Thanks to Robert Stern, great-grandson of the author, for donating this eBook. INTRODUCTION In 1921, my great-grandmother, wrote this book about how her parents met, married and began a family. Eva's mother, Ernestine, was presumably "the little immigrant." The book was privately printed, and only a few copies survive. The names of most of the characters have been disguised, although thinly. In the table below, the fictitious names appear on the left, the real names, where known, on the right: Renestine Jewel Ernestine Jacobowsky Aldine Bilter (her married sister) Jaffray Starr Jacob Sterne Lola, the Starrs' first-born Laura Sterne Ena, their second-born Eva Sterne Lester Leopold Sterne Andrew Alfred Sterne Frank, the youngest child Fred Sterne Josiah, longtime family slave Caroline, Josiah's wife Sarah, successor to Carolina One name that is authentic is that of Gen. Buell, whom the Starrs put up during the Reconstruction period after the Civil War and who in fact was sent to Jefferson following a breakout of violence during this period. Eva Sterne, who became the wife of Leopold Stern (with only one e), was 59 when this book was printed. THE LITTLE IMMIGRANT Eva Stern CHAPTER I "NAH! Renestine, cannot you come with the skirt and let me lay it in your trunk? You are dreaming, dreaming all the time. My child, these things must be ready by midnight tonight." The girl was thirteen years old and her mother was getting her possessions together to send her to America to join a sister who had already gone there and was married and now sent to have her little sister journey to the States, too. "Oh, Mutterchen, I do not want to go," burst out Renestine. "I want to stay with you. I do not want to go." "Nah! Kindlein, stay then," said the mother, keeping her own grief away from her child. Just then the door to the little room flew open and three excited girls of about Renestine's own age or perhaps one or two years older, bustled themselves inside. "Why, Renestine, you are not finished packing yet! We are ready and our trunks are roped and standing at the door for Laaskar to put on the post-wagon when he drives by on his way to the post-house tonight." The speaker stopped confused seeing that Renestine was silent with no joy in her eyes and the mother sat quietly with flushed checks and said nothing. "What has happened?" said the three girls in chorus. "You are not going to back out, are you?" Still Renestine did not look up or make any sign that she was interested in the preparations for her arranged trip. Presently the mother spoke and her voice trembled.