An Old Story of My Farming Days Volume I Part 10

The two divinity students took possession of their new quarters at Michaelmas, and at the same time Frank went to the agricultural college at Eldena. As Frank walked down the path outside the parsonage garden for the last time, a lovely face peeped through the hedge at him, from the same place where Fred had disposed of the bread and beer.

When Louisa went into the parlour that evening, Mrs. Behrens took the tall handsome girl upon her knee, kissed her, and pressed her to her heart.--Women never can let well alone!

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: _Translator's note_. Stemhagen, properly Stavenhagen, Reuter's birth-place.]

[Footnote 2: _Translator's note_. The feudal-system was kept up longer in Mecklenburg than elsewhere, the peasantry belonged to the estate, and always continued to work on it. A Mecklenburg squire often beat his labourers when he was angry with them.]

[Footnote 3: _Translator's note_. In Mecklenburg the cows are always milked in the fields.]

[Footnote 4: _Translator's note_. The Kammer is the chief government office in Mecklenburg, and Mr. von Rambow was a member of it.]

[Footnote 5: A mortgage or lien.]

[Footnote 6: _Translator's note_. "ing" is used instead of "chen" as a diminutive in Mecklenburg.]

[Footnote 7: _Translator's note_. I have changed Thou and You into Christian name, &c., as it sounds better in English.]

[Footnote 8: _Translator's note_. Daring the spring cleaning.]

[Footnote 9: _Translator's note_. "It is the custom in Scandinavia, as with us, for friends to exchange presents, good wishes, and visits on Christmas-day and New-year's-day..... If 'St. Nicholas' in the Rhenish Provinces, 'Knecht Ruprecht' in Northern and Central Germany announce the arrival of these holidays to children, whom they reward or punish according to circ.u.mstances, the 'Julklapp,' takes their place in Pomerania, bestows welcome gifts, and recalls the memory of the highest G.o.d of our forefathers." From "Unsere Vorzeit" by Dr. W. Wagner, vol.

I. part II. page 138.]

[Footnote 10: _Translator's note_. Knecht Ruprecht.]

[Footnote 11: _Translator's note_. Bad Stuer. Stuer belongs to the von Flotow family, one of the oldest families in Mecklenburg, and the hydropathic establishment was put up by Rausse who has written a number of well known books on hydropathy. J. Duboc's "Auf Reuter'schem Boden."]

[Footnote 12: _Translator's note_. "Quey," Scotch for heifer, used here because it was the only word of that meaning into which "fee"

could be changed. Caroline makes "kleine Fee"--"lutt Veih."]

[Footnote 13: _Translator's note_. This story is founded on fact, and during Reuter's last visit to Stuer (from the 13th of December 1868 till the 29th of January 1869) he discovered to his great amus.e.m.e.nt that he had been given the very room in which the director of the establishment told him the hero of the tale had been attacked by a neighbour's bees while he was lying helpless in the "packing" sheets.

Sec Duboc's "Auf Reuter'schem Boden" in Westermann's "Monats-Hefte."]

[Footnote 14: _Translator's note_. A yellow flower.]

[Footnote 15: _Translator's note_. A common saying in Mecklenburg, the origin of which is unknown.]

END OF VOL. I.