By late afternoon they were coming closer and closer to the Guadalupe River on the
left and the thick clumps of trees that followed its edges. Nearby the river lay
the town of Victoria with its scattered houses. It was the first town Mina had seen
since Galveston. Smoke rose from the chimneys in the distance, and made her feel
safe again. She forgot her tired legs and sore feet, and caught Papa's hand, skipping
along.
"Oh, Papa, I wish we could stay here to live." She looked up at him for
an answer.
"Well, Mina, we have no land here." Papa patted her hand. "We must
go on to New Braunfels. It is a good town, I hear, you will see."
Houses stood here and there along the road into Victoria. Some were log buildings,
some were made of boards, and others were adobe. The center of town was an empty grassy square where trees had been newly planted.
People moved about the town, and stopped to watch as the Jordans and Kaufmanns came
slowly to the square. Once again Mina heard English spoken, but also she heard Spanish.
And she saw, for the first time in her life, some negro slaves. There was a little
negro boy running along beside his mother holding onto her skirts with one hand.
His mother carried a basket on her head, holding it in place with one hand. She looked
very proud and exotic.
"Ho!" called Papa, and stopped the wagon in front of a log house on the
square.
A man stood on the long front porch. His wife was in the doorway with a child on
each side.
"Guten Abend," Papa said taking off his hat.
"Guten Abend," the man returned his greeting.
"So, you are German also." Papa and Herr Kaufmann shook hands with
the man and introduced themselves. The man's name was Hans Schumann, from the village
of Himmelsthur.
"We came in the spring of 1840, and decided to stop here."
"Are you glad you left Germany?" Papa asked.
"Now I am glad," answered Herr Schumann. "At first it was hard, very hard work. But, you see, here in Texas it is different from Germany. There are
no rich noblemen looking down their noses at farmers. No, here we are all equal,
and we all work." The man surveyed his house, his garden, and with a sweep of
his arm he said, "Now I am rewarded for my hard work with all this, and I am
free to live here as I choose."
"I look forward to the time when we can make such a home for ourselves," said Papa. "We are on our way to New Braunfels from Indian Point."
Herr Schumann nodded. "Ja, some have gone before you, and I am
afraid some never made it this far. It must have been a terrible winter at Indian
Point."
"Scarcely a family was spared the loss of a loved one. My own wife perished
during the winter, and on the way here Heinrich's baby girl . . ." Papa paused,
searching for words.
"It is too much," Herr Schumann shook his head sadly, "too
much suffering."
"And hundreds of people are still stranded on the beach, dying everyday. Something
must be done for them. The Verein must send wagons," Papa said.
Frau Schumann came out of the house bringing a pitcher of milk and two cups.
She poured some into each cup, and handed one to Mina and one to Anna, smiling.
"I imagine you girls have not had any milk for awhile."
Mina took the cup. "Thank you very much." The milk was still warm and foamy.
It tasted so creamy that Mina drank it down without stopping. Foam covered her upper
lip and tickled.
Frau Schumann laughed heartily, and poured another cup. "You could use
a little fat on your bones, my child. And you, too," she told Anna, pouring
another cup for her. "Well now, it is getting late, and you will need a place
to stay the night. You are welcome to sleep in our loft. The children can sleep downstairs
tonight." Frau Schumann was a plump, pretty lady, and had a comforting
smile. Mina already liked her.
"You are very kind, Frau Schumann," Papa said.
"And we accept your offer with pleasure," added Herr Kaufmann. He took his wife by the arm, and they all walked to the house.
Frau Schumann took Mina's hand and Anna's. "Come then, we will have a
little supper." Her hand felt warm and friendly as she led them into the house.
The two little boys had grown brave enough to come out on the porch where they watched
everything with big eyes. The youngest had his thumb in his mouth.
Inside the house Frau Schumann lighted a candle, and set it on the table that
stood before the hearth, where a small fire was glowing. Laid out upon the table
were cheese, bread, and the pitcher of milk. Frau Schumann went to the cupboard,
and took out a jar of jelly. Everything was so neat and clean that Mina knew they
were in good hands. The floor of the cabin was made of wooden planks, and the log
walls were stuccoed inside and white-washed.
"Come, let us sit down to supper." Herr Schumann brought two more
chairs, and they all sat at the table. It was so cozy and safe in the house. As Herr
Schumann said the blessing, Mina wished they could stay here forever.
That night Mina, Papa, Anna, and her parents climbed the ladder on the wall up to
the loft. They lay down on corn shuck mattresses, but it was the softest bed Mina
had slept on since they left their home in Wehrstedt. Light glowed from downstairs
through the square opening in the loft floor. Mina wondered if she and Papa would
ever have a home like this.
The next morning as Mina and Papa and the Kaufmanns were leaving, Frau Schumann
gave them some bread and cheese to take along. Mina felt rested by the night in the
cozy loft. Her feet no longer hurt, and the sunlight was warm on her face. "You have been so kind. Many thanks," said Papa to the Schumanns.
Mina flung her arms around Frau Schumann which surprised her. She laughed
her hearty laugh and hugged Mina.
"Now, you can stop by Gramann's store on the other side of the square to get
your provisions," Frau Schumann reminded them.