Concordia College - White and Blue Yearbook (Milwaukee, WI)

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Valuation llutn la Bas (Enmr (A STORY) The low-hanging sun had sent its last day of the last month of the year of grace, 1524, to the earth. Then the blood-red disc quickly dropped beneath the horizon and the gra ' December twilight set in, shrouding the world in a dim half-light, till the glorious orb of night rose in the east and clothed the world in a silver sheen. The gigantic shadows of the trees fell across the glistening snow that had drifted over the highway. In a small clearing at the side of the road stood a tiny cabin, very tiny, in fact nothing more than a hut. The rough log exterior and the thatched roof above it showed the wear and tear of the elements. Across the opening that apparently was to serve as a window a torn and ragged piece of cloth was stretched, and although the night was bitterly cold no cheering smoke rose from the dilapidated chimney to suggest human occupants in the cabin. As far as could be seen the hut was absolutely deserted, and the two iets of footprints in front of the shack, one leading toward, the other from the cabin door, only emphasized the appearance of desertedness. The stamped snow in the road showed that a horse had been tethered there for a time, but that it had later borne its rider away to the north undoubtedly to Koenigsberg, thirty miles away. The moon, now over the treetops, regarded the scene with the same stolid expression that it had borne when it first shed its pale glow over Eden, when the world was young. The deep silence was broken by the faint sound of horses ' hoofs as thev galloped over the frozen road, ever growing louder as the beasts approached the dwelling in the clearing. The clattering hoofs came to an abrupt stop before the cabin and a man ' s voice called out, ' ou ' ll have to tie our horse here at the roadside, sir. They ' re too poor to be able to afford a barn. In the mellow moonlight the speaker was seen to be a typical Prussian peasant. Dressed in rough homespun clothes, not entirely new, as the patches indicated, shod in heavy leather boots, and his huge head encased in a knitted cap, he was exactly the kind of German one would have expected to find in Duke Albrecht ' s dominions at the time of the reformation. His companion, to whom the words were addressed, was also of middle age, though much better dressed, with the air of a student or professional man about him. He replied with a few surly, unintelligible words. With a brief adieu the peasant rode ofi. leaving the other in the road. For a moment the latter appeared undecided whether he should stay or ride back whence he had come. He made up his mind to sta , but the thoughts he revolved in his mind as he traversed the few steps between the roadside and the cabin were far from being pleasant ones. Why, he asked himself, should these pesky peasants have to send for a doctor on such a night as this, when the cold penetrated to one ' s marrow! Yet the plea had been made so earnestly that it would have taken a heart of stone to refuse; a man dying — ! But even on the threshold he hesitated, but only momentarily. He pushed and the door gave way under the pressure and grunted backward on the makeshift hinges. The doctor stepped within, and carefully returned the door to its former position. He seemed to have stepped from the bright moonlight without into a hole enveloped in St gian blackness. When he had lit the candle he always carried with him. the first object his eyes fell upon was a woman ' s form seated on a low stool opposite the window. The wan, peaked face was white in the dim light of the taper, the whole thin frame, slouched forward, was wracked by a dry, strangling cough, showing how far the White Plague had alread gone. Her [59]

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The other building erected out of the appropriation is, as before mentioned, the combined central heating plant and commissary. The heating plant, employing as main unit a Kewaunee smokeless boiler, was built late last year, and was doing duty for the greater part of the past winter. The refectory and hospital is being erected on the foundation formed b - the heating plant. Although it has but two floors it is about as high as the rest of the buildings. The first floor will contain the kitchen and the dining-room. The latter is designed to seat 336 students without crowding. Incidentally, a unique feature is embodied in its construction, the usual unsightly pillars being done away with by utilizing a special method of supporting the ceiling. On the second floor there will be quarters provided for both male and female help. Separated from these there will be the hospital with room for about twenty-five beds. This section will be divided into a large ward and several smaller rooms, together with the nurse ' s quarters. This building is also of red brick trimmed with Bedford vock. Thus our Milwaukee Concordia is able to take excellent care of the students entrusted to its charge, for the present at least. May these quarters be filled, and not 3nly those of the Milwaukee Concordia, but of all our church ' s colleges and semin- aries, with ever increasing numbers of pious, talented Lutheran boys and young men, imbued with the ardent desire to become workers in the Great Reaper ' s harvest-field, that the prayer so often uttered by the sainted Doctor Walther may be fulfilled, God give us a pious ministry! A cheerful heart a treasure is, A jewel is content, A pleasant sunshine cheers the day. Though trouble lower on the way, A cheerv smile is lent. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. — The Bible. Everybody ' s lonesome sometime. Makes no difference how they smile ; Everybod needs a little bit of sunshine To make life really seem worth while. It ' s nice to know someone will miss you, It ' s nice to know when you feel blue That someone waits at home to kiss you. And someone else is lonesome, too. — Adapted. [58]

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thin shoulders were half covered by an old moth-eaten shawl, their only protection against the biting cold. The head had been turned toward the opposite side of the room, but at the doctor ' s entrance the eyes were directed toward him, and they burned with an unnatural lustre. Then the head listlessly turned again in the direction of the opposite wall. The doctor followed the motion of the woman ' s head with his own eyes. On the other side of the room on a bed of straw on the cold, hard earth, lay a man groaning in agony. His bones were covered with rags, his starved face showed the hunger that gnawed within him, while the torture he was undergoing was only too clearly shown by the writhing form. An.xiously the doctor crossed the Httle room and knelt down beside the rude pallet. He took one of the fever-heated lands in his own and felt the pulse. Regarding the flushed face of the sufferer, he slowly shook his head. Half-turning he spoke softly to the woman, He cannot possi- bly live much longer; he may not last out the night. No sound came from her to indicate that she had heard, only that persistent, hopeless cough. Far different was the effect on the invalid ; with a sudden frenzied burst of strength he raised himself on his elbow, and croaked hoarsely, Die, I must die? O, I cannot die; I dare not, I must not die! If I die, do you know what that means for me. It means that I ' ll go to hell, to hell, do you hear, to hell, and suffer forever. Mary, Saints in heaven, save me. I have sinned. God, I 1 His voice trailed off into a series of incoherent groans, he sank back. Rousing himself, he regained his semi-upright position, and continued, fairly shreiking the words, O, I must not die. To suffer forever in hell! O saints of heaven, pray for me, pray for me. O, I have sinned ! Listen to me. I must confess, I can keep my awful secret no longer. I was born in the Palatinate, the son of a wealthy merchant. He desired nothing more than to have his only son become a priest. ' et I disobeyed him, against his wishes I joined myself to a group of lawless rogues. With them I committed all manner of shameful deeds. Se shuddered, recovering himself he went on, Rapidly I went from one stage of vice to another, and always down, always falling lower. I gambled, played for huge stakes and lost! I needed the money, I went to my father and asked a large enough sum to cover my debts, though I dared not tell him why I wanted it. Naturally he refused, we quarreled, and and a devil took possession of me. As God is my witness, I did not know what I did. He had a knife on the table, I snatched it, and God forgive me I plunged it into his breast. The man once more fell back, overcome and helpless. He fell off his chair and his long bony finger pointed up at me. I stood as if rooted to the floor, stark with horror at my horrible deed. Then that ominous rattling in his throat as he died. His eyes glazed over, and still that finger pointed at m - guilty heart. With a scream of terror I tore myself away and dashed to the door. My hand was on the knob, I turned it, and as I did so, I turned ant! it seemed to me that the dead hand was still pointing at me. I rushed out crazed with fear. I dared not stay in the town, in an hour the story of the murder would be common property, and I should be suspected, arrested, tortured, and executed, and after that, suffering forever in hell. I left the country and fled to PIngland, but I could not flee from that guilty knowledge within me. Asleep, I would again see that terrible scene; the lifeless corpse of m ' father with the red life-blood oozing out of that ghastly wound.