The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-02-02
The Old womens' Mill.
Translated from the German by Clayton
o. Keedy.)

[ TdflSlaLCQ lIOUl liiC " Otoy 49,
o. Keedy.l
For tie Citizen.
Near Aploda in Thuring1a, is the old
women's mill. 1t looks about like a
great coffee mill. only that instead OF
being turned from above it is turned from
beneath. Underneath two great beams
stand out. which are seized bY two at
tendants. BY whom the mill lis turned
At the top the old women are put IN,
wrinkled and hump backed, without hair
and without teeth, and they are turned
out below again. Young, good looking,
and as red checked as BoSdorf apples.
With one turn of the mill it is done
Crack, snap. ii goes, and It seems TO
pierce one TO the very marrow. Wnen
one asks those who have come out and
have been made Young again, whether
il does not hurt terribly. they answer:
mo. indeed; it is just lovely. 1t is about
ike when one is awakened from re-
freshing nights sleep. and the sun IS
shining in the room and on the outside
the birds are singing and the trees are
ruslling. and YOU feel like turning over
and stretching.
Once upon time there lived a long
distance from Apolda, an old woman
who had heard of this mill. Now
she was very DESTROYS TO become young
again. and,so one day she suddenly re.
+ solved to go to the mill and betOOk her
: self on the way. 1t went. indeed. rather
+ slowly with her, because she had often
! TO stop and stand coughing; but after
/ while she went on again and finally
{ arrived at the mill
{ ~ should I;l-a ., bacor7,a Young acraiu ~
I she said to one of the attendants who.
with his hands in his trousers pockets,
/ was sitting on a bench in front OF the
/ mill and blowing the rings from his pipe
! in 10 the blue air oh, dear Lord, how
/ far it has been"
''What is your name?" the attendant
asked. yawnlng.
old Mother klapprotem.
Take a seat on the bench, Mother
+ Klapproten. he said. and then went into
| the mill and opened up great book and
/ came out again. with long list in his
/ hand
Is that the bill, my young fellow" the
/ old woman asked
Far from il, the attendant answered.
/ To be ground over costs nothing, but
you must first sign this"
! Sign" repeated the old woman.
Must sign nv poor soul over to the
+ devil?" No. that will not do. | am a
! ps0us woman and hope TO go 10 heaven
/ at last
Its not 50 bad as that laughed the
! man "UrOn this list i recorded only
thz follieS which YOU have committed
during your whole lie. exactly in their
I order day and hour Before YOU can be
/ ground over. YOU must oblsate yourself,
if you are made Young again, 10 repeat
ali OF these tollies in the same order as
/ thew appear on the list"
Then he looked al the list. and said
with smile Truly, il is rather large.
/ Mother klapproten. rather large From
/ sixteen to iwenty-six. one every day and
two on Sunday, then later il becomes
better. but about the beginning Of the
| for,ie;h year, Good Gracious. but they
get thick again, but OF late they are ONLY
/ moderate"
Then the old woman sighed and said:
Bur. child. then !; is not worth while
70 D. ground over
Truly, truly" the man replied. Tor
the most OF people il IS not worth while.
! Therefore. We are lust now having a
/ good time. seven holidays a week and
the mill always standing still Of la;e
/ years Formerly the business was some
what brisaer'
Is It not possible, then, to strike at
least something from the list. the old
woman asked. and Siruked mis- cheeks.
/ Onlv three things, nv dear Young Eel
low; al Of the Others viii COMM; again,
if I must
No" replied the attendant. that is
utterly impossible Either all or none -
Here lake your list back. the old
woman said. have lost eli interes. in
vour old mil. " and after Jew moments
reflection. she betook herself homewards
again
( When she arrived home the people
/ looked at her with smazement and said.
Why Mother klapproten, YOU come
back jus: ~ old a Won went Is Il 10,
all right al IN MILF
Sh- Coushed, and then she replied
oh. YES, II X all risht-at the mill: out
! had 10 much fear and. ihen--whai
does little more Of life amount 10 any
how. Du lieber Cot