Uncle Titus and His Visit to the Country

e two houses, in this new

hought she could have nothing more to desire. Her arm was now wholly healed, and she was taking music-lessons with a kind of furor; and in Lili she had a teacher whose zeal equaled her own. A most agreeable teacher too, who did not trouble her pupil with finger-exercises and scales, but gave her tunes at once without more ado; and first of course the favorite, "Live thy life merrily." Dora learned the air very quickly with the right hand, and Lili did not require her to learn the left hand yet; declar

ssed her imagination and her hopes, for such a one as Dora she could not have conceived of; one who was so attractive not only to her, but to

e most intricate puzzles; and as a natural result, Rolf grew more and more clever in making them. Before long, Uncle Titus began to give riddles himself in return, and his were carefully written out; for they required serious study, as they were in Latin. Rolf carried these home to his father and Jule, but they would not even try to guess them. Mr. Ehrenreich declared that his Latin was quite too rusty for such work as this, and Jule maintained that during vacation he did not dare to tax his brain unnecessarily; he needed all his wits for his serious work next term. S

lent herself to his wishes, and took so much pains to amuse him, that it seemed as if she found her own pleasure in pleasing him. Mrs. Birkenfeld had persuaded Aunt Ninette to leave Dora entirely at liberty both morni

a triumphant experience, quite unprecedented in the family annals-no one could guess it. This time nobody could turn him off with, "Oh, go away with that same old charade." For as no one knew the

ddle w

es you cry-no

d a spoon yo

u say, 'thank y

hot and you try to drink it, the tears start to your eyes, and then you

or joy, crying

e couldn't have plums, and everybody ate jam with a spoon, and if plum-

ng!" cried

said Rolf; but that was

the snow makes you cry for joy, and a spoon is used for your d

ps; no!" screamed Hunne, almos

times, it is so cold. Cream certainly needs a spoon, and I have often

ost too good to be true, that his father should have missed it

mple little "Hunne riddle" as he called it; and was mortifi

assing. One morning at b

we put off going home, another fortnight? I feel remarkably well here, n

id his wife tenderly, "you look ten years youn

ld of good too, my dear Ninette;" replied he, "It seem

e same, now that I know each one of them. I must say that I am very glad that we didn't leave here that first week; I feel the loss of

hat bright boy has been in to see me, full of impatience to tell me what he has been about during the day, and

id Aunt Ninette decidedly, "just as long as we conveniently can. I'm sure even the do

ry unhappy at the thought of going away so soon. How could she live, away from all this dear family with whom she ha

ugh the family, there was general rejoicing, and the little gir

talking. This was the only quiet time that they could count upon in the course of the day, when they could talk over the needs, the pleasures and the pains, of

goes, and always for good. Wherever I turn I find some new evidence of her beneficial influence. And to me personally she is particularly attractive; I can't un

endship for any one. I recollect perfectly that after we had known each other a little wh

beaming like the sunshine, and with no trace of her usual discontent. Jule pulls off his own riding-boots without stirring up the whole house about it; Rolf is so full of interest in his pursuits that he has not a moment of idleness all

us, that there has been a cessation of those mischievous pranks that the twin

r music, and all the child's lively energy is turned into that channel. Wili follows his sist

d I am very sorry she is to leave us so

his wife, "I am constantly trying to devise so

e don't know these people well enough to try to influence their movements.

ter to come, and there seemed to her to be b

the truth, none of them felt much like making a jubilee. Rolf alone was in the mood, and he took charge of the preparations, as an

was too much in their thoughts. As the mother was helping to soup, one after another exclaimed, "Very little for me," "P

us;" "I can't help wondering whether this 'thank you, to-morrow,' style of t

had really taken it seriously to heart, that Hunne's charade had been so long unguessed. The answer was r

ou, to-morrow,' for the soup, then no one would ever ha

with it, for I will bring over my album this afternoon, and I will guide your hand while you write the charade in it,

ow spirits. For the next day Dora must stay with her aunt to help her, and could not join them until the evening, in time for the good-bye feast. Paula sat with h

esome without Dora, and Miss Hanenwinkel will find fault again and say I a

ir time hang heavy on their hands. It is a very stupid arrangement anyway," he went on quite excitedly; "it would be far better

at the separation and said she hoped to persuade Mr. Ehre

in the present than in the future, and

book, Dora! g

the writing in it was pale with age. Here and there had been pasted on, tiny bunches of flowers and leaves all of which had lost their color, and many of which had fallen off. The album had belonged to Dora's mother, and the verses were all written i

of paper that lay folded between the leaves; "Mamma has one like

now, Hunne?" But his mother glanced, quickly at the little boy as she caug

overpowered her, Her own mother's face, and all the sights and sounds of childhood! It was the other half of her own poem that she held in her

w faded paper side by side. They made a sheet of the usual size of old-fashioned letter paper. The writing was

hand in

us we nee

other cla

nion shoul

d, the fa

future se

ut our ve

me and ha

ll will ho

lves may co

no loss t

hip be as '

n hers. "Where did you get this pa

mother's album," replied

and that is what your eyes always said to me, when I loo

other was, they restrained themselves, and sat very still, watching Do

, for since he had given his word to go to find the lost Lili, he had

her, turning towards the children with Dora's hand fast in her

ill be what you and her mother were; we

till will

ves have co

r losses

p prove as yo

ned in promising eternal friendship with Dora. But the mother had t

d; that friend from whom she had been so long separated, but whose memory was still green in her heart. She wanted to learn all that could be told of her friend's life and death, but Aunt Ninette had little to tell. She had never known Dora's mother; her brother had spent several years in America where he had married, and his wife had died in Hamburg shortly after Dora's birth. That was all she knew. Then Mrs. Birkenfeld went direc

uncle could afford to spend anything on her farther education. She considered it a great blessing that the child should have found such a friend, and she heartily rejoiced in her good fortune; and was sure that her husband

ut when the mother told them that from that day forward Dora was to belong to them, forever, as their sister and a child of the family, then a shout of joy arose that made the welkin ring ag

y it will so

heard the shouts of joy that rose again and again from under the apple-tree, she sai

in honor of Uncle Titus and Aunt Ninette, a feast more brilliant than an

r home; she was to have parents who would surround her always with their protecting love. She was to learn what the others learned; yes, to have regular studies with them, as well as music-lessons. Dora's heart was flooded with the thoughts that welled up within her. One thing she was sure of; that her father was looking down a

e might never again doubt Him, but that even in times of sorrow, she might

ds us in

the best

n went farther still, and begged Mrs. Kurd, no matter what happened, never to promise them to any one els

eed. Rolf drew the uncle aside, and asked if he might venture to send a charade to Karlsruhe, now and then; to w

equally acceptable to Uncle Titus, if not more so. He thought also that the quiet people of Karlsruhe would never be able to guess su

er losses

ip live for

END

ds and syllables, are of course nearly all untranslatable; the

A

for "Hei

"Katzenm

"Vogelw

"Milch S

"Arist

"Heliog

" "Walle

" "Finstera

" "Semir