Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-12-05
The Daily Story

Copyrighted y Associated Literary Bureau.

rore leaving for BeIsin he bought back
his wife's former home. paying an eX.
ira price for immediate possession.
His reason for this was that he had
faint hope that he would find his
family and that they might spend
Christmas in their old home Consid-
ering that he did not know that they
We're alive. this contingency was very
remote, but somehow the husband and
father had feeling that Providencs
would be kind to him.
At the address in Berlin Kaufman
did not find his family. They had left
the place two years ago. The only
comfort TO be deraved from this in
formation was that ,they had both been
alive, two years be)ore. After inquiry
of a number of persons who had
known the mother and son in Berlin
Kaufman traced them to Leipzig. He
tried to learn how they had made a
living. but failed. The only informa-
ton he received other than where they
had gone was that his son played the
violin.
Kaufman went, to leipzig. where he
found house in which his wife and
boy had lodged. They had left Leip-
zig. but no one could tell him where
they had gone. However. he gained
here bit of valuable Conformation. He
learned that his bow. now sixteen
years old, had earned living while
in Leipzig for himself and his mother
by playing the'vSolin insan orchestra.
The father now had little hope OF
succeeding in his.search before Christ.
mas, since but foalr days remained 10
him. Surely. not knowing where on the
globe his lowed ones were. how could
he expect TO find them in so short n
time? Nevertheless the feeling that a
kind Providence would help him did
not desert him
He at once took hold OF the only
clew he habitat his son was a must
clan. From Berlin Mrs. Kaufman and
Carl, having gone southwark. were on
the line to Munich, which was n great
place for music. Would not n must
clan be more likely on leaving Leip-
zig to go to Munich than anywhere
else? Kaufman Immediately started
for the capital Of Bavaria.
On the night of his arrival he re-
paired to the celebrated 'Hofbrau where
a great deal of beer is consumed and
a great deal Of music is discoursed.
He took a seat close to the orchestra
and studied the faces of the younger
players There was but one young
enough to be his Carl and after study
ing the boys face for awhile he
thought he could truce n resemblance
to himself As soon as the piece being
played was finkshedhe went to the boy
and asked him his name.
Kaufman" was the response.
"Carl?"
Eyes, Carl"
One more question the father asked
before declaring himself. us your moth
er living?" and. On receiving an affirma-
tive answer, said:
'I am your father"
Carl could MT leave the orchestra
until the evenings program was finish
ed, but he gavh his father his mothers
address, and the latter hurried away.
OF the meeting between the long sep
arated coupR there is no record. but
when Carl kaufman returned to his
lodgings heEound his father and moth
er together and was informed that they
were all tree to return to Anhalt in
the morning to spend Christmas in
their old home. So Carl resigned his
position u the orchestra, and the fam
lily left Munich.
Mrs. kaufman. had sold her house
with tie furniture, and when her hus-
band r)purchased It he bought back all
that had been sold. When the family
reachh it they had only to walk I'm
and ind everything as they had left
1t. they returned to it the day be-
fore Christmas in time to make prep
arafons for the Christmas dinner the
nett day.
i seemed to these people that they
WIRE in dream. Now and again some
one Of them would stop and wonder:
Can this be true? Are we after so
ong a separation reunited? Are our
lays Of poverty ended? Is this earth
II heaven descended to earth?"
On Christmas morning Mrs. Kauf-
nan found on her plate not only
Iced to her house. but a check for the
est of her dowry that her husband
lad sunk In business with interest As
or Carl, who was devoted to music, he
ound on his plate a check for a sum
hat would enable him to buy the best
iolin that could be found in Germany.
he day was passed by Kaufman re-
ounting his adventures in America
nd by the mother and son telling him
he expedients TO which they had re-
orted to keep from starving. It had
My been during the past year or two
hat Carl by his music had been ena-
led to keep them I'm any comfort
The Kaufman family lived together
DR. many years in the home to which
ley had gone the day after the wed
ing and had returned on Christmas
he father seemed perfectly content to
noke his pipe there, having no desire
return to the land where he had
injured so much, but had 1T last made
Is fortune. AS for Carl, he became
oted violinist and has made several
,ncert tours in America.