Fritz and Eric | Page 7

case, unless they had
the lucky chance of communicating a second time with a
homeward-bound ship--a very improbable contingency, vessels not
liking to stop on their journey and lay-to, except in answer to a signal
of distress or through seeing brother mariners in peril.
"So, you see," said Madame Dort, as soon as she had reached the end
of the sheet, "we must not hope to hear from the dear boy again for
some time, and can only trust that all will go well with him on the
voyage!" She heaved a heavy sigh from the bottom of her mother's
heart as she spoke, and her face looked sad again, like it had been
before Eric's letter came.
"Yes, that's right enough, mutterchen," answered Fritz hopefully; "but,
you can likewise see that Providence has watched over our Eric so far,
in preserving him safely, and there is now no reason for our feeling any
alarm on his account. We shall hear from him in the spring, without
doubt, telling us of his safe arrival at Java, and saying what time we
may look forward to expecting him home. At any rate, this dear letter
comes welcome enough now, and it will enable us to have a happier
Christmas-tide than we should otherwise have passed."

"Ach, that it does," put in old Lorischen, beginning again to bustle
about the room with all her former zest in making preparations for the
coming festival, which her melancholy forebodings about Eric and
superstitious, fears anent the cat's colloquy in the morning had
somewhat interrupted: "we shall have a right merry Christmas in spite
of the dear lad's absence. We must remember that he will be with us in
spirit, at least, and it would grieve him if we were down-hearted!"
This wise reflection of the old nurse, coupled with Fritz's hopeful words,
appeared to have a cheering influence on Madame Dort, whom many
trials had made rather more despondent than could have been expected
from her bright, handsome face, which did not seem sometimes to have
ever known what sorrow was; although, like Eric's, it exhibited for the
moment every passing mood, so that those familiar with her disposition
could almost read her very thoughts, her nature being so open.
Banishing her gloom away, apparently by the mere effort of will, she
now proceeded to assist Lorischen in getting the room decorated for
the Christmas Eve feast, of which all partook with more merriment and
content than the little household in the Gulden Strasse had known since
the sailor boy left. Nay, it seemed to them, happy with the tidings of his
safety and well-being, that Eric was there too in their midst; for they
drank his health before separating for the night, and his mother, when
placing the surprise presents, which were to tell the members of the
family in the morning that they had not been overlooked in the
customary distribution of those little gifts that form the most pleasing
remembrances of the festive season in Germany, did not omit also to
fill the stocking which Eric had suspended from the head of his
bedstead before leaving--he having laughingly said that he expected to
find it chock-full when he returned home in time for the next Christmas
feast, as he was certain that Santa Claus would never be so unkind as
to forget him because he chanced to be away and so missed his turn in
the usual visit of the benevolent patron of the little ones!
Time passed on at Lubeck, the same as it does everywhere else. The
year turned and the months flew by. Winter gave place to spring, when
the adamantine chains with which the ice-king had bound the rivers
and waters of the north were loosed asunder by the mighty power of the

exultant sun; the snow melted away from the earth, which decked itself
in green to rejoice at its freedom, smiling in satisfaction with flowers;
while the trees began to clothe their ragged limbs and branches in
dainty apparel, and the birds to sing at the approach of summer.
June came, when Madame Dort had fully expected to hear of Eric's
arrival at Batavia; but the month waned to its close without any letter
coming to gladden the mother's heart again, nor was there any news to
be heard of the good ship Gustav Barentz in the commercial world--not
a single telegram having been received to report her having reached
her destination, nor was there any mention of her having been seen and
signalled by some passing vessel, save that time when she was met off
the Cape de Verde Islands in the previous November. It began to look
ominous!
But, while Madame Dort was filled with apprehension as to the fate of
her younger son, a