markable in one of her years. She learned to knit, to spin, and to
sew, and she assisted the minister's wife very much in these and similar
occupations. She had learned to read in her native tongue at the clerk's
school, but now she conceived the idea of learning the German language.
She devoted herself to this task with great assiduity and success, and as
soon as she had made such progress as to be able to read in that
language, she spent all her leisure time in perusing the German books
which she found in the minister's library.

Years passed away, and Catharine grew up to be a young woman, and then a
certain young man, a subaltern officer in the Swedish army--for this was
at the time when Livonia was ill possession of the Swedes--fell in love
with her. The story was, that Catharine one day, in some way or other,
fell into the hands of two Swedish soldiers, by whom she would probably
have been greatly maltreated; but the officer, coming by at that time,
rescued her and sent her safe to Dr. Gluck. The officer had lost one of
his arms in some battle, and was covered with the scars of other wounds;
but he was a very generous and brave man, and was highly regarded by all
who knew him. When he offered Catharine his hand, she was strongly
induced by her gratitude to him to accept it, but she said she must ask
the minister's approval of his proposal, for he had been a father to her,
she said, and she would take no important step without his consent.

The minister, after suitable inquiry respecting the officer's character
and prospects, readily gave his consent, and so it was settled that
Catharine should be married.

Now it happened that these occurrences took place not very long after the
war broke out between Sweden and Russia, and almost immediately after
Catharine's marriage--some writers say on the very same day of the
wedding, and others on the day following--a Russian army came suddenly up
to Marienburg, took possession of the town, and made a great many of the
inhabitants prisoners. Catharine herself was among the prisoners thus
taken. The story was, that in the confusion and alarm she hid herself
with others in an oven, and was found by the Russian soldiers there, and
carried off as a valuable prize.

What became of the bridegroom is not certainly known. He was doubtless
called suddenly to his post when the alarm was given of the enemy's
approach, and a great many different stories were told in respect to