  HERR BAUMGÄRTNER'S ESTABLISHMENT TEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS IT was Herr BaumgÄrtner's habit to open his mouth almost as prudently as his purse, but when at ten o'clock one of his clerks returned without the amount of the bill he had been sent out to collect, the baker lost patience. "You cannot get dat moneys! Haf you said how I must pay my insurance, and all der clerks in dis big store, and all der extras for Christmas? How will I pay for dem if my moneys comes not back again? Haf you said how I must haf it?" The clerk explained that he had told Mr. Weiss, the debtor, all this and that he had said he would pay, without fail, the first of the next month. "Next mont'!" cried the indignant baker. "He haf told me dat same t'ing six times already! First he write he will send it next The clerk departed as he was bidden. The baker shook his head angrily. "Ach, dose peoples! I haf no patience mit dem. In Germany Fritz Weiss was dat honest and goot. It is all along of his wife. She must haf one fine house, and dere girls such clot'es,—like one Baronin,—vich is bad for dem, and for my Katrina too, ven she know of it. Bewahre, dat my Katrina should so dress. Yet I haf die means and Fritz he haf not. So foolish a wife he haf. Gott sei Dank! My blessed wife war nicht so. She had always so much goot sense, and dose girls are not like my Katrina. Nein, I haf not seen one MÄdchen like mein Katrina, immer sehr schÖn und gut." At this moment Herr BaumgÄrtner looked "Ach, dere is mein Katrina. She makes me always glad ven I see her," he mused, watching her with loving eyes as she came through the store. Katrina was a picture to delight other eyes than those of her father. A mass of wavy, flaxen hair framed a face of rare tints of pink and pearl. Beautiful blue eyes she had, eyes that could be trustful or merry under their long lashes, while the sweet, smiling mouth with its full-arched upper lip was not the least of Katrina's charms. When one looked at her it was like beholding the vision of some bewitching, Saxon princess. Herr BaumgÄrtner was not burdened with a large family, for he had only this one daughter, so it would seem that Katrina BaumgÄrtner might have advantages denied many of her companions. She had rather unusual advantages, for while her girl friends As Katrina passed through the store she had a word or a nod of recognition for each busy clerk, and for the customers whom she knew. She stopped to leave a small package with Max Schaub for his little lame August; and when George Reigel's sick Freda opened her box on Christmas morning she was to find a doll that Miss Katrina's artful fingers had dressed. When Katrina's mother was alive she had taught her child, through years of precept and example, an uncommon interpretation of the holiday giving,—that the family and friends were not to be thought of until many a Christmas surprise had been planned for the needy and unexpectant. The baker himself came in for a share of the waves of grat "AS KATRINA PASSED THROUGH THE STORE" Katrina felt the blessedness of giving, but just now she had other joys, as well, to keep her heart aglow. She was at the age when most girls have considerable liberty in their personal affairs, but this was not the case with Katrina. Herr BaumgÄrtner settled the questions of his household with the same attention and decision that he gave to his business. Consequently his daughter was a frequent visitor at her father's store, where she came to consult him on the trivial as well as upon the most important questions pertaining to their domestic concerns. When she presented herself before Herr BaumgÄrtner's desk on this morning before Christmas, he greeted her with his usual question on such occasions: "Was willst du, Katrinchen?" "Something nice this time, Vater. The big snow-storm has come just in time for Christmas, you know, and I am invited to a "'I MAY GO, MAY I NOT?'" "A sleigh-ride den?" and he smiled and said, "Only once is one young!—But who asked you to go on dat sleigh-ride?" "Johann Hermann asked me this morning," replied Katrina, blushing a little, "but I told him I must first ask you." "Ach, so! Vat for a man is der Johann dat of a morning he comes to ask you, Tochterchen? Vat does he?" "He keeps books, Father, and he stopped on his way to his work. He came just after you had gone this morning, and he will come at noon to see if I may go." "Is he son of dat Herr Frederick Hermann dat knows not so much to stick to one job steady?" "Oh, no, Father, he is not like that," protested Katrina, earnestly. "He told me this morning that he meant to work hard while he was young so that he might earn "Nun, gut,—dat man he means might be me, Katrina," said Herr BaumgÄrtner, with a little glance of pride at his inner man. "He did not say it was you, Vater, but he is a good young man and I know you will like him. And I may go?" Herr BaumgÄrtner found it very hard to refuse Katrina anything, and when he felt obliged to do so he consoled himself with the reflection: "It causes me sorrow not to give her everyt'ings, but it is better for her." However, he felt that this was not the time for the discipline of self-denial, so he gave his consent. "Ja wohl, to-night kannst du, Katrinchen." "Oh, thank you, thank you, Father," and she gave his arm an affectionate squeeze as together they passed out of the office. "Doesn't the store look fine, and how good everything smells," said Katrina, delighting in the spicy odors. But Katrina was in a mood to be delighted with anything. "So much thoughts, so great work, das ist," replied her father, looking at the exemplification of the law of supply and demand going on steadily before them, and added, "but die trade goes well dis year." "That is good, and when all is sold to-night that will be sold before the Christmas you will not forget the cakes and goodies for my poor little ones for to-morrow, will you? I have some of my Christmas money saved to pay for them, but I must have a great many for my money, five times as much as I could get with it anywhere else, or I will not buy here any more, Herr Papa," said Katrina roguishly. "Ach, Katrina, vy t'row so goot stuff away on dose children? Dey know not der value. I tell you it is joost one big waste." Katrina was too wise to argue with her father even if he would have permitted, and she knew that she would get her cakes in spite of his grumbling. Turning she saw the table with its array of Christmas puddings. "Oh, what beautiful puddings!" she exclaimed. "Would they not make such a handsome window with a bit of Christmas holly on each of them?" "Ja, so dose puddings would make one splendit window, Liebchen," said the baker. "So much eggs, und raisins, und currants, und spices, und wine dey took, und six hours to cook each one. But dey will keep a year." "And are they all sold?" asked Katrina. "Nein, nein, Katrina, we sell not one of dose puddings." "Not sell them, Father! Are you going to give them away?" "Katrina, Katrina, you remember not anyt'ings to-day. At home haf I not said how I send out one puddings each to mein best customers, and on die card my compliments?" and Herr BaumgÄrtner straightened himself proudly. "Oh, that is so. I had forgotten," said Katrina. "But if I were going to give them away I would not send them to rich people who have money to buy them. I would send them to poor people who never have such treats." "Katrina, you know not business. You t'ink der fisherman he put dat worm on dat hook to feed der fish, eh? Den how come all dose fish at night in his basket?" Katrina never let any differences with her father stare her out of countenance, so as he turned toward his office she followed him. "I nearly forgot one thing I wanted, Father. May I have a cake to send to the "Lieber Himmel! Vy should I send to the Widow M'Carty one cake? Nein, Katrina. Should I gif everyt'ing away? Vat mit der baskets for dose orphan asylums yet, I am like one big Santa Clauses already." "But Mrs. M'Carty has nine little children, Vater—" "Maype she has, I care not. I feed not so many people's nine children." "Oh, Father, this will be such a sad Christmas for the poor woman. It is not a year, yet, since her husband was drowned. And think of those nine little M'Cartys with no dear, kind, handsome papa like mine,"—Herr BaumgÄrtner's features relaxed a little,—"and you've often told me when Grossvater BaumgÄrtner went to Hirschberg with you and the little Hans that died, how that kind man—" "Dere, dere, Katrina," broke in Herr BaumgÄrtner in an unsteady voice. "Take dot cake, and I hope it will not choke dose M'Cartys mit der strangeness of eating anyt'ing so goot." The Misfit Christmas Puddings |
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