Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. II.djvu/231

Rh Mademoiselle Lind, and obtain from her money for the completion of the Lutheran church at Chicago. I spent an evening with his wife. That gay, high-spirited girl, of whom I heard when she was married at Upsala to accompany her husband to the New World, she had gone through severe trials of sickness, want, and sorrow. She had laid four children to rest in foreign soil. She had one boy remaining. She was still pretty, still young, but her cheerfulness—that was gone; and her fresh, courageous spirit was changed into quiet patience. She had now a small, new-built house, in a more healthy situation than where they had formerly lived, and very near to the little Lutheran church. The church is very ornamental, but as yet unfinished internally. Here I saw somewhat above thirty children, Swedish and Norwegian, assembled to hear a lecture; a little company of kindly-looking, fair-complexioned, blue-eyed children! They were for the most part children of persons in low circumstances, who lived about the neighbourhood on small farms. They learn in the school to read and write as well in English as in their mother-tongue. There are very few Swedes resident here. At Millewankee, and in that part of Wisconsin there are a great many.

I heard a good deal from Mr. Schneida n u and his wife respecting Eric Jansen, and the circumstances which occasioned his death, but shall defer speaking of them till we meet. The man seems to have been of an enigmatical character, half a deceiver, and half deceived (either by himself or his demon).

I saw, one evening which I spent with Mrs. Schneida n u at her house, my “Belle of Baltimore,” Hannah Hawkins; she is a pretty, quiet young girl, of that class of women who are capable of the most beautiful actions, without having the least idea that they are doing anything beautiful. They are themselves moral beauty, and they follow the impulses of their nature as flowers follow theirs.