Chapter VI: Letter IV: Margaret to Her Mother

DEAR MOTHER.—I wept very bitterly on the reception of your letter. How could it occur to you for a single moment, that I had stolen the money? Surely, I would sooner suffer my hand to be cut off, than commit any injustice!

Up stairs I ran to Madame Von Holme, and laid the six gold pieces on the table.

"Your ladyship," said I, "must have given me gold pieces instead of copper kreuzers."

The lady examined the pieces, and appeared very much astonished.

"This," said she, "is no mistake of mine. It is very extraordinary; perhaps some unknown hand, guided by a generous heart, has put the gold into the letter for your mother's use."

"And, dearest lady," said I, "this unknown hand was yours."

"No, indeed," she replied, "I have scarcely any gold at all, and of these new pieces not a single coin."

"But what shall I do, dear lady?" said I.

"Send back the gold to your mother," she replied, "for whom you intended the copper kreuzers; she may, with a safe conscience, apply the money to her own use, and should any mistake have arisen, and any one afterwards claims the gold, I will make it good."

While I was talking, two young ladies, friends of Madame Von Holme, walked in to pay a morning visit. My country costume was new to them, and they made me turn round and round, to get a good look at me. The little blue collar, with black edging; the red bodice; the green skirt; and the white sleeves and apron, were all examined. Madame Von Holme told them the story of the gold coins, with which they were much interested.

"Very strange indeed," said they, "and a great piece of luck for you; now, instead of your country costume, you must buy a new dress, such as the city girls wear."

"No," said I, "I cannot take your advice in this matter; the fine dresses of the town girls do not suit the country girls at all."

Madame Von Frame applauded my resolution, and said, "That many a country maiden had laid aside with her rustic costume, the purity of country manners, and in the smart dress, and smarter bonnets of the city girls, had become as vain and frivolous as they."

She told me to employ my money for some better purpose; and what better purpose can I put it to, than sending it to you? Send a part of it to dear George.

Mrs. Mayer, my mistress, was very much delighted to hear that I could spin, and requested me to spin her some fine yarn for a piece of cloth, during the winter. This I readily consented to do. But I cannot get on without my own nice spinning wheel, which my father made especially for me, a little before his death. Can you send it to me by the carrier? I wish we could sit together in the evenings, with our wheels humming in concert, how happy we should be! But still as I sit by the fire-light, and the wheel is humming its own home music, my thoughts will go wandering far away, and my heart itself leaps up with gladness, as I think of my old home, and think, as I am sure I may, that you will be thinking of me, and that in our own dear little parlor, sitting beside your spinning wheel, you still remember, with your old love,—

Your loving daughter,

MARGARET KAURNER.