must | tell you
child, when you hand me anything
to do it quietly and not talk" said
her mistress as she glanced hastily
over the letters. wait a moment
here is one for you. Now you can
tell me how your parents are"
It was a very wonderful letter and
smelled like a whole perfumery shop
Within a brilliant garland of exceed
ingly red roses with equally vivid
green leaves, among which sported
tender white doves. was the address
a masterpiece of elegant penmanship:
For Fraulein
Gretel Schmitt
ladies maid to the gracious Grain Won War
,enburg and residing s42 Lindenstrasse.
Berlin,
Germany.
For lack of room the middle line
disappeared over onto the back of the
envelope, but the general effect wal
very impressive, and justified the Gag
erness with which Gretel seized hel
treasure and carried 1t off to enjoy a
her leisure, her plump, rosy face
shining with smiles.
But presently, the smiles gone ant
her blue eyes shining with tears
Gretel %reappeared at the door of thu
morning room.
ooh. oh! Mein Himmel, what a ter
rible afiiction, gracious LADY,"
what has happened, Gretel?" asket
the grafin, looking up kindly.
my mother, my dearly beloved
mother, is Dead sobbed the littl'
lady's maid.
ZACH, can it be possible! / received
a letter from your father a week ago
and he said that all were we'll"
But she is dead; my poor, deal
mother is deadi If the gracious lady
will only read. oh, oh, | shall never
see her again!"
The Grain, much concerned, tool
the letter.
The fatal epistle left no Dom tt
doubt the sad event, although, strange
ly enough, it gave no details. Gretel's
brother had been so ~ill-judged as tt
choose, on which to write the un
happy news, a sheet of paper as bright
and gaudy as the envelope. and his
filial sorrow was divulged at length
between he'd and white roses, turtle
doves and linked hearts.
MY Dear Sister: My letter is about
to MI with sorrow your tender heart
Pitiless death has just torn from us
her who, after giving us our being
held 1t a sacred duty to watch ant
guard us and furnish us, not only will
sustenance for the material body, bu'
also for the imperishable soul.
"Oh. cruel Death! why did thy COLI
scythe touch in fury the heart of GU
beloved, venerated mother? Could no
the respect and lore with which W,
surrounded her have been a safeguard
against that blow?
But our tears are of no avail, ant
our mother has departed for that re
gion of the blessed where she will
receive the reward Of her many viz
tues. She drew her last breath a
midnight, and her parting words wer'
O blessing upon her children.
BE brave in this hour of trial. Til,
burial will take place day after to
morrow, and we hope that nothing
will prevent you from mingling you
tears with ours.
I'm the deepest sorrow. your brothe
for life.
MAX sCHMITT.
Poor Dame Schmidt" thought tn
Grain. "She deserves a different fl
neral Grafton than this. ! did nc
suppose that our schoolmaster was s
lidiotic as to dictate such rigamarol
to his pupils
"Well, Gretel. | am very sorry 10
what has happened" she said aloud
and now we must see about gettin
you started as coon as possible"
Accordingly, it, was not long befor
the little ledy's. maid, swathed fror
head to foct in a long black veil. too
her seat in the railway carriage, wher
her grief was somewhat assuaged b