Norwich bulletin., 1912-05-15

selle river, would lofe to haf us wait for her in some yon place like to desc Sandt Forrk-eh, Franz?'
 "Ja, Jal I wish dat mutter vas here mt US now. But she coon; yess, she coom-soom day; we do not expect when
 The semiwild semirural scene this "old country German couple looked upon from their cabin door pleased them much at first, even before the cabin was built; and it continued to please them more as their industry reared about them the sweet, primitive comforts of a new world home.
 It was in the Sand Fork valley, where the bottom land widens out, and where now, half a century later, the oil and gas wells of this West Virginia field thichen In number near the pipe line pumping station at this thriving town of Layopolis. Branch pipe lines there unite in larger one that cleaves the red hills toward a great main ar- tery of gas and liquid fuel supply, that pulses toward Pittsburg and Cincin natl 300 miles away.
 It iss goot to be here" Bertha kept saying. T t'ink me our goot mutter from Crefield would like for us to wait for her in some von place like to diss. Eh, mine Franz?''
 Like already good Americans, they conversed together brokenly in infirm United States talk" preferring it to the dear old language they were trying to leave behind with the mother, who still remained by the vine flourishing Moselle. To state that Franz thought the same as Bertha is but to state a truism, impossible to argue against.
 In that part of what was then old Virginia, the rich, alluvial soil could be had almost for the asking. So it came about that in less than two years from the day when they were married in the gray Lutheran church on the Moselle, this frugal pair were strenuously liv- ing the. simple life" on the banks of Sand Fork, happy as the spring pe- wees that nested in the interstices of the stick and mortar chimney all most before the "daubine" was dry. The present head of the house spells his name Frank Bush, but it is the same name and much the same face as his grandsire bore when the coun- try was new. Frank Bush has a son at the West Virginia state university, he more than half owns the narrow gauge railroad that still penetrates the valley, where it was surveyed three years after Franz and Bertha settled there, though it is now one of the feed CTS of a mighty trunk line.
 Besides farming, Franz made wages as a laborer: Bertha took the railway laborers to board With German thrift, their vegetables and other farm pro- ducts minimized their store bills. They thrived after the old time way, and were content and happy. Children began to arrive at intervals to cheer the exiles. There was Franz No. ?. (The present Frank would be No. 3 but for the spelling,) Then came a Der that, then twins. What joy. Not two boys or two girls, but boy and a girl. They were named Johannes and Margherita John and Maggie some of these twins descendants now call themselves.
 When the twins were old enough to be interested in the new railroad build ing, a steam shovel was working away at excavations, and a huge pile driver was pounding in the foundations for the nearby bridge, where the creek poured into the Little Kanawha river Before Gottlieb, the next in succession could creep about, two trains daily were running past, ,enlivening the round of daily life at the Busche farm.
 Houses being then few and far be- tween, the train hands soon began tC take an interest in the isolated log house, with its bright dooryard flowers and clean, wholesome looking children who always saluted the trains with shoutings and hat swingings, as the little, wood burning. puffing locomotive passed. At times the hands or a pas senger would throw out something tC the little fellows-an apple, a cake some candy, or a rare picture paper Always 1t was run after, scrambled fol and received with exceeding joy. The trainmen acquired the habit of con ferring and receiving these amenities with almost equal zest. as the shackly cars rumbled past. Only one thing worried Frau BUsche, the fear that OnS of the smallest of the ever growing crop of girls and boys might be TUT over But the youngsters escaped, and the friendly engineer always whistled the warnings of his approach.
 One day the noon freight, going slow ly up the grade from the bridge. nov ed slower than usual, and Dan Warner the tall braky," swung off with big splint crate covered with cotton net ting. Waving signal to go, he swung back on, leaving the crate beside the track. Out came the children, as usu- al. and the hands laughed from the
  Busche youngsters eVinee amazed de. light at the sight of a fat. shaggy St Bernard puppy, a, month or two old, 6 real prize of a puppy. especially to chil- dren in that lonely section. After tha "FritZy," the puppy, always made OnC of the juvenile group that greeted tht trains.
 Fritzy grew apace. By the time ths. Macmillan. the latest addition to tn, Busche olive branches, could crawl tt 1 the daily rendezvous at the train-lo Fritzv was a grown in dOgdOm He was, perhaps, somewhat clumsy, bu a very giant of a St. Bernard: good natured, intelligent, courageous peace i able. When the sunny summer day' came who so careful playfellow fol | baby Max as F'ritzy? The other large | children being now required at task | in the house or the fields, baby and dol were often left alone together on thu grass before the house and yard.
 Then, one day. came the welcome news from the old country home ovel sea that. very soon, Frau Bertha's owI mother would arrive to make her fu- | ture home with her daughter. Fol many months, even years, such say l iugs as could be spared were sen | across to swell the little hoard Whicl the "grandmutter" had been putting | by to enable her to come to the new world home. Enough at last Wal i raised. The last half yearly lette 1 told Bertha that the aged woman would start on one of the Baltimor, packets then sailing from North SC; ports. On his next trip to Weston Franz bade the railroad agent to lool ! out for Frau Hoorn when she arrived and send word by the narrow gaug' l train so that Franz might go for he 1 in his wagon.
 Great joy and expectation! Aha I The grandmutter was at last to D. i here. Even Max seemed to under
 stand, and grew more determined thai
 ever, being a lusty child, to crawl be yond the gate when the daily train , were expected.
 l It was now the busy planting sea
 son: there were many extra things t
 do, that the grandmutter might fin, the new home cheerful. Max an, ! pH-itzv uara left toeether much Oor