The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-12-26
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HARD TIMES. n
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FROM THE GERMAN. 81
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Paul Korner was a landscape
painter; he was, also, a daily visitor
at the Einhorn, the respectable little
inn of Gruningen. Here he drank
his bottle of Ingelheimer every even
ing except Saturday; on that night,
after the heat and burden Of the
week, he felt justified in substituting
champagne for Ingelheimer.
This had been his invariable habit
from the time Of his settling in the
village, two years before. He had
never once deviated from this rule,
for, unlike many Of his brotherhood,
he led a well-regulated life.
One Saturday night, finding him
self at the inn rather earlier than
usual, he sought to pass away the
time until his companions should ar
rive at the reading table.
The Eastern question was agitat-
ing the public mind just then, and
people were specializing much owe it.
Paul began listlessly turning the
leaves of a bound volume Of illustrat-
ed papers, looking indifforently at the
wood cuts.
Between the pages lay a fragment
of a political newspaper. His eyes
fell on a letter from a Vienna cor
respondent, who, in a diplomatic and
ocular fashion, discoursed upon the
Situation" winding up with the re-
markable declaration:
1--WE are standing upon a volcano,
and no one knows what a day may
bring FORTH"
Paul, who had never been especial
~ interested in politics, closed the
volume with a startling clap.
The words, 1--WE are standing on a
volcano" seemed to affect his mind
very materially,
"The deuce!" he muttered to him
sell. "War Is imminent, and war is
the declared enemy of all the muses.!
What will become of me in the event
which, according to this correspond
ent, is close upon US? Horrors!
Who will buy pictures when bomb
shells are bursting? Alas! alas! I
must begin at once to adapt myself
to circumstances. and to live sparing-
ly and economically"
Now see what followed.
/ That evening he ordered, instead
of his customary champagne, q mod
est quantum of Ingelheimer, with
the words:
IN these hard times we cannot in
dulge in luxuries."
This remark made a profound i'm
preston on Herr Grundhuber, the
landlord, and the next morning, when
his wife asked for the money to pay
for the Sunday loaf of cake, he waved
her back, saying:
I'm these hard times there's no
money to waste on cakes!"
The bakers boy, who, according to
Gruningen custom, delivered his
sweet wares at their patrons houses,
stared blankly, and did not fail to
repeat to his master, word for word,
Herr Grundhuber's remark concern
ing the hard times.
The baker, who thought himself
quite a politician, looked up and
down and around in terrible perplex-
ity.
Hin! Herr Grundhuber, the we'll
TODD host Of the Einhorn, denies
himself his usual Sunday treat!
There must be something in it!
Things must be bad! His self-denial
is proof positive that the times are
hard indeed"
An hour later when he entered his
.wife's room, the baker found her eX-
aiming with evident delight a guam
tity of dress material spread out be-
fore her.
(Which piece had I better select
for Mathilde?" she asked, smiling.
"Alack!" the baker exclaimed, I'VE
have had many expenses lately, and
now in these hard times we must buy
only what is absolutely necessary.
What do you think? Grundhuber
has taken no cake for to-day, and
under such circumstances our chill
dren must take what they can get,
and wait for fine clothes till the times
mend"
His wife's wits quite deserted her.
Heaven preserve u.s." she cried.
What will become of us? There'll
be war! therell be war! I always
said there'd be war, and who knows
how soon we shall all be Turks? Oh,
dear! oh, dear! Lottie, carry all this
stuff back as quick as you can, and
tell Herr Kleemuller that we can't
afford to buy with a war hanging
over US, and while the times are SO
hard"
The servant hurried away on her
errand.
Herr Kleemuller, one of the mon.
eyed men among the merchants OF
the town, listened to her message in
dismay.
This is a fine prospect" said he
to himself. eff the baker thinks ever
now Of economy the situation mus
indeed be bad. Well, we must BIZ
ready for anything; the crisis may BIZ
close at hand. First and foremost
we must indulge in no needless ex
penditure."
Thereupon, fastening to his desk