The Arrival of Josie

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Josie, an orphan and household drudge, lives with her ill-tempered aunt, Frau Rheinhart, who keeps a small boarding-house in Germany. Life would be unbearable for Josie, were it not for the fact that Miss Blake, one of the boarders, an American girl studying music, has taken quite a fancy to her. When Miss Blake finishes her course and leaves for America, she gives Josie her address, saying if she ever visits America, she must come and see her. Josie is very sad at Miss Blake's going, and when things become unendurable, Josie decides to go to America. She packs up, leaves the room topsy-turvy and a note informing her aunt of her destination. On the steamer, a drunken emigrant insults Josie and she is protected by a young man--who is honeymooning with his bride. Shortly after recovering from an attack of seasickness, Josie gets her first view of New York's tall buildings. After some amusing incidents, due to her lack of knowledge of American life, she finds to her sorrow, the Slakes have gone west. She becomes acquainted with Hank, a grocery boy, and through him, secures a job as a servant with the young bride and groom she met on the steamer. Several weeks later, while Hank holds her in loving embrace, Josie has a vision of her aunt's consternation at finding that her niece has fled, and thinks to herself, "If Aunty could see me now," at the same time thinking of the appointed day when she and Hank will be married.