Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-10-14
An Evening Story
LITTLE FRANZ.
(Bv Peter kronberg.l

Three artists were sitting together I'm
"A famous Bohemian cafe in Munich. the
proprietor of which had once been an
artist himself. The painter. the sculp.
tor and the playwright were all very
downheartcd. for although according Ia
the calendar this was only the fourteenth
day Of the month. il ought. according Ia
the contents Of their po~cketboods. 10 have
been at least the twcnty-ninth.
When the iovial old host noticed their
long faces he came over tu them. sat
down at their table and asked them what
they were Worrying about Mime Of them
however. liked the ihci NJ telling him.
a. they already owed hin \ SNAIL amount
and did not want tn hurt their credit
At last. however. the X lpttr cot a
splendid idea. Pointing tp the painter.
he said:
Look M that poor man: h. has to
day become the father NJ y boy Of ten
pounds. anh has No idea row he H. going
10 paw for hiS bringing mp. which l. evi-
IDENTIFY 4 very expensive matter. Judging
from what his mere entry into this
world has cost the poor father already.
The kind hearted host was deeply
moved. for he knew what il would have
meant To- him had he been unfortunate
enough to get u son during the artistic
period of his life.
Il know what il means he said. but
don't lose heart. Keep up Your spirits;
We must see what can be done"
With these words h. walked away aud
returned with a bottle of champagne.
German champagne. Of course. but
nevertheless; opened il and proposed the
health If father. mother and baby boy
and emphasized his good wishes with a
- mark gold piece for the mother"
The story ~ the event very quickly
spread among the Mattresses. onc after
the other came over and congratulated
the father: they cot np 4 purse for the
baby boy and promised a. sew and knit
all kinds of things for him.
The painter sat a. ii on glowing Goals.
the playwriehi grew more and more ner-
VOWS. and felt az il u thousand flcaS
were biting him. while the impcrturbable
beat Of a sculptor calmly announced that
they now had a financial surplus Of more
than ~ marks.
Every blessed dav the three artists had
Ia answer all kinds Of questions about
the baby and invent all kinds of marvel.
Gus tales. To show their gratitude tow.
fhNE NV RihNiN hNNi. W wv NAN hsiiltffl
Franz for him. which brought them an
other gold twenty mark piece for little
godSon.'
Every day the painter brought home
for his wife a big Jar of beef tea and
meat. and things went u'ulg swimming
~. Then one day one Of the Mattresses
took il into her head that she would
visit the painter and see little Franz,
vnl H.. ....nY-. III -
hold ~ one of his models. put her into
bed. and borrow 4 baby boy from an
other. who. fortunately. had one II AZ.
p~rnNimatcly the proper age.
II was very touching scene in the stud.
~ that night when the waitress called
and the next dav She could not Stop
nrai>inG this wonderful baby. and won.
dcrful. indeed. il must have looked to her
for the borrowed baby was almost r.
months old. but fortunately she was no
expert on babies.
At last. however. the strain became
too great for the trio of artists and for
two weeks ~ of them went near the
cafe until one day they returned looking
exceedingly grave and sad. OF course.
they were immediately asked about the
baby. and with tears in their ewes they
told the sad story of its death and bur
ial. They were overwhelmed with re-
breaches Nv everybody because there had
been NO invitation to the funeral.
Then the Mattresses asked about III,
grave aud the painter Described it, 10
cation IN the cemetery sincerely hopin.
that some ~ them would ever look fol
il.
Blu the girls had become too fond 81
their little Franz. and two 0f then wenr
10 the cemetery one afternoon and find
ing a grave answering the painters dc
scriptinn they decorated ID with lowers
they had brought along. This they Iii,
for our weeks until one afternoon the,
met 4 Young woman there who aSkct
them what business they had a. com.
there.
We only wanted to put some flower,
on dear little Franz'S grave. said tn,
older If them. \ violent scene followed
and the woman forbade them ever (,
come again.
The two Mattresses returned hom,
greatly excited and exclaimed that il wa,
really fortunate for little Franz and fol
his poor father. too. that he lad died -
Young. considering the kind of mother
he had.
And from that day little Franz was re-
ally buried. \.