Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1913-09-26
The
Emigrants
A Story For Labor
Day
BY EVELYN C. GOODRICH


In what Is called the Black forest in
Germany lived a poor couple, Jacob
Gsatz and his wife, who had but n
child, a daughter, Gretchen, who was
the main comfort Of her parents. She
and Hans Dreckel, the son Of a black
smith, were brought up together, each
being the others only companion, for
the region In which they lived was
sparsely settled, and no other family
lived near them.
Jacob Gaatz was a woOdcutter.
When Gretchen was nineteen years
old there came a great commotion In
the family. Hans Dreckel one day
met Gretchen on the road carrying a
bundle OF fagots and said to her:
Gretchen, l have come to an impOr-
tant decision. 1 am young and strong
and am not satisfied to remain here
In the forest, where there is nothing
for a man to do but cut wood. One
a earn only money enough by so
doing to keep body and soul together.
for II we ask a better price our en-
ployers say to us: There are plenty
of men who would like the work at
the same price. II you are not salts
fed we will employ others in your
place I shall go where there are la
Dor unions, and, since | hear that
there are better prices paid in the
United States Of America, l shall go
there"
Hans kept his eyes on Gretchen
while he was speaking and saw hers
gradually fall till they rested on the
ground and were wet with tears. Till
this moment Hans had never thought
OF Gretchen other than as a play
mate and. after they were grown, as
a friend. But now, when he saw the
tears gather IN her eyes because he
was to leave her, q new sensation was
born in his heart a tenderness for the
maiden with whom he had been reared,
and, taking her In his arms, he kissed
away her tears.
When Gretchen reached her home
and threw the fhgots beside the fire
place she sat down in a chair and COW
cred her face with her hands. Her
mother, who was washing the break
fast dishes, paused and said:
"What is the matter, Gretchen"
1t was a long while before the moth
er could draw from her daughter that
Hans was going to that far country,
America. But Gretchen did not tell
her what WINS Of far more Importance
to all of them-that he had asked her
to go with him as his wife. 1t was
hard for the poor girl to lose her com.
panion and, since the announcement
his intended departure, her lover.
There would have been no cause for
sorrow, but reason for rejoicing, If she
could have yielded to his wish. This
she could not do, for II would have
been cruel for her to leave her old IA
Their and mother, who would now need
her more and more every day. She
only said that Hans was going to
America, knowing that II her parents
knew they were keeping her from go
ing with him 1t would trouble then
greatly.
When Hans found that Gretche7
would not go with him he asked her to
promise him that If her parents died
she would come TO him. But this wRs
not much comfort to him. for Oh that
condition his sweetheart was not likely
to Join hin for many years And, as
for Gretchen, 1t meant that she must
lose her parents in order TO Join her
lover.
The day Hans departed he said to
Gretchen: You know that my father
is old and cannot live long and my
mother is not my W mother, but my
stepmother. Father win never come
to me in America, and when he dies
mother will go to live with one Of her
own children. But there win be moth
ing to, prevent your bringing your par
ents with you TO my new home. They
say money is made very easily there.
A skilled labOrer gets u marks a day.
Out Of that l can save 9 marks a day
at least and a send this money to
you so that you may all join me in"-
"Oh, Hans" exclaimed the girl, you
are 80 good. so hopeful. but you must
learn to do something that viii enable
you to earn so much money, and in
those countries where high wages are
paid they say 1t costs more to live.
But" she added, II viii come to you
II l can ever do so without bringing
sorrow to my lear father and mother"
Hans kissed her again and again,
then strobe away without once looking
back, lest he should show the moisture
in his eyes. which he considered un-
manly.
. . o
Eight years passed. during which the
lovers remained true to each other. In
all this time there was never an in.
terval OF more than a month that
Hans did not write to his sweetheart
and she always replied TO his letter
with her whole heart. Hans prosper
I'd and offered to send her money tC
bring ove her parents, but she never
wen mentioned the matter to them
Nor did they know that they were
keeping apart two young persons whC
but for them might be happy togeth
ar and rearing n fomiiv Of children