"
Coristine replied that it afforded him equal satisfaction, and they
puffed away with occasional remarks on the surrounding scenery.
Meanwhile, Wilkinson was striving to draw out the somewhat offended
mistress.
"Your husband tells me, Mrs. Hill, that you are of German parentage," he
remarked blandly.
"Yes," she replied; "my people were what they call Pennsylvania Dutch.
Do you know German, sir?"
"I have a book acquaintance with it," remarked the dominie.
"Do you recognize this?
Yo een fayter in der ayvig-eye,
Yo een fayter in der ayvig-eye,
Meen fayter rue mee, Ee moos gay
Tsoo lowwen in der ayvig-eye."
"No; I distinctly do not, although it has a Swabian sound."
"That is the Pennsylvania Dutch for 'I have a Father in the Promised
Land,' a Sunday School hymn."
"Were you brought up on hymns like that?"
"Oh, no; I can still remember some good German ones sung at our
assemblies, like:--
Christi Blut und Gerechtigkeit,
das ist mein Schmuck und Ehrenkleid,
damit will ich vor Gott besteh'n,
wenn ich in Himmel werd 'eingeh'n.
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