Ashtabula High School - Dart Yearbook (Ashtabula, OH)

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The Dart also for her kindly deeds. If sorrow befell a Seehausen family no one could sympathize and comfort as readily as Dorothy. If joy and good luck came, she was always the first to rejoice. Yet her’s was a sad story. At the tender age of four years, she was left an orphan at the mercy of the world. She had been placed in the Seehausen Foundling Hospital where she had remained for nearly twelve years. A more beautiful maiden could not be found among all Seehausen’s fairest daughters. After the benediction, the congregation gathered in groups to talk. One timid woman said she dreamed the night before that Zefo and his band of ruffians would come soon to destroy Seehausen. The men laughed and one more considerate than the rest said; “ Why Frau Bache, Zefo and his men are as harmless as the lambs in yonder field. Fear not de- struction from them.” Zefo and his followers, exiles from some other land, had taken up their abode about forty miles away, much to the dis- comfort of the timid ones of the little German village; but as they had been there many years most of the peasants had ceased to fear them. Around the orphans was a group of women chattering pleasantly with them. Some of the sturdy youths cast admiring glances at the fair Dorothy, but they were met only by friendly words of greeting. Lead- ing little Annette, a mite of four years, by the hand, Dorothy passed out of the church followed by the others. One laughing, brown-eyed maid would fain have stayed longer to listen to the pleasing conversation. This was Kathlene the scape-grace of the hospital. Always getting into mischief, she was truly in need of Dorothy’s counsel. Slowly down the street the white capped maidens went, until they reached home, a rambling structure facing the sea. Every appointment was neat and clean, without being luxurious. At the door stood Frau Buerber, mother to them all. After their simple noonday meal, all gathered around Dorothy and, accompanied only by the murmuring sea, sang beautiful hymns of praise. Little Annette nestled close by Dorothy on her right while to the left stood Kathlene vainly trying to subdue the merriment that sparkled in her eyes. Back of Dorothy were grouped the less mischievous maids. Truly it was an attractive picture. Sometime later, while on the gleaming sands for an hour’s recrea- tion, Kathlene in an excited mind rushed up to Dorothy. In a few words her trouble was explained. In the morning she had gone to Deltzer Rocks and at the matron’s suggestion, had taken her little Testament 4

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 MARY ELLEN STEVENS, 1893 was a beautiful Sabbath morning in September more than one hundred years ago. The sun was just peeping over the russet colored hills, the grass sparkling with tiny drops of dew and all nature seemed awakening from sweet re- freshing sleep. The trees with their golden and red tinted leaves formed an almost con- tinuous archway over the principal street of the little German village, Seehausen. Hardly a sound was to be heard save the twittering of the birds and the murmuring of the sea, as in ripples it broke upon the sands. Suddenly, the tones of a bell were heard summoning the peasants to the little, old church in which many of them had been baptized and married and under the shadow of whose friendly walls they expected to be buried. The streets were no longer silent, for as the gaily dressed peasants stepped from their humble thatched cottages, their wooden shoes clattered noisily upon the cobble stones. In little groups they wended their way. Here was a whole family, father, mother and seven flaxen haired children. In advance were an old couple entirely wrapped up in themselves. Perhaps they realized that before long death would part them. Entirely unconscious of what was going on about them, a sturdy German youth walked with a sweet faced maid. They, too, were wrapped up in each other, not because they expected to be parted but because they were anticipating pleasant and prosperous years together. The little church was nearly filled when the orphans of the found- ling hospital entered. Each man’s face as he looked upon the maidens seemed to say: “What a good man am I! without my aid these girls would be homeless.” The women’s faces expressed pity for the father- less and motherless ones. The little group of maidens, there were but twelve, seemed to be under the guidance of the eldest and fairest one. The whole village seemed proud of this girl, Dorothy Knelman, not only for her beauty, but 3

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The Dart with her. In her hurry when leaving, the book was forgotten. It was nearly time for the nightly Bible reading, and Kathlene would be severely punished for her carelessness unless the book were obtained before night- fall. High up in the sky was a black cloud which Dorothy’s eyes were quick to discern. She gently repriminaded the penitent Kathlene, then getting into the little boat said: “ Yonder black cloud betokens a storm. You could not manage the boat in a high wind. I alone must go after the book.” In vain did Kathlene plead; Dorothy would not revoke her decision. With sturdy arms she plied the oars, for soon the tide would be in and Deltzer Rocks would be under water. The Testament was un- harmed and, picking it up, Dorothy was hurrying to the boat when her footsteps were arrested by the sound of voices. On this lonely spot, what did it mean ? As she listened her face paled, and she clung to a rocky pillar for support. Ah! well she might turn pale, for scarcely ten feet from her Zefo, the barbarous chieftian and a worthless Seehausen peasant, were planning the destruction of the little village which lay all unconscious of danger. The tide was fast coming in. Already the girl’s feet were dampened, but still she listened to the murderous plot. “ I must save Seehausen,” was her only thought. The voices ceased and cautiously Dorothy approached the boat. Could she escape unseen? She had nearly reached the boat, “ One step more and I defy them to capture me, ” she murmured. Alas, for that one step! Her foot slipped on the mossy rock, the oar fell to the ground with a loud noise, and Dorothy was discovered by the conspirators. The face of his fair captive seemed to appease the wrath of enraged Zefo. A moment’s silence and then by broken sentences and excited gestures, Dorothy was made to understand that by swearing secrecy she might escape unharmed. The peasant felt certain that her word once given would never be broken. Snatching the Testament from Dorothy’s hands, he advanced towards her saying, “ By this book swear—Quick! or you will be lost.” For a moment the maiden hesitated. She thought of home, of little Annette, of the merry Kathlene, and lastly of her own life. If she swore secrecy no one would know. Only a moment did she think of these things and then with flashing eyes she sprang from Zefo’s clutches and standing erect before the men who held her life in their hands cried: “ I’ll never take the oath.” The astonished Zefo exposu- lated, for despite his cruel nature he really had no desire to put this young and beautiful creature to death. In the growing dusk he described Seehausen and thought of the 5