American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Sunday schools -- United States -- Periodicals
“Mamma,” said Amelia, “look at that cute little German girl across the
street up on that mite of a balcony. See! she has gone down now.”
Sometime later, she had more remarks to make. “Mamma, that little girl
went down and got a poor old woman to take her place on the balcony—see
her up there—and she is down now where she can’t see a thing.”
“Is it possible!” said Mrs. Ellsworth; “that is an act of self-denial
one doesn’t often see in a child. Are you sure she hasn’t a better
place?”
“Yes, mamma, there she is, down by the door, where she can’t see
anything, I know.”
“Then,” said Mrs. Ellsworth, “I am going to have her come up here.
There is room between Julia and me. Hans!” and that individual, who had
been talking with his “schwester” inside, appeared. “Tell that little
German girl in the door across the road, that I would like to see her
up here.”
“Mamma!” said Amelia.
“Ja!” said Hans, in his surprise returning to the use of his native
tongue.
“She looks very neat and nice, Amelia,” said Mrs. Ellsworth.
So it happened that our heroine Gretchen was confronted by a
dignified-looking personage of her race, who informed her that a Frau
from America desired her presence in the balcony across the street.
Gretchen was frightened, and vaguely wondered if she had in any way
committed treason against the United States Government, but her
trembling limbs carried her to the Frau Krant’s balcony, where Mrs.
Ellsworth questioned her, through her interpreter.
The story all came out, in German and in English, how Gretchen had
given up her place because of the King and his Son, whom she wanted to
please. Said she, “I am only a little _mädchen_, but I thought He might
know.”
By this time there came the sound of drum and fife and martial
footsteps, from around the corner, and the eyes of all on Steinstrasse
were turned toward the place whence the sound proceeded. Mrs. Ellsworth
desired Hans to tell the little girl she could stay where she was
until the procession passed, thus relieving her fears that she was to
be arrested for treason, and she, in turn, committed her overwhelming
thanks to the good Frau for a good place to stand.
That isn’t the end, though I am almost through. Gretchen says she
would have been satisfied without a place on the balcony, or anything
else, if she could have known that she pleased the King and his Son by
not pleasing herself, but that didn’t hinder her being very thankful
that she could see the Emperor and his troops, and Mrs. Ellsworth made
up her mind that she wanted a nice little German girl to take home
to America, and educate and help in various ways, in return for her
services, and a nice German woman who could do her washing, and live
with her, too.
So the week after the procession found the Frau Van Cortlandt and her
daughter bidding the Herr Van Breyck good-by, as they boarded the
steamer bound for America, at the Hamburg wharves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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