THE FRAULEIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 31, 10 December 1897, Page 25

THE FRAULEIN.

(By DAWN Geave, in the Are Maria.')

I. — IN THE OLD WORLD.

The time was near nightfall, for a scarlet-hooded November sun was nodding drowsily westward behind the tower of St. Sebald ; the place, old Nuremberg — " city of toys ; full of dolls for the girls and drums for the boys," as somebody once described it ; and the people of my story, a boy and a girl with pale, tear-wet faces, standing side by side in the garden corner, holding each other's hands. " Elsa — herz lirbe Elsa," the boy was saying, " don't cry so ! America may not be such a dreadful place, after all. True, the great, cold sea will roll between us ; but — who knows — maybe in a few years I shall come back wealthy ; and if you have not forgotten your poor Ernest, and married the prince whom your aunt will have chosen for you — " " Ernest 1 " interposed the girl, wiping her eyes, and raising their sweet blue depths to his, " I will never marry anyone but you I have promised, and I will wait, and wait, and wait." " I am content. That is all I have to ask, Elsa," said the boy, " except that you promise not to grieve if I should not again be permitted to see you. There will be much to do at my father's bidding ; and every leisure moment I must devote to finishing the little present I am making for you. I warrant though, you will find it charming.

" 0 Ernest ! what is it ? Tell me now ; won't you, please ? " cried Elsa — for the moment her childish sorrow diverted by .curiosity. " Ncin, twin I" 1 he replied, caressingly. "I have so long planned this pleasure ; and if 1 tell you, my pretty hope to surprise you would fly away like a beautiful kite whose string is broken. But I must go now, or father will be angry. Farewell, little Elsa ! Ach, I can not bear it — I can not bear it ! " And, turning abruptly, he ran down the tulip-trimmed path of Frau Lichner's carefully-tended garden, and disappeared through the quaintly wrought iron gate. His young face "was so full of sorrow as he entered his father's toy shop on the Durenstrasse that the workman, just then engaged in painting the name of Herr Bauman's successor on the old sign above the door, paused for a moment to look after him compassionately. " It's a hard home leaving for the son and a queer one for the father ! " he muttered to himself. " Old Bauman, at his age, going to America 1 Poor Ernest ! poor Ernest I When a boys face has that look upon it, he should have a mother's arms to creep into." And the same thought came to Elsa's kind-hearted nurse, as, in the early gray light of next morning, she found Ernest waiting in the church porch to take leave of her. " Good Manchen, dear Manchen ! " he exclaimed. " \ou know that corner of the garden, under the cherry trees, where Elsa loves to sit ? I have left a present there for her on the rustic bench. As soon as she wakes send her to look for it. Perhaps it will keep her fron grieving, she cries so easily" — his own lips quivered sadly. " She is only a child, remember." " And how much older are you pray, young grayb^ard of fourteen years 1 " queried the good nurse, laying her shrivelled hands tenderly on Ernest's broad shoulders. " Oh, two years ! That makes a vast difference in a man." "My poor, brave little Ernest .' " said Manchen. " I could take you in my arms and cry with you and for you like a mother, I'm so woeful to see you going. But God's blest-ing rest upon you, dear, through the long journey and in the far, foreign land. And whereever you are, be hure that Elsa will never forget you." * * * :(- If " Look, 0 Manchen — look ! Was ever anything so perfect, so lovely / " Elsa was kneeling in the grass beside a long box of some dark

red wood beautifully polished, On the lid, exquisitively carved in high relief, were the words, "Ant Wind ashen." And when the lid was lifted there lay within, the most beautiful of baby dolls, iast asleep ! its waxen cheeks flushed as with the very hue of life ; the parted lips disclosing two of the cunningest seed-pearl teeth ; and its movable head, fascinatingly bald, protected from draughts by one of those droll little crochet caps that German babies wear, tied under its dimpled chin with blue ribbon. Altogether, the most bewitching creature imaginable. But the hard face of Elsa's aunt grew harder as she looked upon it. " I am sorry I ever permitted you to speak to that toy -maker's boy," she said, sharply. " Don't think you owe him any gratitude. It was not much of a service to draw you out of the water when the ice broke while you were skating. Why, anyone would have done as much. But what presumption to offer gifts to my niece ! Carry it up to the attic. It may stay there till we find some poor person to whom it can be given. And go to your lessons, Miss. You are too big a girl to play with dolls."