SEEDTIME AND HARVEST. 
 
 TALES 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN 
 
 OF 
 
 ROSALIE KOCH AND MARIA BURG. 
 
 BT 
 
 QLtanzxmantel. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 CROSBY, NICHOLS, AND COMPANY, 
 
 117 Washington Street. 
 1 8 5 9. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1858, by 
 Crosby, Nichols, and Company, 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 
 
 CAMBRIDGE: 
 ELECTROTYPED AND PRINTED BY METCALP AND COMPANY. 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 Dear Arthur : — 
 
 I am sure you will enjoy these beautiful 
 tales which have come to us across the wide 
 ocean. Although written for children speak- 
 ing a different tongue ' from yours, they ad- 
 dress the universal heart and mind of child- 
 hood. 
 
 May the seed here sown bring forth abun- 
 dantly flowers to gladden, and fruit to nour- 
 ish, and may your harvest of happiness and 
 virtue be ever as plentiful as could even be 
 desired by 
 
 Your affectionate cousin, 
 
 THE TRANSLATOR. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 THE PICTURE, BY ROSALIE KOCH .... 1 
 COUNTRY COUSINS, BY ROSALIE KOCH . . 75 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY, BY MARIA BURG . . 139 
 THE LTTTLE RAGMAN, BY ROSALIE KOCH . 263 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 A TALE. 
 By KOSALIE KOCH. 
 
 1 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 15 
 
 mother and ask her advice. They again set 
 out on their homeward way, and as they walked 
 along he said, with an air of decision : " Well, 
 well ! If the worst comes to the worst, and 
 the child's parents desert her, I can work a 
 little harder to maintain a second sister ; and, 
 after all, such a tiny creature will in the be- 
 ginning require but little additional to feed 
 and clothe it." 
 
 " You are a good lad," said Augusta, smil- 
 ing and rising on tiptoe to kiss her brother's 
 broad, candid forehead. " And then think of 
 father's picture, — 6 Suffer little children to 
 come unto me,' says our Lord Jesus ; and also, 
 6 Their angels in heaven always see the face 
 of my Father who is in heaven.' Who knows 
 what blessings may enter our dwelling with 
 this pretty little wild-flower ! " 
 
 Julian nodded his head, as if in cordial ap- 
 probation of this sentiment. 
 
 Meantime the mother of these children had 
 been called upon to endure a severe inward 
 struggle. The children's guardian, a retired 
 merchant, had been with her over an hour, 
 
16 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 importuning her to sell her husband's last 
 work, " Christ blessing little Children." A con- 
 noisseur in the arts who was passing through 
 the city had offered for it three hundred dollars 
 in ready money. 
 
 " Only think, my dear Mrs. Winter, — three 
 hundred dollars, and in gold ; that is a sum 
 by no means to be despised ! It would be 
 quite enough to keep Julian three years with 
 the Court gardener. At the end of that time 
 he might receive a place in the royal gardens, 
 and his fortune be made for life. Under the 
 present circumstances he can be nothing but a 
 clerk, for no one can deny that he writes an 
 excellent hand ; but to sit out one's whole life 
 in a close room, inhaling the air from musty 
 documents, instead of living under the free 
 heavens and breathing the perfume of flowers, 
 would be, in my opinion, a very poor business. 
 And Mr. Julian may oiyz day call you to ac- 
 count for having made such a choice, for I 
 assure you that, by obstinately refusing to sell 
 the painting, you are depriving the poor lad of 
 his best chance for success in life." 
 
 The artist's widow cast a sorrowful and half- 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 IT 
 
 doubting glance upon the beautiful picture, 
 which hung upon the wall, illuminated by the 
 last rays of the setting sun. The sight seemed 
 to carry consolation to her soul, for again turn- 
 ing toward the well-meaning merchant, she 
 replied with renewed firmness and self-posses- 
 sion : "I fully appreciate your kind inten- 
 tions, my dear Mr. Silverstone, but my dead 
 husband's wishes must ever be with me para- 
 mount to every worldly consideration. ' When- 
 ever you look at the picture, think of me, 
 and ever rely upon the aid and protection 
 of Him who calleth the young children to re- 
 ceive his blessing.' Thus spoke the dying 
 man to me, and hence my unalterable resolu- 
 tion to retain this picture for the instruction 
 and consolation of the painter's little family. 
 As for Julian, the Father of all orphans will 
 care for him ; and, if I only keep my health, he 
 may with God's aid attain the fulfilment of his 
 dearest wishes, and become a farmer or a land- 
 scape gardener, without our finding it neces- 
 sary to deprive ourselves of our best, and in- 
 deed our only treasure. Do not be vexed with 
 me that I cannot avail myself of your kindness 
 
18 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 in finding so advantageous a sale for the pic- 
 ture ; but I cannot divest myself of the idea 
 that some peculiar blessing for us all is attached 
 , to our retaining it as long as possible in our 
 midst." 
 
 " Well, well ! no one can force you," grum- 
 bled the old gentleman, with an air of real 
 vexation and disappointment. " I only know 
 that you will never again meet with so liberal 
 a purchaser, and that the end of the song must 
 be the sale of the picture. When the time 
 comes, remember what I now tell you. You 
 think that the small capital of two thousand 
 dollars which you have invested in Bettauer' s 
 oil-mill will last you until Julian can help him- 
 self, and Augusta is able to earn her own 
 bread. This conviction of yours by no means 
 diminishes my anxiety. How would it be with 
 you were Bettauer to fail, and all your little 
 property be for ever lost ? " 
 
 The widow grew pale with apprehension, but 
 a momentary glance toward the Saviour's out- 
 stretched hand, and the remembrance that 
 its power to aid and protect was limitless, 
 calmed her fears, and she replied with a smile : 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 19 
 
 " Ali, Mr. Silverstone ! one may indeed imag- 
 ine clouds in the clearest and bluest of skies. 
 My husband placed great confidence in old 
 Bettauer ; he certainly will not defraud a wid- 
 ow and her two orphan children." 
 
 " Well, I have done my duty, and you are 
 fairly warned ; but I fear we have by no means 
 exchanged our last words upon this subject." 
 
 Thus saying, Mr. Silverstone took a hasty 
 leave, and departed in a decidedly bad humor. 
 
 The walls of the room in which the widow 
 remained sitting alone, were hung with a va- 
 riety of studies, sketches of heads and land- 
 scapes, without value except such as was lent 
 them by the love of the living for the dead. 
 The only picture of any real worth was the 
 " Christ " so often alluded to. It hung directly 
 opposite the widow's seat, and her eyes were 
 intently fixed upon it ; for Mr. Silverstone had 
 but too well succeeded in arousing doubt and 
 anxiety within her usually tranquil mind. She 
 sighed as she said, half aloud : " What if he 
 should indeed be right, and, by refusing so lib- 
 eral an offer, I should have darkened my chil- 
 dren's youth with care and sorrow ! " 
 
20 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 Folding her hands together, she sought ref- 
 uge from her anxious thoughts in fervent 
 prayer. 
 
 Meanwhile, the evening sun sank lower and 
 lower, until the rosy lights which had so re- 
 cently played round the. picture vanished in 
 the gray of twilight. The mother's eyes 
 sought the darkening casement, but the words, 
 " What can have kept the children out so 
 late ! " had scarcely left her lips, when Augusta 
 entered the room, bearing in her arms a young 
 child whose dimpled hands were filled with 
 flowers. A moment later, and the little one 
 had dropped the gay blossoms at the widow's 
 feet, as if imploring her protection. 
 
 " She is begging your good-will, the little 
 coaxer, and we beg it too," said Augusta, with 
 an embarrassed smile. " Will you not receive 
 her, the little wild-flower we found in the 
 wood? " 
 
 " yes ! " cried Julian, who had meanwhile 
 entered the room, " we bring her to you as a 
 gift, for I scarcely think any one will ever 
 come to claim her. Sister Augusta will now 
 have a dolly that can really both eat and cry ! " 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 21 
 
 " But where in the world did you find the 
 child ? " asked the mother in astonishment. 
 
 " She might just as well have fallen from 
 the skies," laughed Julian, who, in order to 
 spare his mother all uneasiness, had determined 
 to treat the matter as lightly as possible. " And 
 as we do not know the little wood princess's 
 name, I think we had better call her Woodina, 
 or perhaps, as Augusta called her a little wild- 
 flower, Fiorina would be still prettier." 
 
 The mother turned for explanation to Au- 
 gusta, who related the whole affair exactly as 
 it had happened. 
 
 " Merciful Heaven ! " cried the widow, clasp- 
 ing her hands in dismay. " You have fallen 
 in with cunning deceivers, who, relying upon 
 your good dispositions, have purposely left the 
 child upon your hands. But I have no fault 
 to find with you, and we must do our best for 
 the little one ; the Heavenly Protector of chil- 
 dren will surely aid us." 
 
 The little girl fastened her great blue eyes 
 upon the beautiful picture hanging on the wall, 
 and, with an indescribably touching smile, 
 stretched forth her tiny arms toward the Sav- 
 
22 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 iour. At this sight, both mother and children 
 felt the dew of pity moistening their eyes. 
 
 It was during the pleasant season of autumn 
 that the brother and sister had walked in the 
 forest, and brought the little foundling home 
 with them. Since then the fields had grown 
 quite bare, and the stubble was all hung with 
 spider-webs, adorned with dewy pearls, woven 
 in fantastic patterns by Nature's cunning hand. 
 The days were very short, and every evening 
 the lamp burning in the widow's sitting-room 
 shone upon herself and her daughter busily 
 engaged in sewing, while Julian copied docu- 
 ments for a lawyer. This employment had 
 been procured for him by Mr. Silverstone, 
 who, ever since the little family had fallen 
 into need, had shown himself a most efficient 
 friend. His predictions had been but too sure- 
 ly fulfilled ; the oil-mill had been disposed of 
 at public sale, and Mrs. Winter had lost all 
 hope of saving even a small portion of her 
 little capital. 
 
 This of course occasioned her many anxious 
 hours ; but the little Fiorina, whose parents, in 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 23 
 
 spite of the most careful inquiries, still remained 
 undiscovered, lightened their heaviness by her 
 touching affection. She would sit upon the 
 floor with her eyes fixed upon her adopted 
 mother's face, patiently waiting the moment 
 when the latter, laying aside her needle, would 
 gently stroke the pretty child's golden curls 
 and rosy cheeks. Then Fiorina — for this 
 name had been really bestowed upon the wild 
 rosebud from the forest — would laugh, and 
 again turn with delight to play with the wood- 
 en cuckoo which Julian had brought her from 
 the yearly fair, saying : " Our Fiorina is in- 
 deed a cuckoo's egg, left by her heartless 
 mother in our nest ! " 
 
 " Those people certainly could not have been 
 her real parents," was Augusta's answer ; " no 
 mother would behave so shamefully toward her 
 own child ! " 
 
 " 0," said Julian, who was always ready to 
 impart whatever knowledge he possessed, and 
 thus instruct his younger sister, " even a bird 
 step-mother would be more faithful. Only a 
 short time ago, while taking my lesson in nat- 
 ural history, I heard a beautiful anecdote illus- 
 
24 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 trating that very point. Once, quite late in 
 the fall, a hunter found a wagtail (a bird 
 which usually migrates at a much earlier sea- 
 son to some warmer clime) still in the forest. 
 He observed that the pretty creature, with its 
 bluish-gray coat, white under-vest, and black 
 topknot, seemed most anxiously seeking food, 
 which at that time of year had become very 
 scarce. The winter seeds were already sown ; 
 so there were no freshly turned furrows to fur- 
 nish worms ; neither grubs nor chafers were 
 to be found among the stones, or on the bare 
 stalks ; the flies, chilled by the cold winds, had 
 all left the streams, and not a single gnat ven- 
 tured out into the wintry air. The little bird 
 herself did not look as gay and light-hearted 
 as is customary with these pretty creatures, 
 and her tail did not wag as merrily as usual. 
 Finally she found an insect, and flew with it 
 to a great oak. After the lapse of a consider- 
 able time she returned, whereupon ensued the 
 same anxious search, and the same flight to- 
 ward the great tree. The hunter became quite 
 curious, and, determined, if possible, to discover 
 the secret of these strange proceedings, he hid 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 25 
 
 himself near the oak. And what do you think 
 he saw ? Out of a hole in one of the branches 
 was thrust the head of quite a large bird ; the 
 little wagtail stood at the opening, with an 
 insect in her bill, which was soon greedily 
 devoured by the bird in the tree. After watch- 
 ing several repetitions of this singular per- 
 formance, the hunter climbed the trunk of 
 the oak, and found that a bird, whose species 
 he did not immediately recognize, was impris- 
 oned in the hole, from which its head alone 
 protruded. In order to release the poor crea- 
 ture from its strange prison, he pulled out his 
 hunting-knife and widened the opening, while 
 the wagtail flew round and round his head, 
 uttering cries of evident fear and distress. 
 The captive bird turned out to be a young 
 cuckoo, which, by reason of the narrow space 
 in which it had hitherto been forced to dwell, 
 had but very short tail and wing feathers, and 
 was also totally unable to stand, having always 
 been obliged to maintain a sitting posture. A 
 cuckoo — which, as is well known, is the only 
 bird that does not hatch out its own brood, but, 
 shunning this long and tedious process, leaves 
 
26 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 the task to the patience of others — had evi- 
 dently dropped one of its eggs into the wag- 
 tail's nest, and the little creature, in the fullest 
 confidence that none but her own children 
 could possibly be found in her well-guarded 
 dwelling, had bestowed upon the stranger the 
 same care and attention as upon her own 
 young. The little wagtails had left the nest 
 as soon as their wings were strong enough to 
 bear them, but the great step-child could not 
 get through the narrow opening. Mark now 
 the course of the faithful step-mother ! She 
 brought the poor captive all its food, although 
 that food was daily becoming more and more 
 difficult to procure ; she refused to desert it, 
 although instinct had long warned her to seek 
 some more genial clime, and she thus sacrificed 
 her own ease and comfort to the care of the 
 stranger, while the real mother was enjoying 
 herself in the far and balmy South. — How do 
 you like that story, Gussy ? " 
 
 " 0, it is beautiful ! " cried Augusta. 
 " Henceforth I will love the little wagtails 
 better than ever. A great deal may be learned 
 from the birds, and often, when I see them flit- 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 27 
 
 ting about in the sunshine, or watching their 
 tiny broods, I think of the verses in the Boy's 
 Wonder-Book : — 
 
 ' Ye have nor cook nor cellar, 
 
 And yet ye are so gay ; 
 Ye drink nor port nor sherry, 
 Yet dance and sing all day. 
 
 ' Ye nothing own nor covet, 
 Nor land nor title-deed ; 
 But ye have a kind, good Master, 
 "Who gives ye all ye need/ " 
 
 A faint sigh passed the mother's lips ; she 
 could not feel bright and gay, like the birds of 
 the fields and the forests, and yet the same 
 good Lord and Master that provided for all 
 their wants watched likewise over her. She 
 thought of the many things she needed, and 
 was unable to procure, — fuel for the winter, 
 and warm clothing for her children. She had 
 not even been able to lay in a supply of pota- 
 toes to last during the cold weather, for old 
 Bettauer no longer paid her a single penny, 
 and the salesman who had always purchased 
 the embroidery done by herself and Augusta, 
 as soon as he found that they were actually 
 
28 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 forced to work for their livelihood, reduced the 
 price of their labor. Many were the tears shed 
 by the anxious mother during the silent hours 
 of the night ; but when with her children, she 
 strove to appear cheerful and confident. She 
 did not, however, succeed in blinding the keen 
 eyes of love. Both Julian and Augusta well 
 knew that their situation was daily becoming 
 more and more critical ; but as they were as 
 industrious as it was possible for them to be, 
 and had limited their wants to the merest 
 necessaries of life, they could do nothing fur- 
 ther, except to pray to God to aid them in his 
 own good time. 
 
 "With the passing winter, their cares and 
 sorrows only deepened ; soon after Christmas 
 Fiorina was taken ill, and during many long 
 and anxious weeks seemed tottering on the 
 brink of the grave. For a whole month, either 
 the widow or one of her children sat up night- 
 ly with the little stranger, who had become so 
 dear to them all that in her welfare they al- 
 most forgot their owii. Of course such careful 
 and constant nursing must have sadly en- 
 croached upon the time devoted to labor, and 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 29 
 
 labor had now become doubly necessary, for 
 the physician required his fees, and the medi- 
 cines had to be paid for. 
 
 Finally, however, the doctor gave hopes that 
 the sick child might be restored to health, but 
 prescribed bathing with wine as a means of 
 regaining strength. 
 
 " Merciful God ! " sighed the widow, 
 " whence are we to procure so costly a 
 remedy ? " 
 
 Julian stood by, his eyes bent upon the 
 ground, inwardly grieving that he was not 
 yet a man, able to support his dear ones. He 
 thought a moment of applying to Mr. Silver- 
 stone ; but then he knew he would be met with 
 the reproach of how foolish his mother had 
 been to refuse to sell the picture. No, — he 
 rather preferred going to a neighbor, a wine- 
 seller f and asking him for two bottles of wine, 
 promising to pay him as soon as he was old 
 enough to earn higher wages. His resolution 
 was quickly taken, and, without saying a word 
 to his mother, he went at once to the wine- 
 store, which he entered breathless with run- 
 ning. His request was made somewhat tim- 
 
30 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 idly, and in scarcely audible tones, for there 
 were strangers in the room, and he had al- 
 ways been tanght that it was not very honor- 
 able to incur a debt, and indeed only rendered 
 excusable by the most pressing necessity. 
 
 " You want two bottles of old Rhine wine ! " 
 cried the fat wine-merchant, putting his arms 
 akimbo and laughing heartily. " Very likely, 
 my lad ! And all on the strength of your hon- 
 est face ! The idea is not so bad, the only pity 
 is you cannot carry it out ! " 
 
 " But, dear Mr. Messner," said Julian, blush- 
 ing to his very temples, " I do not want the 
 wine to drink, — it is for our poor little Fiorina. 
 The doctor says that, although her disease has 
 left her, she may die from weakness unless we 
 bathe her with wine." 
 
 " The thousand ! A terrible misfortune, 
 truly, for that little beggar's brat to die ! . Her 
 parents, who are I suppose in some prison, — 
 Heaven alone knows where, — would be might- 
 ily grieved ! " 
 
 " But we all love the little one dearly," stam- 
 mered Julian, his eyes filling with tears. 
 
 " Yes, and you most foolishly burden your- 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 31 
 
 selves with another month to feed, when you 
 have hardly enough for yourselves. It is my 
 opinion that no one ought to encourage his 
 neighbor in such folly. Your mother would 
 do well to place the child in some foundling- 
 hospital ; and the sooner the better, for she has 
 not a penny too much for her own children, 
 and yet she wastes her time and her money on 
 a stranger." 
 
 " That you will not let me have the wine, 
 which I would in time certainly pay you to the 
 last cent, is your own affair, and I must be 
 content with your decision ; but what we have 
 done for the poor child is ours, and I feel quite 
 sure that God will not desert us in our present 
 need," said Julian. " He can make our little 
 Fiorina well without the wine-baths, but I 
 thought I would first try and do all I could for 
 her." Thus saying, he went toward the door. 
 
 " Wait a moment, my boy ! " cried a young 
 man, who sat with a companion at a side table, 
 washing down his lunch with sundry glasses of 
 bright, sparkling wine. He wore a small em- 
 broidered student's cap upon his bushy, blonde 
 hair, and his richly bordered velvet coat was 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 thrown negligently open. " Go and get the 
 wine the boy has asked for," continued he, 
 turning to the waiter, " but bring it here first. 
 I know you wine-tappers of old, and should be 
 sorry to have our young gentleman, who of 
 course is no judge of the article, deluded by 
 the substitution of some miserable trash for the 
 genuine, invigorating grape-juice his case re- 
 quires. I will try the wine myself, so make 
 haste. And hearken, my good friend, a bottle 
 of Alicant besides. I think, Mr. Messner, you 
 will let me have credit for so much ? " added 
 he, with a gay laugh. 
 
 " The Baron von Kaltenström will do me a 
 favor by letting his account with me run up as 
 high as he pleases, — the higher the better! " 
 said the fat wine-seller, with as profound a bow 
 as his corpulency would permit him to make. 
 
 Meantime the waiter returned with the wine. 
 The young student tasted it with the air of a 
 connoisseur, and, calling Julian to his side, said 
 with a smile : " There, my lad, it is yours ; I 
 will give you the credit denied you by your 
 neighbor, and will feel very happy if the poor 
 sick child derives any benefit from her baths. 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 33 
 
 As for the Alicant, that is for the use of the 
 little one's nurses, and they must drink it to 
 my health, mind you, for I shall not write that 
 down in my account-book." 
 
 Without waiting to hear the outpouring of 
 Julian's fervent thanks, the young man gently 
 shoved him out through the open doorway. 
 
 " Soh ! " said the young Baron, listlessly 
 sinking back into his chair, " that was an ap- 
 petizing bit of sentiment. It has really made 
 me quite thirsty." Filling the goblet before 
 him to the very brim, he drank it off with evi- 
 dent satisfaction. 
 
 " I was just thinking that the time had come 
 when we should be forced to sell our dear pic- 
 ture for the sake of our little nursling," said 
 the mother, as Julian stood before her with 
 the bottles under his arm ; " and now, just at 
 the right moment, God sends us the needful 
 remedy. Blessed be his holy name ! " 
 
 With joy-beaming eyes, the widow and her 
 children stood before the painting, and felt 
 more than ever convinced that their guardian's 
 prophecy would not be fulfilled, and that they 
 
 3 
 
34 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 should never be obliged to part with their fa- 
 ther's precious legacy. 
 
 But scarcely had the little Fiorina recovered 
 her health, and her plump, rosy cheeks, when 
 the mother succumbed to the weakness induced 
 by anxiety and over-exertion. Then, indeed, 
 did it really seem to the poor children as if 
 their Father in heaven had forgotten them. 
 Julian wept bitter tears, that, with all his good- 
 will he could do so little, so very little, for his 
 dear ones, and would have been willing to bind 
 himself out as a day-laborer, that he might at 
 least every evening bring his poor sister Iiis 
 slender earnings. 
 
 One morning Augusta took the boy by the 
 hand, led him to the picture, upon which just 
 then shone a most favorable light, and, after 
 gazing upon it long and sorrowfully, said with 
 a resolute and determined air : " Take it down, 
 dear Julian, and carry it to Mr. Silverstone ; 
 he may perhaps find a purchaser. We ought 
 not to keep it an hour longer, for — " here she 
 lowered her voice and whispered in her broth- 
 er's ear that she might not be heard by the in- 
 valid who lay dozing upon the bed — " the 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 35 
 
 doctor said to-day that the chief cause of moth- 
 er's illness was the want of proper and strength- 
 ening nourishment." 
 
 Julian needed no further persuasion. With 
 quivering features and compressed lips he 
 mounted upon a chair and carefully took down 
 the picture. Both children then kissed the 
 Saviour's outstretched hand. The sick mother 
 groaned in her sleep, as if she were indeed shar- 
 ing her children's grief. 
 
 Augusta resumed her accustomed place at 
 her mother's bedside ; but whenever her eyes 
 fell upon the empty space upon the wall, they 
 filled anew with irrepressible tears. Even lit- 
 tle Fiorina, who had always taken especial 
 pleasure in the glittering frame, seemed to miss 
 it, and looked sad. 
 
 After a considerable lapse of time, Julian 
 returned ; he spoke not a word, but silently 
 laid a roll of money upon the table, and then 
 hid his face in his hands. Augusta softly ap- 
 proached him and whispered : " Brother, we 
 ought not to be so sad ; our father's blessing 
 rests not alone upon the picture, but also upon 
 us, if we will only be the faithful children of 
 our dear Heavenly Father ! " 
 
36 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 " 0, it is not that which troubles me ! " re- 
 plied the boy, lifting his tearful eyes to his 
 sister's face. " I have brought so little money 
 that it will not last long. Mr. Silverstone went 
 with me himself to the picture-dealer, but, as 
 he said to me on the way there, people see at 
 once when others are forced to sell at any price, 
 and offer the least sums possible. I have ex- 
 perienced the truth of this, for I was obliged 
 to let the dealer have the painting for twenty- 
 five dollars ; but at least he promised to sell it 
 me again for thirty, whenever I could com- 
 mand so much money, provided no one had in 
 the mean time purchased it of him. He seemed 
 to think there was but little danger of its soon 
 passing through his hands. If it had been a 
 dancing-girl, a fashionable singer, or a hand- 
 some horse, it might speedily have been sold ; 
 but a subject taken from sacred history, — 
 there was no chance for that ! And that is 
 my only consolation, Gussy ; for, believe me, I 
 shall enjoy nothing in this world right heartily 
 until I see that picture once more hanging in 
 its proper place. And that it will do so one 
 day, I feel as certain as I do that our guar- 
 
THE PICTÜEE. 
 
 37 
 
 dian's prophecies of evil have been fulfilled. 
 Ah ! poverty is a hard trial ; on my way to the 
 picture-store I fell upon a right wicked thought. 
 With our little Fiorina, misfortune first entered 
 our dwelling ; just think a moment ! Her 
 sickness exhausted our poor mother's means 
 and strength so far, that she now lies a sufferer 
 upon that bed, liable at any moment to die and 
 leave us desolate. Perhaps we had better have 
 left the strange child in the wood ! — So mon- 
 strous were my thoughts ! " 
 
 " Indeed, they were really dreadful ! " cried 
 Augusta. " Our sorrow must not make us self- s 
 ish ; and you never had such fancies so long 
 as the picture hung upon the wall, and the 
 noble countenance of our Divine Redeemer 
 said to us, with looks of infinite love, ' What 
 you have done unto the least of these little 
 ones ye have also done unto me ! ' We must be 
 wanting in real trust in God, Julian ! Let*us 
 think of that pious man in Halle, who after- 
 wards became a father to so many poor orphan 
 children, and yet once had so little money that 
 a benevolent citizen of Magdeburg gave him 
 twenty dollars to pay his travelling expenses 
 
38 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 when he was about to enter upon his under- 
 taking at Glaucha. He laid the foundation of 
 his noble institutions with only six florins in 
 his possession : think how much he accom- 
 plished with so little ! But that was because 
 he could truly say, 6 1 can do all things in 
 him who strengthened me, our Lord Jesus 
 Christ ! ' "We learned this from our teacher but 
 a few days ago ; and he also added, that all 
 things are possible to him who believes. Ah ! 
 let us beg God to give us such faith, and then 
 again will joy and peace be ours." 
 
 Hand in hand stood the brother and sister, 
 both silently praying from the depths of their 
 hearts. Fiorina, wearied with playing, sat 
 upon the floor, leaning her curly head against 
 the young girl's knee Her doll slipped softly 
 from her tiny hands, and her heavy eyelids 
 closed in sleep. Julian gazed upon her with 
 emotion, and promised in his heart to redeem 
 his evil thought with redoubled affection. He 
 faithfully kept his word. Fiorina might have 
 searched the world in vain for a more patient 
 playmate, a truer friend, or more affectionate 
 protector. He never came home empty-handed, 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 39 
 
 but always brought her some little thing, if 
 only a handful of berries, a bunch of wild-flow- 
 ers, a shell or two, or a few nuts. Out of the 
 last he carved little baskets, or made of the 
 empty hulls scales, in which she weighed brick- 
 dust for powdered sugar, and fine white sand 
 for rice, and then sold the little packages to 
 herself for certain shining pebbles representing 
 money. 
 
 When she was old enough to learn, he be- 
 came her patient instructor, teaching her to 
 read and to count, a comparatively easy task, 
 as she was a bright, intelligent child ; but when 
 they came to writing, he found much more dif- 
 ficulty, and soon discovered that Fiorina's ideas 
 of order and proportion needed especial devel- 
 opment. Vainly did he set her copies in his 
 own beautiful handwriting ; her efforts at imi- 
 tation only showed her deficiency in any proper 
 conception of linear beauty or exactitude. 
 When the lively child heard his step upon the 
 stairway, all her playthings, even the most fa- 
 vorite, were at once flung aside, and she ran to 
 meet him with open arms. Slate and pencil 
 would be found together upon the floor, the 
 
40 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 point of the latter broken, the carefully set 
 copy effaced, and, in place of the "exercises 
 which should have been ready for the young 
 tutor's inspection, unmeaning strokes and bar- 
 barous scratchings. 
 
 When Julian would perceive this disorder 
 and negligence, he would knit his brows and 
 say : " Fiorina, you little whirlwind ! we 
 must have you rebaptized and named Wildina, 
 for you heed neither law nor order ! 99 But 
 the next moment he would kiss her right heart- 
 ily, and in her sisterly caresses forget the trou- 
 ble she gave him as a pupil. 
 
 On every holiday he would take her by the 
 hand and lead her through the principal streets, 
 stopping before the shop windows, pointing out 
 to her the prettiest articles, and explaining to 
 her all she did not comprehend. Julian was 
 especially fond of walking past the picture- 
 dealer's, for there hung his father's last work, 
 his constant thought, and the aim of all his 
 efforts. He watched it with the greatest anx- 
 iety, and went as often as he could to convince 
 himself that his treasure was still unsold, that 
 no one had forestalled him in his cherished pur- 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 41 
 
 pose. Whenever he came in sight of the store, 
 his heart began to beat and his mind to misgive 
 him until his eyes again rested upon the noble 
 figure of the Saviour, whose outstretched hand 
 seemed to quiet Iiis trouble and anxiety, as of 
 old it calmed the restless waves of the stormy 
 sea. But had the boy really any well-founded 
 hope that he would ever be able to call the 
 longed-for treasure his own? 
 
 In the school which Julian attended, the 
 most capable and industrious scholars in the 
 first class received every year two prizes. The 
 first consisted of a valuable Latin work, hand- 
 somely bound, with the receiver's name in gold 
 letters on the outside ; and the second, of two 
 gold pieces, — Frederic-d'ors. 
 
 Julian had always been an excellent scholar, 
 but now he had an especial motive for redou- 
 bled industry. He was anxious to take the 
 last-named prize ; not the first, which before 
 he entered the highest class had always been 
 the object of his ambition, but the second ; for 
 eleven dollars would assist him considerably 
 toward the attainment of his cherished end. 
 If he were to add to this a year's assiduous 
 
42 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 writing, and to deny himself his supper, (for 
 which his mother always gave him four pen- 
 nies to buy a roll, because he went directly 
 from school to the magistrate's office where he 
 was employed as a copyist,) if his mother con- 
 tinued well, and no ill-luck befell the family, 
 he might possibly hope by the end of the year 
 to have in his hands the thirty dollars he re- 
 quired for the repurchase of the picture ; and 
 then there would be no happier being than 
 himself upon the face of the earth. 
 
 Although the spring opened with unusual 
 mildness and beauty, neither the leafy wood, 
 the field-flowers which he so dearly loved, the 
 call of the cuckoo, nor the song of the thrush, 
 could lure the boy to leave the small, close 
 room where he had set up his desk, and where 
 he labored so diligently that he would not even 
 suffer his little favorite to disturb him. In- 
 deed, she often knocked at his door and begged 
 in vain for admittance. 
 
 On the day of the examination he succeeded 
 so well with the Latin exercise, for which the 
 first prize was chiefly awarded, that he pur- 
 posely left some grammatical errors uncorrect- 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 43 
 
 ed, in order not to receive the premium once 
 so ardently desired. His good star did not de- 
 sert him during the remainder of the examina- 
 tion, and he grew fairly pale with delight when 
 he heard his name called as the recipient of the 
 second prize. Ah, how fervently had he prayed 
 for this in his quiet chamber ! he had not trust- 
 ed alone to his own strength, to his own limited 
 knowledge and capacities, but he had taken to 
 his heart that excellent saying : " Well prayed 
 for, is half won ! " 
 
 He left the hall in a state of perfect delight, 
 — the two gold pieces in his hand. He had 
 suddenly fallen upon the idea of taking them 
 to the picture-dealer as earnest-money, and 
 begging him not to sell the picture to any other 
 person. In the haste with which he hurried 
 through the crowded street that he might at 
 once carry his design into execution, he ran 
 against a fruit-huckster's basket, for which 
 piece of awkwardness he was assailed with a 
 perfect hail-storm of abusive words, and nearly 
 overturned a gayly dressed child who was pa- 
 rading in the middle of the sidewalk to show 
 off her pretty new silk dress, and to be seen 
 
44 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 and admired by as many people as possible. 
 In his hand burned the gold, and on his cheeks 
 the glow of joyous excitement. The way 
 seemed to him twice as long as it had done 
 two days previous, the last time he had visited 
 his treasure. Finally, however, the goal was 
 reached. 
 
 But he arrived at the very hour when the 
 picture-dealer was accustomed to go home to 
 his dinner. The store was closed, and Julian, 
 who did not feel inclined to waste the whole 
 afternoon in another long walk through the 
 streets, was obliged to stand a full hour on the 
 sidewalk, awaiting the salesman's return. He 
 was scarcely conscious of feeling hungry, but 
 he knew that his mother and sister would be 
 anxiously looking for him, and he felt sorry to 
 cause them so much uneasiness. His heart 
 impelled him to give them at once the pleasure 
 of knowing that he had really won the prize, 
 and yet his very love for mother and sister, as 
 well as for the father who no longer dwelt 
 among them, held him bound to the spot 
 whereon he stood. 
 
 None but those who have had a similar 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 45 
 
 experience can know how slowly and wearily 
 such an hour of painful expectancy passes. 
 
 Finally, one clock struck the hour, then a 
 second, and then a third : with the last stroke, 
 the picture-dealer, whom the boy at once recog- 
 nized, turned a distant corner. 
 
 Julian ran to meet him, stretching out to- 
 ward him the hand in which he held the gold. 
 " I bring you a small payment upon the pic- 
 ture," cried he, breathless, " and I beg you 
 most earnestly to have patience yet awhile, 
 and not to sell it to any other person ! " 
 
 " The picture ! What picture ? " asked the 
 storekeeper, casting an astonished, inquiring 
 glance toward the excited boy. He had left 
 his spectacles lying on the counter, and did 
 not at first recognize Julian, although he had 
 frequently observed him standing outside his 
 shop door. 
 
 " ' Christ blessing little Children,' by the 
 painter Winter," eagerly replied Julian. " 0, 
 let me see it close ! since the day I brought it 
 here I have never seen it except from a dis- 
 tance. You surely remember our agreement : 
 that in case you had not previously found a 
 
46 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 purchaser, I was to have it back for thirty dol- 
 lars as soon as I could raise the money. Well, 
 two days ago I saw the picture still in the 
 same old place ! " 
 
 "Yes, two days ago," carelessly replied the 
 dealer ; " but in that time one can sell a great 
 many pictures ! " 
 
 " But you have not sold the 6 Christ ' ? You 
 surely do not mean to say that ! " 
 
 " Hm ! " slowly responded the storekeeper ; 
 "you should rather rejoice that you cannot 
 repurchase that picture, for it was not really 
 worth more than I paid Mr. Silverstone for it, 
 and I am quite satisfied to have at least gotten 
 back my money. I took it to the man yester- 
 day." 
 
 " Sold ! " cried Julian, so sorrowfully that 
 even the indifferent picture-dealer was moved, 
 and strove to console the afflicted boy, saying : 
 " Come, now, do not take it so to heart ; you 
 have not yet money enough to buy it back, and 
 who knows what may happen before that time 
 comes. Mattner, a tanner in Fur Street, bought 
 that picture yesterday, with a number of other 
 objects of art ; he has won a considerable sum 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 47 
 
 in a lottery, and, having given up his business, 
 lives like a prince. His dwelling, which used 
 to smell so of Russia leather and calves' hides, 
 is now perfumed by the rarest hot-house plants, 
 and glitters in every part with mirrors, velvet, 
 and mahogany. I do not think, however, that 
 one need be much of a prophet to foresee the 
 end of the whole affair. He only bought the 
 picture because he took a fancy to the gilt 
 frame, and although I am loth to play the ra- 
 ven, yet I should not wonder if in one year, or 
 at most in two, the whole of his household fur- 
 niture would be brought to the hammer, for 
 you know what the proverb says, Soon got, 
 soon gone; and lottery-tickets are usually cards 
 of admission to the almshouse ! " 
 
 Julian scarcely heard this well-meant at- 
 tempt at consolation. He stood a few moments 
 in the street, as if he had grown to the pave- 
 ment, and then, walking as if in a dream, went 
 slowly homeward. Augusta stood in the door- 
 way with Fiorina, anxiously awaiting her 
 brother's return, and her heart overflowed 
 with sisterly compassion when she beheld his 
 downcast and sorrowful mien. 
 
48 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 "Ah, poor brother ! " cried she, " then you 
 have indeed found a more fortunate rival ! 
 Well, well, you are not the less a good, indus- 
 trious boy, and deserving of our heartiest 
 love." 
 
 He bent over the child, that his sister should 
 not observe his tearful eyes, but Fiorina, quickly 
 taking her hands from behind her back, where 
 she had hitherto held them, smilingly placed a 
 beautiful crown of laurel upon his head. The 
 two girls then led him to their mother, who 
 was still waiting dinner for her son. She had 
 prepared his favorite dish for him, but he 
 scarcely touched it ; and although mother and 
 sister, to whom he now imparted his good as 
 well as his ill fortune, strove to console him 
 for the latter, and dwelt long and affectionately 
 upon the joy his industry and good conduct 
 had prepared for them, the happiness of this 
 day was lost for him, and he laid the two gold 
 pieces in his mother's purse as indifferently as 
 if they had been two copper pennies. 
 
 " Now, my son," said the painter's widow, 
 seriously, " you must no longer strive to regain 
 the picture for us, for that would really be ly- 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 49 
 
 ing in wait for misfortune to overtake that im- 
 prudent man, whose head has been so turned by 
 his sudden wealth that he has grown ashamed 
 of his honest calling, and now endeavors to 
 outdo the nobility in luxury and magnificence. 
 Should it be God's will that the picture ever 
 return to our possession, he will himself find 
 the way and the means ; for the present, we 
 must turn our desires away from an object 
 which does not belong to us, but to our neigh- 
 bor. Promise me, my son, to struggle against 
 these melancholy feelings." 
 
 Julian gave his mother his hand in token of 
 acquiescence, but he could not feel quite con- 
 tented and happy, neither on that day of well- 
 earned honor and distinction, nor during the 
 weeks and months that followed. 
 
 Six times came the spring with its flowery 
 train, clothed in a splendor and glory surpass- 
 ing that of Solomon. The widow and her two 
 daughters now lived by themselves, for Julian, 
 in accordance with his guardian's advice, had 
 long before taken a clerkship ; the magistrate 
 for whom he had so often worked as a boy had 
 
 4 
 
50 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 received him into his own office, and had prom- 
 ised to provide for his future advancement. 
 He could only visit his dear ones on Sunday, 
 and whenever he returned home he met Fio- 
 rina awaiting him in the doorway. As, when 
 she was a child, he had always brought with 
 him some trifle for her, she now never failed 
 to prepare some agreeable surprise for him. 
 Now it was a beautiful exotic which she had 
 secretly nursed into blossom, (for she well knew 
 her adopted brother's passionate love for flow- 
 ers,) and now a neat page of fair writing, with 
 which she rejoiced her former tutor's heart by 
 exhibiting her rapid progress in penmanship : 
 sometimes she had prepared for her good Ju- 
 lian a bowl of milk with rice-balls, or a dish of 
 strawberry panada, for which she had herself 
 picked the berries in the forest ; and her rosy 
 cheeks would glow with delight when he praised 
 her, or seemed pleased with her often somewhat 
 peculiar inventions. 
 
 Young as she was, she already began to earn 
 a little money for herself ; she was very skilful 
 in plaiting horsehair, of which she made chains 
 and bracelets, which she always readily disposed 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 51 
 
 of, for no one could resist the child's winning 
 way of offering her work for sale, and she often 
 received twice as much as she asked for her 
 tasteful little wares. From these earnings she 
 sometimes expended a small sum for Julian, 
 but she kept all the remainder with a certain 
 secresy in her earthen money-box. 
 
 "I do not like this in Fiorina," would the 
 mother say, with a doubtful shake of the head ; 
 " children ought not to think so anxiotisly of 
 saving money ; it is so much more natural for 
 them to trust to God for all they need, and, 
 like the field lilies which neither toil nor spin, 
 or the birds of the air which gather not into 
 barns, to live contentedly from day to day with- 
 out solicitude for the morrow. Her secret 
 and mysterious ways of proceeding must be 
 an inheritance from that cunning woman who 
 seemed to be her mother. I sincerely hope 
 this tendency to secretiveness will not increase 
 as the child grows older." 
 
 Augusta was ever Fiorina's most faithful 
 apologist, and the mother allowed herself to be 
 convinced that there was no real evil lurking 
 beneath this apparent failing. But one day 
 
52 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 her attention was again most painfully recalled 
 to this singularity in the child's conduct. She 
 found Fiorina in the small apartment near the 
 sitting-room, in which Julian had always been 
 accustomed (when the weather was not too 
 cold) to write, and to study his lessons for 
 school ; the little girl was kneeling in one 
 corner, and counting over her treasure. When 
 she heard a step at the door, she hastily hid 
 the money under an old blind lying on the 
 floor, and seemed busily engaged in the exam- 
 ination of a small drawing hanging upon the 
 wall. Later in the same day, there came to 
 the house a poor woman who had lost her all 
 in an inundation, and who begged for aid so 
 earnestly, that the painter's widow gave her a 
 warm jacket, and Augusta, a pair of nearly 
 new shoes, for they had no money. The wo- 
 man thanked them with many tears and bless- 
 ings, and added, in more cheerful tones: "Now 
 I only want a few pennies to buy my children 
 some meal for broth, and a potato or two ; then 
 I can go home to them, for they will surely be 
 very uneasy if I do not soon return, and I can- 
 not bear to go without something to satisfy 
 their hunger." 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 53 
 
 " I would willingly give you the money, but 
 I have none at present, and do not expect to 
 receive any until day after to-morrow," said 
 Mrs. Winter, with an expressive glance at Fio- 
 rina. " You may perhaps find some compas- 
 sionate person in the neighborhood who will 
 assist you to that small sum." 
 
 The child moved restlessly hither and thither, 
 and seemed more than once to have made up 
 her mind to go to the room and bring out her 
 money-box, but she always again withdrew her 
 hand from the door-knob. Meanwhile the poor 
 woman went away, and a neighbor came to 
 speak with the widow concerning some work 
 to be done, so that she could not carry out her 
 intention of having a serious and earnest con- 
 versation with the avaricious child. 
 
 On the following day, which was Sunday, as 
 Augusta was dressing Fiorina, she said to her : 
 " Where is the little worsted scarf Julian gave 
 you your last birthday ? It is so cold to-day 
 I think you had better tie it round your 
 neck." 
 
 " 0, 1 do not mind the cold," replied Fiorina. 
 Augusta observed that the child grew very 
 
54 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 red, and cast her eyes upon the floor in evident 
 embarrassment. " But why not wear the 
 scarf?" asked she, this time quite seriously. 
 " You surely cannot have lost it." 
 
 The little girl hesitated, and was for a mo- 
 ment in danger of uttering the first falsehood 
 that had ever passed her lips, by assenting to 
 the excuse which Augusta had herself sug- 
 gested. But she had always been taught, both 
 in school and by her adoptive mother, that 
 even a so-called lie of necessity is a grievous 
 wrong, and a sin in the sight of God, who ab- 
 hors all lies, and bestows his countenance upon 
 the truthful alone. Hence, though she spoke 
 in an undertone, she had the courage to tell 
 the truth, saying : " Do not be vexed with 
 me, Gussy; but I gave the scarf yesterday 
 evening to the poor woman, that she might 
 sell it, and buy meal and potatoes for her 
 children." 
 
 " But you had money, child ; why did you 
 not rather give the woman the small sum she 
 needed ? The scarf was fully worth a half- 
 dollar. She will surely have sold it for the 
 merest trifle, — and it was so useful to you ! 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 55 
 
 What in the world do you intend to do with 
 all this money you are saving ? " 
 
 " pray, pray do not ask me to tell you any 
 more ! " besought Fiorina, folding her hands, 
 and lifting them imploringly. Her eyes, too, 
 were full of tears, — a demonstration quite un- 
 usual for her. 
 
 Augusta stroked her rosy cheeks caressingly, 
 and at once ceased all further questioning. 
 
 About a month later, Fiorina stood, with a 
 little box in her hand, before the door of a 
 large, handsome house. A girl of about her 
 own age seemed to have been expecting her, 
 for she came out as soon as Fiorina made 
 her appearance, and, taking her visitor's hand, 
 said : " Come in, and we will try our luck, 
 although I fear we shall not find my father 
 so favorably disposed to-day as he might be. 
 Never mind, though; come in," continued 
 she, leading her little school friend (who had 
 aided her in many a difficulty, when she could 
 not master her arithmetic or her lesson in 
 geography) into a room on the ground floor. 
 There sat Mattner, the tanner, with a great 
 flask of rum before him, drinking away his 
 
56 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 cares. One might easily see that but little 
 remained of the prize in the lottery, for the 
 best articles of furniture had long before been 
 taken from the room, which now looked quite 
 bare and desolate. 
 
 " Father," said the pale child, approaching 
 him with Fiorina's hand still clasped in hers, — 
 " Father, do you remember what you promised 
 me last Sunday ? You said you would give 
 me the picture I like so much, that I might 
 sell it, and buy me a new dress." 
 
 " Did I promise you that ? " laughed the 
 half-inebriated man. " You always talk so 
 much when you want anything, that one really 
 forgets half you say. Well, so be it ! But do 
 you hear ? I promised you the picture, but 
 not the frame ; and for that you must bring 
 the money to me. Wait a moment ; let me 
 think how much such a beautiful gold frame 
 may be worth. Three dollars at the very 
 least ! Yes, my little Janet ; three dollars for 
 your old father, or the whole bargain will be 
 naught ! " 
 
 " Have you that much money ? " asked 
 Janet of her school friend, her countenance 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 57 
 
 expressing considerable doubt and anxiety. 
 " To deal with father, one must make use of 
 the present moment ; he may change his mind 
 before one can turn half round." 
 
 * c I want twelve pennies to make up three 
 dollars ! " replied Fiorina, in dismay ; " but I 
 will bring them to-morrow, or, at the latest, on 
 Sunday. And I will never, never forget how 
 kind you have been to me. And you shall 
 indeed have a new dress, finer than any prin- 
 cess's ; only you must wait until Julian sets 
 up in business for himself, or until I am older 
 and better able to earn money." 
 
 Janet only quietly nodded her head ; even 
 the prospect, so alluring to a girl of her age, 
 of wearing a dress fit for a princess, failed to 
 enliven her melancholy countenance. Alas ! 
 the bloom of all youthful joys is cankered for 
 a child who is so unfortunate as often to behold 
 a parent in a state of intoxication. Such a 
 vice seems so repugnant to the instincts of a 
 childish heart, that it renders difficult the 
 observance of that law of God which so stren- 
 uously commands us to honor our father and 
 mother, — to love and obey them. Poor little 
 
58 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 Janet had lost her mother when but a mere in- 
 fant, and had consequently bestowed her entire 
 affections upon her father, loving him most 
 tenderly until the prize turned his head, mak- 
 ing of an industrious tradesman a reckless 
 spendthrift and confirmed drunkard, who was 
 not only plunging himself into utter and irre- 
 trievable ruin, but also dragging his innocent 
 child down with him to misery and disgrace. 
 
 Janet stretched forth her hand toward the 
 picture, which she could not but feel was out 
 of its proper place in that room. Fiorina stood 
 near, ready to receive the object of so many 
 ardent desires, her eyes sparkling with the joy- 
 ous hope of restoring the precious legacy to 
 those who had done and suffered so much for 
 her. Suddenly a man of singular aspect en- 
 tered the room. His general appearance was 
 that of a sailor, but his foreign dress and his 
 bronzed countenance at once called to mind 
 the dwellers in the primeval forests of America. 
 
 " What are you going to do with that pic- 
 ture ? " cried he, in a rough voice, as his eye 
 fell upon the two children. " I have already 
 told you, Mr. Landlord, that my master wishes 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 59 
 
 to buy it, and you know well that he is never 
 backward in paying. Did he not rent your 
 whole upper story, with all the furniture, for a 
 hundred dollars cash, monthly, without beat- 
 ing you down a single penny ? I rather think 
 we have the best right to that picture. Not 
 so?" 
 
 Fiorina cast a horror-stricken but imploring 
 glance at the stranger, who was so recklessly 
 placing himself between her and her greatest 
 happiness. 
 
 Attracted either by the earnest entreaty ex- 
 pressed in the child's countenance, or by her 
 uncommon loveliness, he hesitated, but, after 
 a momentary pause, continued : " This little 
 lady is then my opponent ? I am sorry I can- 
 not at once yield the point ; but it would not 
 in this matter be safe to trifle with my master, 
 for he has a real mania for valuable pictures." 
 
 " Then my picture is valuable ! " cried Matt- 
 ner, whose intellect was not so entirely be- 
 fogged that he was unable to perceive the 
 prospect of an advantageous bargain. " Aha ! 
 I may perhaps make a good business out of it 
 yet. When does your master return ? " 
 
60 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 " I think to-day," replied the stranger. 
 " We shall soon cease to be your tenants, Mr. 
 Landlord, for my master has bought a fine 
 estate in the neighborhood, — rather lonely, 
 it is true, and entirely surrounded by a thick 
 wood ; but that is his taste. His favorite say- 
 ing is, £ As few human faces as possible, for all 
 men are good for naught ! ' But he seems to 
 think he can never have enough pictures round 
 him." 
 
 Fiorina stood with streaming eyes, wringing 
 her hands in silence. She seemed to have lost 
 every hope of recovering the beloved picture. 
 The old man had come in at an unfortunate 
 moment for her. 
 
 Janet, however, was not disposed to abandon 
 the field so quietly, and, casting an indignant 
 look toward the stranger, said : " You are a 
 real sea-bear, Holschauer ! Did you learn 
 nothing better in that new world of which you 
 are so fond of talking, than to spoil the pleas- 
 ure of a couple of children ? Your master 
 may get as many pictures as he pleases, but 
 he ought to let ours alone. Father has already 
 sold it to us. Look ! there lies the money on 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 61 
 
 the table ; and if you only knew how much 
 trouble poor Fiorina has taken to earn that 
 little sum, and how she has saved and saved, 
 to give a pleasure to her adoptive mother, you 
 could not have the heart to spoil it all. Only 
 think, the poor thing has neither father nor 
 mother ; they left her all alone in the wild 
 forest, and she might have died of hunger if 
 the good Julian and his sister had not dragged 
 her in her little basket-carriage — " 
 
 Holschauer' s appearance during the last few 
 seconds had undergone so singular a change, 
 that Janet, in her amazement, forgot to finish 
 her sentence. He stood as if rooted to the 
 floor, his eyes wide open, his lips quivering, 
 but incapable of articulating a syllable, and 
 his hands aimlessly clutching at the vacant air. 
 Finally he muttered, half inaudibly : " In the 
 forest ! in a basket-carriage ! Merciful God ! 
 Can there then be so great a joy in life vouch- 
 safed to so miserable a wretch as I have been ? 
 Can it be that she is not dead, as my wife told 
 me she was, when I lay near to death, and 
 insisted at any sacrifice upon again seeing my. 
 child ? Is it indeed true, little one ? " cried 
 
62 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 lie, vainly striving to repress his tears ; " did 
 your unnatural parents, or rather only your 
 wicked father (for your own mother had long 
 been dead), desert you in the forest, and were 
 you left lying in a basket-carriage ? If so, 
 then are you indeed my child, my Gertrude ! 
 Speak ! say only yes, you little dove ! " 
 
 A few moments before, the child had felt 
 afraid of the wild-looking man ; but now, im- 
 pelled by some feeling in her heart she did not 
 herself comprehend, she opened wide her arms, 
 and, running toward him, exclaimed : " Ah ! 
 I too then have a father ! And are you indeed 
 my father ? " 
 
 "Yes, yes, 4 your father, — your pitiless, 
 wicked father ! But you will love him not- 
 withstanding, will you not, you dear little one, 
 with the mild eyes ? for in God's word it stand- 
 eth written, Thou shalt love thy father, — not 
 alone thy tender, faithful father, but thy father; 
 and you are a good child, — I am sure you 
 keep God's commandments. Ah ! I have done 
 penance in many an hour of fearful suffering 
 for my sin, in having listened to the counsel 
 of my wretched wife, who never had a heart 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 63 
 
 for you. But I will not curse her, — she lies 
 many a fathom deep in the blue ocean, and 
 may God be as merciful to her as he now is 
 to me ! We were at that time on our way to 
 America, and you were a hinderance to our 
 progress. I was a reckless man, but never- 
 theless I could not make up my mind to aban- 
 don you to strangers. Your step-mother finally 
 succeeded in persuading me that I might re- 
 turn for you at some future time, when we had 
 made our fortunes, for we were going to the 
 gold-lands in California. I suffered my father- 
 ly feelings to be talked down, and since then I 
 have had no real rest. Now I have thee again, 
 my dove of peace, and no power in the world 
 can henceforth tear thee from me ! " 
 
 " But, father," said Fiorina, growing sud- 
 denly pale, " I cannot leave my adoptive 
 mother, and Julian and Augusta. They took 
 me when I — " 
 
 She was silent ; Holschauer hastily struck 
 his brow with his hand, and, gnashing his 
 teeth, said : " Just so ! The wicked father 
 left his child to strangers ; what wonder that 
 that child should now abandon her old father 
 for the sake of those very strangers ! " 
 
64 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 " Not so, father ! Can you not stay with 
 us ? " asked Fiorina, with her sweet smile. 
 " We will all work together, and Mrs. Winter 
 is so good ! if I ask her, she will give you the 
 little room that Julian used to sleep in. You 
 surely know some trade by which you could 
 earn your living ; and if not, father, then I 
 could work for you. You see I am growing 
 taller and stronger every day." 
 
 " She is her good mother's own good child ! " 
 cried Holschauer, deeply moved, laying his 
 brown hands tenderly upon Fiorina's head. 
 " Yes, I will stay with you, no matter how 
 hard it may be for me to leave the good mas- 
 ter who has been so kind to me, and has made 
 a respectable man of me once more. But you 
 are my own child, my dove ; you must close 
 my eyes when I die, and go to your mother in 
 heaven. But I do not come to you empty- 
 handed. I could throw a handful of silver 
 every day into your lap, child ; and the good 
 people who have taken care of you shall have 
 their full share of it." 
 
 " father ! then buy 'this picture for me ; 
 that is your child's first and only prayer," 
 
THE PICTTOE. 
 
 65 
 
 cried Fiorina. " It was painted by my good 
 adoptive mother's husband, and it was chiefly 
 on my account that she was forced to sell it. 
 I beseech you, dear father, give me the pic- 
 ture ! " 
 
 But Holschauer only thoughtfully shook his 
 head. Ere he could reply, the door-bell was 
 loudly and hastily rung. 
 
 " There is my master, already ! " cried he, 
 joyfully, for the moment almost seeming to 
 forget his recovered treasure, his little dove. 
 Taking the picture in his hands, he hastened 
 toward the door ; then, suddenly stopping, he 
 returned, and tenderly embraced Fiorina. 
 
 " Wait for me here ! 99 said he, as he again 
 turned to leave the room. 
 
 " It is done," said Captain Fortner, as Hol- 
 schauer entered his room with the keys ; "I 
 have purchased the place, old fellow, and made 
 a good bargain of it, because I was ready to pay 
 cash. We go to-morrow, so that everything 
 must be packed up to-day. You have the pic- 
 ture, — good ! Our sponge of a landlord may 
 set his own price upon it, and add it to my 
 
 5 
 
66 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 bill. A capital picture ! A real masterpiece 
 Eh!" 
 
 " I am no judge of pictures," replied the old 
 man, shortly. "But this one has the most sin- 
 gular conditions attached to its possession. You 
 can have the picture for twenty dollars, but 
 you must take with it a little girl, an old wo- 
 man, a grown-up maiden, and a tall youth; 
 they are all in the bargain, for the picture be- 
 longs to them, and they refuse to be separated 
 from it." 
 
 " Take it back to them, then, you simple- 
 ton ! " cried the captain. They may keep it ! 
 Nothing else new ? " So saying, he settled 
 himself comfortably upon the sofa. 
 
 " You will not buy the picture ? " said Hol- 
 schauer. " Good, then the child can keep it. 
 Now, Sir, to my own private affairs. I had a 
 daughter — " 
 
 " My tea ! " ordered the captain, imperiously. 
 
 The servant sighed, but obeyed. When the 
 beverage was ready, he handed the captain a 
 cup, which the latter took with a pleased smile. 
 " No one understands it as well as you," said 
 he, drinking the tea with evident satisfaction. 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 67 
 
 " I had a daughter," again began Holschauer. 
 
 " I know that," interrupted the captain. 
 " Best for you that you no longer have her. 
 TTomen are all good for nothing ; only think of 
 your wife. There is a fine wood on my estate, 
 a real forest ; y$u shall be steward, valet, ma- 
 jor-domo, — right hand. Will that suit you, 
 Jack ? " 
 
 " But I — I must out with it — I am not go- 
 ing with you, Sir! " 
 
 The captain slowly rose from the sofa, went 
 to the window, opened it, and carefully exam- 
 ined the thermometer. " Sixty degrees Fah- 
 renheit," said he, quietly, " not hot enough to 
 affect one's intellects ! " He then again settled 
 himself down comfortably to his tea. 
 
 "But I have found my child again, — the 
 child I thought dead," cried Jack, joyfully ; 
 r and death alone can part me from her ! " 
 
 His master gazed a moment very thought- 
 fully into his empty cup. " You may take her 
 with you for all I care," said he, shortly, and 
 somewhat ungraciously. 
 
 " But if she will not go ? She has meantime 
 found a tender mother, a good old woman, 
 whom she will never consent to leave," 
 
68 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 Captain Fortner knit his brows. "Another 
 female ! — I see already that everything will go 
 wrong ; but never let me see her, Jack ! " 
 
 "Sir!" said the attendant, making an ef- 
 fort to speak as courageously as possible, " the 
 old woman has a daughter, and also a great 
 lubber of a son. They will not be separatee., 
 and the picture belongs to them all. It was 
 painted by their father, who is now dead." 
 
 " A pity ! " said the captain. " I shoulc 
 much prefer him to all his kin. I will have 
 nothing to do with them ! " 
 
 " Either they go with me, or I stay with them ; 
 Jack, too, has a heart, and it has been starving 
 and famishing long enough." 
 
 "Downright mad!" muttered Fortner; then 
 raising his voice, he said, with great apparent 
 decision, " Jack may go, — his master no lon- 
 ger needs him ! " 
 
 The old servant secretly wiped his eyes, then 
 brought the slippers, filled the pipe, and hung 
 up the hammock in which the captain was ac- 
 customed to sleep. Finally, making a military 
 salute, he turned to leave the room. 
 
 " Stay where you are ! " thundered the cap- 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 69 
 
 tain, with the voice of a lion. " You old fool, 
 you would then really leave your master when 
 you know that no one can do anything properly 
 for him but Jack. Stay, old fellow ! You may 
 bring the women, if you like, and the boy, too ; 
 he may perhaps be useful. And, do you hear, 
 some other time . I will see your daughter, 
 but not now. I have already seen and heard 
 too much for one day. But how was it with 
 the picture, Jack? " 
 
 " yes ! " laughed the old sailor, who now 
 felt quite sure of his ground ; " the picture be- 
 longs to my little dove ; she had already bought 
 it before I had concluded the bargain. She is 
 really possessed with it, as well as the whole of 
 the painter's family, for it was a painter's wid- 
 ow who took compassion on her and brought 
 her up. They say their father's blessing rests 
 upon the picture, and, if my dear, good master 
 will take them all with it to his country-house, 
 I am sure God's blessing will rest upon him 
 and upon us all. I see it all as plain as day." 
 
 " Jack, tell them the picture must hang in 
 the dining-room, for I must see it every day, 
 though they may consider it theirs for all I 
 care." 
 
70 
 
 THE PICTURE. 
 
 " But they will want to see it every day too, 
 the silly things ! " replied Holschauer. 
 
 " Then they will have to dine with me But 
 they must not talk much, — tell them that, 
 Jack ; I do it all for your sake. Men are all 
 good for naught ! " 
 
 " no, no ! " cried the old man, half laugh- 
 ing and half crying ; " men are very good. 
 Two good children took pity on my little dove 
 when she was forsaken in the forest ; an ex- 
 cellent woman, their mother, brought her up, 
 labored and even starved herself for the sake 
 of the stranger child, and my good master now 
 gives shelter to a whole family, who have hith- 
 erto seen but few days free from care, and 
 thereby makes his old Jack so happy, so in- 
 describably happy ! " 
 
 "You silly old fellow! " laughed the captain. 
 " But I, an old grumbler, cannot do without 
 him, I have grown so accustomed to his ways 
 and his outlandish appearance. There, my 
 hand upon it, we will stay together ! " 
 
 "And if I should die, must my little dove 
 and the whole company again — " 
 
 " Go to the ! No, no! go to your child, 
 
THE PICTURE. 
 
 71 
 
 old fellow, and don't think of such things. 
 Do you know your master so little ? "We leave 
 to-morrow then, — no, they cannot get ready 
 so soon: the daughter, and the mother, and 
 the other daughter, and the son. But all must 
 be ready by the end of the week, for in eight 
 days I intend to drink my tea at Eisbach. 
 Another cup, Jack, and then good night ! " 
 
 With the picture in his hand, the happy 
 father ran down the steps to tell the delightful 
 news to his little daughter. 
 
 " Victory ! " cried he. " We are all to stay 
 together! but not in the city, — in the country, 
 among the trees, — in the greenwood. And 
 now take me to your adoptive mother, and be 
 my advocate, that she may give old Jack a 
 friendly hearing when he lays his proposition 
 before her. She will never regret having lis- 
 tened to him." 
 
 Jack's eloquence must have prevailed, for at 
 the end of eight days we find the widow seated 
 in a large room, with a lofty ceiling and hand- 
 some walls adorned with carved wainscoting. 
 By her side hung a great bunch of keys, for 
 she had chests and drawers, linen-closets and 
 
72 THE PICTÜKE. 
 
 storerooms, to overlook. Augusta sat by the 
 old sewing-table she had brought with her 
 from the city, and sewed diligently upon a 
 linen garment for the captain ; from time to 
 time she looked up from her work, and glanced 
 through the clear window-panes toward her 
 brother Julian, who was pursuing his agricul- 
 tural studies under the guidance of the former 
 overseer of the property. Fiorina, as she was 
 still called, was engaged in rubbing and bright- 
 ening the silver-plate which stood before her 
 in a great chest ; her father went hither and 
 thither, for his heart led him now to his dear 
 little daughter, and now to the good master to 
 whom they were indebted for all the happiness 
 they enjoyed. 
 
 As he opened the great oaken doors leading 
 into the dining-room, there hung the picture, 
 Christ Blessing Little Children, and the sun- 
 light, streaming through a colored pane, fell 
 upon it with a rosy and transfiguring glow. 
 
 And Janet ? Did the pale, melancholy child 
 ever receive the promised dress, finer than any 
 princess's ? Ah ! she had already been clothed 
 in the glorious robes of an angel, and, after 
 
THE PICTURE. 73 
 
 passing swiftly and painlessly through the gates 
 of death, had appeared in her garments of 
 light before Him who is ever a Father to the 
 orphan, — before that Christ who ever blesseth 
 little children. 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 A TALE. 
 By ROSALIE KOCH. 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 " Do you know ? Have you heard ? " cried 
 a boy about twelve years old, bursting into 
 the room where his sister, some two years 
 older, sat busily engaged at her embroidery- 
 frame. Although so young, the lad was dressed 
 like a little dandy, in a velvet coat, and em- 
 broidered cravat, sleeves, and vest. "Without 
 waiting for an answer, he continued : " Our 
 uncle from Gabelsdorf is coming to town to 
 stay four long weeks, to attend the meeting of 
 the Chambers, or some such thing, and he in- 
 tends bringing Cousin Fritz with him. A 
 charming prospect, truly ! What is one to do 
 with that tiresome boy, who, though he is as 
 wooden-headed as a rolling-pin, and can neither 
 play battledore nor billiards, is as forward and 
 self-possessed as if he had all the accomplish- 
 
78 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 ments in the world. Papa ought to forbid the 
 visit ! " 
 
 " But, Victor," replied the sister, reprovingly, 
 " we have been more than once at Gabelsdorf; 
 why should not our uncle in his turn visit us ? 
 "Fritz is by no means as bad as you make him 
 out ; I can never forget how good-naturedly 
 he brought me the largest pine-apple straw- 
 berries from his own bed, the finest lilies, 
 which he called docks, from the pond, and 
 how, when we went walking in the wood, he 
 allowed himself to be burdened with my 
 mantle, hat, and parasol. I am right glad 
 he is coming. Now if it were his sister Mar- 
 garet, that would be a different thing ! " 
 
 A mischievous smile passed across the boy's 
 face as he triumphantly replied : " Neverthe- 
 less, that very Margaret, who of course is not 
 as wise and learned as my dear sister, although 
 I must confess I do not think her a whit be- 
 hind her in good sense, will also come ; she 
 may perhaps remain a year or two, for the pur- 
 pose of attending some good school. I should 
 like that of all things, for Margaret is always 
 willing to dance with me whenever I ask her, 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 79 
 
 and ) r ou think yourself entirely too good to do 
 so when we have company and dance to the 
 piano." 
 
 Alicia looked quite angry. Her hand flew 
 up and down the frame, and finally, pushing- 
 aside her work, she said : " How provoking ! 
 If we have visitors, I cannot finish this piece of 
 tapestry, which would certainly have taken the 
 prize at our next school examination. All 
 who have seen it think it a real masterpiece ! 
 But Easter will be here in three weeks, and I 
 shall have to go walking with Margaret every 
 day, to show her the houses of industry, and 
 the asylums, the churches, and the church- 
 yards, — in short, everything in the city, just 
 as in Gabelsdorf she took me from garret to 
 cellar, and made me look into every hole and 
 corner ; and then I had to make acquaintance 
 with all the dumb animals, from the old 
 chained mastiff to the young lambs tumbling 
 about on the meadow! Why don't she stay 
 at home ? All her chickens will get the pip if 
 she comes away and leaves them for so many 
 weeks ! You, Yictor, who are such good 
 friends with your cousin, ought to write to 
 
80 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 her, and seriously impress that fact upon her 
 mind." 
 
 " I wish somebody in the house would get 
 the measles, and that the young ones at Ga- 
 belsdorf had never had them," said Victor, 
 stamping the heel of his neatly-fitting boot 
 upon the floor. 
 
 " fie ! that was a real bad wish of yours," 
 cried Alicia, shocked ; " suppose I were to get 
 them, or you, Victor ; only think ! " 
 
 "It is not very likely any of us will have 
 them," replied the boy, at once ashamed and 
 provoked. " But the thought of having all our 
 country relations billeted upon us for four 
 weeks is enough to drive one wild ! " 
 
 Alicia was the first to recover from her ill- 
 humor. She had not seen her cousin for two 
 years, and who could tell what changes time 
 might have made, although it was utterly im- 
 possible that Margaret could have grown into 
 a pretty girl. Her hair was too decidedly 
 tinged with red for that, and then she had such 
 great, fat hands ! she was certainly not quite 
 straight, and did not in the least know how to 
 show herself off. For instance, she played 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 81 
 
 quite well on the piano, but then nothing 
 could induce her to play for strangers ; and 
 for what else did one study the fine arts, 
 thought Alicia. The simple, awkward coun- 
 try-girl would serve for nothing but to render 
 her little ladyship's own advantages more con- 
 spicuous. Margaret was very fond of dancing 
 to the piano in her parents' sitting-room, but 
 she would certainly refuse to attend any of the 
 children's balls in the city. She danced as the 
 birds sing, without having been taught, while 
 Alicia had been most artistically indoctrinated 
 into the mysteries of the Polka and the Varso- 
 vienne. 
 
 In short, the young girl finally consoled her- 
 self by thinking : " Let her come ; it will be 
 very tiresome ; but then mamma says it is a 
 part of good manners to be wearied and not to 
 show it : that is good breeding," — and Alicia 
 wished above all things to be well bred. 
 
 Victor found much more difficulty in recon- 
 ciling himself to his fate. The ground of his 
 dissatisfaction lay deeper than his sister's. 
 His Cousin Fritz had diligently studied Latin 
 with his private tutor, and Victor had never 
 
 6 
 
82 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 yet got past the second declension ; his father 
 was always holding his consin up to him as an 
 example, and that chafed our young gentleman 
 considerably. Fritz was also quite well ad- 
 vanced in his historical studies, while Victor 
 was always confounding names and dates in 
 the most comical manner, as, for instance, 
 Charlemagne with Gustavus Adolphus, or the 
 Treaty of Yerdun with the Edict of Nantes ; 
 and his cousin, who was a whole year younger, 
 had once laughed right heartily over some such 
 preposterous mistake. 
 
 The vain Victor could never forget such an 
 offence, and he felt quite uneasy lest a longer 
 association with his cousin should expose him 
 to a repetition of similar disagreeable occur- 
 rences. Quite out of temper, he searched 
 through his bookcase, to find something with 
 which to lead Fritz upon slippery ground. 
 He had many beautiful books, filled with pic- 
 tures of plants, animals, and distant lands, but 
 alas ! he was not even familiar with their 
 names, and could not thus hope to trip up 
 his cousin. 
 
 But upon one of the shelves lay a variety of 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 83 
 
 games, with which he was much better acquaint- 
 ed ; among others a chess-board, with handsome 
 wooden men. Victor was tolerably well ac- 
 quainted with the game, and determined to 
 dazzle his country cousin with his brilliancy 
 on that point. He also bethought him of his 
 riddle-book, and of many a rebus not easily 
 solved. Victor himself would never have been 
 able to discover the solutions ; but there was 
 no need for Fritz to know that. He chiefly 
 prided himself, however, upon his proficiency 
 at billiards, and he felt sure that, if Cousin Fritz 
 could only be persuaded to try his skill with 
 the ivory balls on the little billiard-table in the 
 summer-house, he must inevitably lose all his 
 pocket-money. Such were the views and hopes 
 with which he finally succeeded in quieting 
 his mind. 
 
 The brother and sister thus had each a sepa- 
 rate plan by which to obtain some advantage 
 from their cousins' visit. They well knew that 
 there was no means of avoiding the proposed 
 infliction, and both felt quite sure that there 
 was at least one person in the house to whom 
 the presence of Fritz and Margaret would be 
 
84 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 as disagreeable as to themselves, and that per- 
 son was their grandmother. 
 
 The widowed Presidentess Romberg had 
 during the past year lived with her daughter, 
 Madame Feige, wife of the Councillor of Com- 
 merce of that name, and was the head and 
 mainspring of the whole family. A haughty, 
 high-born lady, she had, after her husband's 
 death, reluctantly abdicated her influential po- 
 sition in the great world, and had come to pass 
 the remainder of her days in the house of her 
 son-in-law. Her daughter naturally yielded 
 to her a considerable portion of authority in 
 the household, which arrangement the Coun- 
 cillor the more willingly acquiesced in, as she 
 was a prudent old lady, with many valua- 
 ble qualities, and he, being necessarily occu- 
 pied a great part of the day in his counting- 
 house or at the exchange, could devote but 
 little time to the education of his two children, 
 Victor and Alicia. He was a thorough mer- 
 chant, and, by his industry and wide acquaint- 
 ance with the commerce of the world, had ele- 
 vated himself to an honorable and important 
 position, beside having acquired considerable 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 85 
 
 wealth. For all these advantages he felt grate- 
 ful to his brother Francis, the farmer of Ga- 
 belsdorf, who, having in the most generous 
 manner advanced a large sum to start him in 
 business, was ever regarded by him as the 
 founder of his present fortune. He often spoke 
 before his children of all he owed to his broth- 
 er's kindness, and he would have found much 
 difficulty in forgiving them any want of respect 
 toward their uncle, or of friendliness toward 
 his children. 
 
 Hence, they did not dare to let their father 
 perceive their dissatisfaction with the unex- 
 pected visit, and their mother laid so much 
 stress upon good breeding and politeness, that 
 she would certainly have punished very severe- 
 ly any want of courtesy toward a guest in her 
 house, even if such a guest had been less dear 
 to her than her respected relatives from Gabels- 
 dorf. But their grandmother was so shocked 
 at any want of so-called fine manners, and re- 
 quired in her own regard so many minute ob- 
 servances, of which Uncle Frank's children 
 would never even have heard, that they could 
 not fail to be displeasing to her. It was then 
 
86 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 considered a settled thing that Fritz and Mar- 
 garet were not to be favorites with the grand- 
 mamma ; so much the worse for them, as the 
 Presidentess was very kind and generous to- 
 ward those who pleased her, and knew how to 
 make themselves agreeable. 
 
 As Victor on the following day returned 
 from the gymnasium, with his books under his 
 arm, he saw his uncle's dapple-gray standing 
 before his father's door, and, ere he could 
 politely rid himself of several aristocratic 
 school-fellows who had accompanied him home, 
 Fritz, who had been sitting with the driver, 
 leaped from his seat to the ground, and, joy- 
 fully exclaiming, " God bless you, Victor ! " 
 seized his hand, and wrung it so heartily, that 
 the effeminate boy could scarcely keep from 
 crying out. , 
 
 Victor's comrades, as they passed on, threw 
 sundry contemptuous glances at the rosy- 
 cheeked boy, who, in his narrow buckskin 
 pants and high boots, looked to them wonder- 
 fully like a postilion ; and they could scarcely 
 restrain their laughter when Margaret reached 
 out through the carriage-door a great basket 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 87 
 
 of fine-looking pippins, so heavy that Victor 
 I could hardly lift it. The vain boy was thus 
 forced to undergo the first ordeal, and to en- 
 dure it with a friendly countenance, for his * 
 father was already standing by the carriage- 
 door, and opening wide his arms to embrace 
 his welcome guests. 
 
 At dinner the Councillor presented his broth- 
 er and his brother's children to Madame Rom- 
 berg, recommencing them to her especial favor 
 and good-will. Margaret went at once to the 
 old lady, and, kissing her hand, said : " Then 
 you are the grandmamma ! I would never 
 have thought it, for you have not a single gray 
 hair, and my grandmother at home is as white 
 as snow all round the temples ; she knows you 
 quite well, and says she remembers you when 
 you were young together. But how does it 
 come that you have not both grown old to- 
 gether ? " 
 
 The Presidentess seemed not to have heard 
 Margaret's words, but, hastily withdrawing 
 her hand, gave it to Fritz, who was just mak- 
 ing her his best bow. Alicia triumphed ; she 
 felt quite sure that her cousin had already 
 
88 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 fallen into disgrace with her grandmother, for 
 there was no subject more displeasing to the 
 Presidentess than that of her age ; and she also 
 * knew that the young girl's unceremonious ad- 
 dress would have made anything but an agree- 
 able impression. Alicia, thinking to have al- 
 ready won a powerful ally, ventured to show 
 herself quite ill-humored and unfriendly to- 
 ward Margaret. 
 
 The following day was so charming and so 
 spring-like that the Councillor proposed a walk 
 through the Zoological Gardens, in which both 
 old and young should take part. Only the 
 grandmamma was afraid of the March air, and 
 preferred remaining at home. Margaret at 
 once offered to stay and keep her company, 
 although she was perhaps the very one that 
 would have the most keenly enjoyed the walk. 
 Alicia encouraged her cousin in this design, 
 for the little country-girl had nothing to wear 
 but an old-fashioned bonnet, and a somewhat 
 worn cloak. Margaret's spring wardrobe was 
 to be purchased in the city, and Alicia would 
 have been too much ashamed if any of her 
 school-friends had met her, and had seen her 
 companion's winter costume. 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 89 
 
 The Presidentess at first declined the young 
 girl's offer, but she could not help feeling- 
 pleased with the respectful attention ; it was 
 quite true that her own grandchildren had 
 never spoiled her in this regard; they were 
 altogether too intent upon their own enjoyment 
 to deny themselves a pleasure for her sake. 
 She finally consented that Margaret should 
 remain with her and aid in passing away the 
 time ; but the manner in which the child went 
 about it was the subject of no little astonish- 
 ment. 
 
 The walking party had scarcely departed 
 when Margaret knocked at Madame Romberg's 
 door. She looked contented and smiling, as if 
 she did not in the least regret the sacrifice she 
 had made, and under her arm she carried a 
 Bible. The Presidentess, who was playing soli- 
 taire, her usual amusement when she had no 
 company, smiled as she said : " Have you 
 come to entertain me by learning your lessons 
 for your school-teacher ? " 
 
 Margaret opened wide her wondering, honest 
 eyes as she replied : "I was going to read the 
 Bible to you, as I do to my grandmother in 
 
90 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 Gabelsdorf, during the winter, when she can- 
 not go with my parents to church. She says, 
 * Old people cannot do better than to make 
 themselves familiar with the Word of God, and 
 thus prepare themselves for a happy end by 
 having their thoughts more and more with- 
 drawn from the things of this world,' — and so 
 I thought, because you too are an old lady — " 
 Margaret broke suddenly off, for, with all 
 her simplicity, she could not help perceiving 
 that her conversation was not very pleasing to 
 the Presidentess. Ah ! thought she, I shall 
 not get along very well with these city people ; 
 it seems that one must not see things as they 
 really are, and one must not give them the 
 names that properly belong to them. I shall 
 never be able to learn that ! Yesterday even- 
 ing, when I said at the supper-table that mam- 
 ma made such delightful soft curds it was a 
 pity she had forgotten to give us some to bring 
 with us, my aunt whispered to me that I must 
 not call them so, — I must say cheesecakes. 
 And that was not the worst, for when Madame 
 Romberg laughed so heartily at seeing Fritz 
 bite into a kiss, and the foam it was filled with 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 91 
 
 fly up into his eyes, I saw gold shining round 
 her teeth, and in my ignorance asked if the 
 people in the city wore gold rings on their 
 teeth, as they did elsewhere on their fingers, 
 or as the -Indians did in their noses, and 
 through their lips ; then the old lady got 
 quite angry, and said, u One- must not make 
 such remarks, — it is not polite." 
 
 While Margaret was thus thinking over the 
 strange ways of city people, and beginning to 
 feel quite homesick for her dear Gabelsdorf, 
 she sat down quietly upon a footstool, and, 
 opening the Bible she had brought with her 
 from home, began to read the chapter about 
 the barren fig-tree, which had always been such 
 a favorite with her own grandmother. The 
 President-ess suffered the child to proceed, but 
 at the same time continued her solitaire. Soon, 
 however, almost against her will, she became 
 an attentive listener, for Margaret's voice was 
 very sweet, and she read with much feeling 
 and expression ; finally, the cards were laid 
 aside, and, leaning her head upon her hands, 
 Madame Romberg suddenly remembered her 
 own childhood, and a happy time, long, long 
 
^ 
 
 92 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 gone by, when a good aunt who lived in her 
 parents' house used to show her the pictures 
 in a great Bible, and tell her the most beauti- 
 ful stories about them. A gentle, and not 
 unpleasing sadness stole into her heart, and, 
 scarcely conscious of what she was doing, she 
 began stroking the young girl's auburn locks, 
 — soft and silky locks, which the golden gleam 
 playing over them rather adorned than disfig- 
 ured. This caress made Margaret feel more 
 confidential toward the old lady, and she com- 
 menced to talk to her of all that was filling 
 her young heart to overflowing, — of her home, 
 of how good her mother was, and how all the 
 children loved their grandmother, of her poor 
 Uncle Henry, who, though always mild and 
 gentle, had never had the full use of his mind, 
 of her gay Cousin Amy, and of the evident dar- 
 ling of her heart, her youngest brother. On 
 this very day the three latter were to go in a 
 boat to a neighboring village, to take a poor 
 blind fiddler a new violin, to replace one which 
 some cruel boys, taking advantage of his age 
 and blindness, had most wantonly destroyed. 
 Margaret was still enlarging upon these to 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 93 
 
 her absorbing topics, and the Presidentess was 
 listening as if she were still a child, when the 
 party returned from their walk. They had 
 been absent two full hours ; but the time had 
 passed so rapidly, that Madame Romberg was 
 quite surprised when Alicia entered the room 
 with a crimson camellia in her hand, which she 
 had bought for her grandmother at a green- 
 house. The pretty flower scarcely received its 
 due share of admiration, for the aged woman 
 had just been breathing the perfumed air of 
 childish reminiscences, and again sporting 
 among the daisies and violets growing in the 
 meadows behind her parents' house. , 
 
 " Leave your Bible here," said she, as Mar- 
 garet rose to bid her good-morning ; " mine has 
 such fine print, änd I would like to read all 
 the old stories over once more." 
 
 Alicia could scarcely believe her ears, and 
 did not dissemble her amazement at seeing 
 Margaret dismissed with such unmistakable 
 tokens of good-will. She felt quite out of 
 humor, and almost wished she had not left her 
 cousin alone with her grandmother. She de- 
 termined that this should be the last opportu- 
 
94 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 nity Margaret should have of winning herself 
 a place in Madame Romberg's good graces. 
 So thought Alicia, but God had otherwise 
 ordered. 
 
 The parable of the fig-tree had made a won- 
 derful impression upon the old lady's mind, 
 an^it often recurred to her thoughts during 
 the night, as she lay sleepless upon her bed. 
 She had hitherto borne only the leaves and 
 outward adornment of her Christian confes- 
 sion, and it now seemed to her as if God were, 
 through the lips of a child, asking for the 
 fruits of her faith. How, if the solemn hour 
 of reckoning should indeed be near ? 
 
 Her thoughts dwelt quite seriously upon the 
 subject, and when, on the following morning, 
 she saw the cards lying upon her table, she 
 pushed them aside, and, opening Margaret's 
 Bible, sat down before it; for had not the 
 simple old grandmother at Gabelsdorf said, 
 that old people could not do better than to 
 study the Word of God, and thus prepare 
 themselves for a happy end? 
 
 As kind as had been her parting with Mar- 
 garet the day before, she gave her even a more ' 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 95 
 
 cordial reception when she came to bid her 
 good morning; she even tied one of her own 
 prettily embroidered velvet scarfs around the 
 child's neck, when the latter informed her of 
 her intention of accompanying her uncle to an 
 examination in a free school of which he was 
 one of the superintendents. 
 
 " Will you let me read you something to- 
 day ? " asked Margaret, after having warmly 
 expressed her thanks for the handsome pres- 
 ent. The Presidentess made a sign of acqui- 
 escence with her hand, upon which the child 
 impressed a rapid kiss. 
 
 A small company had been invited to dinner, 
 — some former schoolmates of the two broth- 
 ers, witk their sons, boys of about Victor's 
 age. The children were all in a side room 
 opening by a large door into the saloon. 
 The conversation had fallen upon foreign lan- 
 guages, and in this connection the Councillor 
 called his nephew to repeat quite a lengthy 
 Latin poem: the boy did so, modestly but 
 composedly. He was rewarded with general 
 approbation, and although he returned to his 
 comrades as quietly as if nothing had hap- 
 
96 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 pened, Victor could not pardon his Cousin 
 Fritz the distinction he had won ; he had him- 
 self considerable talent for mimicry, and, in 
 order to let his light also shine before the 
 world, he began to imitate the speech and 
 manner of an old Jewish pedler who lived in 
 a little house back of the Councillor's. Some 
 of the boys laughed loudly, but Fritz, rising 
 from his place, went up to Victor, and, laying 
 his hand upon his shoulder, said imploringly, 
 " Don't do it, Victor ; it is not right ! " 
 
 Victor impatiently broke away from him, 
 and, reddening with passion, said : " When I 
 want to know how to plant cabbages or thresh 
 grain, I may come to you to learn ; but as to 
 what is proper or not proper to be^ done, I 
 understand that better than you do; so you 
 may spare yourself your trouble ! " 
 
 " Do not be so angry," replied Fritz, with- 
 out feeling in the least nettled by this slur 
 upon his country breeding ; " I know that in 
 many things you surpass me, but I also know 
 that one should always honor age, and never 
 scoff at the aged." 
 
 " Bravo ! " said a gentleman, who, without 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 97 
 
 having been perceived by the boys, had left 
 the table and entered their little room. " You 
 have not only the head, but the heart, in the 
 right place, rny son ! " 
 
 Victor started as he heard that voice. He 
 at once recognized it as belonging to his 
 master, whose favor he had been sedulously 
 laboring to win by a long course of polite 
 attentions, because he knew him to be very 
 influential in deciding the relative places of 
 the scholars at the school examinations. The 
 serious and reproving glance which the Pro- 
 fessor cast toward him made him blush to 
 the roots of his hair, and, scarcely knowing 
 what he said, he stammered that he had only 
 been joking with Fritz, and that his cousin 
 understood him perfectly. 
 
 Professor Werner, drawing nearer to the 
 table, sat down on a vacant chair, and said, 
 seriously but kindly : — "I will tell you a short 
 story, and leave you to draw the moral for 
 yourselves. In a large city, no matter where, 
 a young student once had for a neighbor a 
 poor little Jewish boy who had excited his 
 ill-will, not only because Jacobson (as we 
 
 7 
 
98 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 shall call him) always wore such ugly, old, 
 worn-out clothes, but also because the Israel- 
 ite in a very short time far surpassed our fine 
 young gentleman in all his studies. Jacob- 
 son was thus a continual thorn in his side, 
 and he found it but too easy a task to render 
 his rival a constant object of jest and scorn 
 among his comrades ; for the poor boy's gar- 
 ments, bought at second hand, were always 
 either too long or too short, too wide or too 
 narrow, and thus furnished a never-ending 
 source of ridicule. 
 
 " But Jacobson quietly went his way with- 
 out heeding the scoffer, and his place in the 
 school was erelong removed from the vicinity 
 of the arrogant Christian youth, for he soon 
 reached the head of his class, and carried away 
 all the prizes. This of course did not tend 
 to increase the friendliness of his comrades 
 toward him, and their ill-conduct caused 
 him many an hour of suffering. Finally he 
 left the school ; his father died suddenly, and 
 his aged mother needed him at home. He 
 was most reluctantly forced to abandon his 
 dearest hope, — that of devoting his life to sei- 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 99 
 
 ence ; and, with but a few pence to begin with, 
 set up for himself by peddling colored writing- 
 sand from door to door. 
 
 " One day, as he was passing through the 
 street with a little bag filled with sand upon 
 his back, he met several of his former school- 
 mates, among whom was Valentine, his espe- 
 cial enemy. 
 
 " 6 Keep him a moment, under the pretext of 
 wanting to buy something from him,' whis- 
 pered the Christian to his companions ; ' I 
 mean to have a little fun out of the Jew.' And 
 while the others engaged Jacobson in conversa- 
 tion, Yalentine slyly slipped behind and cut a 
 number of small slits in the poor little ped- 
 ler's sand-bag. He was then suffered to pro- 
 ceed, the whole band following at a short dis- 
 tance and beholding with delight the success of 
 their mischievous plot ; for the contents of the 
 bag erelong began, first slowly, and then more 
 rapidly, to pour out through the slits, and the 
 back of Jacobson's old black serge coat was 
 soon covered with flowing streams of blue, red, 
 and golden sand. 
 
 " The young Israelite, who, beside the bag, 
 
100 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 carried a little knapsack filled with bits of ore 
 and specimens of various minerals lie had picked 
 up in the neighborhood, did not discover that he 
 was strewing the streets with his small stock in 
 trade, until he reached his home and the aged 
 mother dependent upon his exertions ; the loss 
 was a sore one for him, and he wept bitterly. 
 Although he soon divined who had played him 
 this most shameful trick, he made no call upon 
 them for damages, as they certainly had ex- 
 pected he would do, but satisfied himself with 
 avoiding his tormentors whenever and wherever 
 it was possible to do so. The inconsiderate 
 boys, who had taken intense delight in the suc- 
 cess of their stratagem, from that day forth 
 always called him 6 Drippy/ because they 
 never could think without laughing of the 
 variegated streams of sand pouring down Ja- 
 cobson' s long back. The nickname has clung 
 to the poor Israelite to this hour, although 
 none know its origin except those who might 
 well be ashamed to confess the part they had 
 played in conferring it." 
 
 Victor, who had hitherto sat with downcast 
 eyes, now looked up uneasily, and the other 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 101 
 
 boys also began to exchange significant glances. 
 The old pedler, whom Yictor had just been 
 mimicking, bore that very name ; could he 
 indeed be the poor Jewish lad for whom they 
 all, almost against their wills, now felt sympa- 
 thy and compassion? 
 
 The Professor quietly continued his narra- 
 tion. 
 
 " Some three years after the occurrence, Val- 
 entine was taking a sail in a boat, which he 
 managed entirely alone. An unskilful turn 
 overset the frail craft, and Yalentine would 
 have been drowned, for he was utterly igno- 
 rant of swimming, if a pedler, who (heated 
 and wearied by his long foot travel) sat on the 
 shore in the shade of a willow cooling and rest- 
 ing himself, had not heard his cry for help, 
 and, at the risk of his own life, saved that of 
 the drowning man. Wet to the skin, and shiv- 
 ering with the cold occasioned by his sudden 
 plunge, the strange man endeavored to carry 
 ! the still unconscious Valentine upon his back 
 to the neighboring city, until, meeting with an 
 acquaintance, he begged his aid, and the two 
 together bore the unlucky boatman to the 
 
102 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 dwelling of an old woman, the mother of the 
 humane stranger. 
 
 " Valentine soon recovered his senses, hut 
 Jacobson, for the preserver of the young stu- 
 dent's life was indeed no other, was taken very 
 ill the following day, in consequence of his 
 sudden exposure to the cold, and did not 
 recover until more than half a year had passed, 
 during which time he suffered much, and was 
 more than once nigh unto death. Even after 
 his recovery, he was still troubled with a weak- 
 ness in his head, which drew it down toward 
 one side, as well as with a lameness in one foot, 
 which gave his gait a somewhat comical pecu- 
 liarity. But would any of you mock him on 
 that account, now that you know the cause ? 
 At least, the student whom he saved can never 
 see the excellent man without feeling sorrow, 
 shame, and repentance for the folly of his 
 youth, and respect and esteem for the man 
 who took so noble a revenge upon his persecu- 
 tor, and who has always steadily refused to ' 
 accept the slightest token of gratitude from him 
 to whom he had rendered so signal a service. 
 Need I tell you that I am myself the student ? 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 103 
 
 The poor Jew boy has already been called to 
 your memories by Victor's masterly imitation ! " 
 
 With these words, the Professor rose and 
 returned to the saloon, leaving his astonished 
 listeners, as he had said before, to draw the 
 moral for themselves. 
 
 Yictor was at once angry and ashamed, and 
 would willingly have laid all the blame upon 
 Fritz, who, by his uncalled-for interference, 
 had first drawn the Professor's attention to 
 what was going on ; but he did not succeed, for 
 all the other boys took part with him who was 
 thus unjustly blamed. " I knew that stupid boy 
 would in some way bring trouble and shame 
 upon me," said he to himself, "but I shall 
 find some way to pay him up for it, some good 
 chance to darken this mirror of virtue. I 
 must make the house too hot to hold him, or 
 he will be wanting to stay and attend the 
 gymnasium ; they make a wonderful fuss 
 already over his paltry Latin, and it might 
 happen to me in the end as it did to Valentine 
 and his schoolmate of the race of Abraham." 
 
 The desired opportunity to injure his cousin 
 came the very next day. Madame Romberg's 
 
104 " COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 birthday was near at hand, and the Councillor 
 had made preparations to celebrate it by a dis- 
 play of fire-works, to be set off the evening 
 before under the tall elms and poplars growing 
 in the park-like garden surrounding the house. 
 They were to be viewed from the balcony in 
 front of the dining-room door. The Presi- 
 dentess liked such surprises ; and, in order to 
 render his secret perfectly secure, the Coun- 
 cillor had not mentioned his plan to either of 
 his children, or even to his wife. Völker, an 
 old servant of the family, was the only person 
 acquainted with the arrangements, and in the 
 morning brought the intelligence that every- 
 thing was in order for the evening's exhibition. 
 
 But when the evening came, and the grand- 
 mamma was, under some plausible pretext, 
 induced to come out upon the balcony, and her 
 attention, with that of the little company as- 
 sembled, had been directed to the tops of the 
 trees, the air was suddenly filled with a dense 
 smoke, which made the old lady fancy there 
 must be a large fire in the neighborhood, and 
 so startled her that she got a nervous headache, 
 and was forced to keep her bed the whole of 
 the next day. 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 105 
 
 The Councillor was seriously vexed at the 
 unexpected failure of his plan, and could form 
 no probable surmise as to the delinquent, for 
 delinquent there must be, — the accident could 
 not have happened without human agency. 
 He sent at once for the old servant, who, at a 
 sign from his master, was to have set off the 
 rockets which communicated with the other 
 fireworks by means of trains of powder care- 
 fully buried beneath the surface of the ground. 
 Völker said that he did not perceive until it 
 was too late that the paper covers of the stars, 
 suns, and wheels had been dampened, and also 
 that the communicating trains had been all 
 trodden together. Who could have done it? 
 Strangers were not permitted to enter the gar- 
 den, and Völker was the only one of the house- 
 hold who had known anything about the whole 
 affair. The premises were searched, and con- 
 jecture was exhausted, but without affording 
 the slightest clew to any probable explanation 
 of the mishap. The master of the house felt 
 his disappointment the more keenly, that the 
 Presidentess was really so unwell that all the 
 festivities intended in honor of her birthday 
 had to be given up. 
 
106 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 Two days after, Victor, apparently much 
 excited, entered his father's room, and said: 
 "I do not know, papa, whether you will be- 
 lieve me or not, but Völker has just told me 
 that he saw the same thing I did, and the only 
 wonder is, I never thought of it before." 
 
 " Well, what have you seen ? " asked Mr. 
 Feige abstractedly, for his mind was occupied 
 with some unpleasant business details. 
 
 " On the day before grandmamma's birthday, 
 I saw Fritz, without any cap on, running in 
 great haste toward the corner of the park 
 where the fire-works were. Völker was stand- 
 ing by the pump as he returned, and it seemed 
 to him that Fritz did not stop and talk with 
 him as usual. Indeed, he thought him quite 
 confused and embarrassed. Now, what do you 
 suppose Fritz could have been doing in the 
 garden that cold windy day, and why did he 
 go alone, and without his cap ? " 
 
 " Indeed, I do not know," said the Council- 
 lor, shaking his head, " but I feel quite sure 
 that Fritz is incapable of playing any foolish, 
 much less any vicious tricks. The least sus- 
 picion of this kind would be a great piece of 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 107 
 
 injustice toward the honest, good-hearted lad, 
 and I will listen to no intimations of the sort." 
 
 So saying, Victor's father turned his back 
 upon him, and was -soon deeply absorbed in his 
 writing. 
 
 But the boy was not willing thus readily to 
 lay aside his suspicions ; he could not but re- 
 joice at having found some plausible opportu- 
 nity for aspersing the character of his hated 
 cousin, and he determined for once to take his 
 sister into his confidence ; she was, on the first 
 favorable occasion, to question Fritz, and take 
 him to task for his strange behavior. 
 
 " If we can but find out some ill conduct on 
 our cousin's part," said Alicia to Victor, " he 
 and his dear sister will be sent back quick 
 enough to their sheep and chickens at home ! 
 Mamma every day finds something new to 
 praise in Margaret, and only this morning said 
 that her skill in plain needlework was worth 
 more than all my embroidery. I wish the 
 whole pack of them were safely back in Ga- 
 belsdorf! Margaret will not usually play be- 
 fore strangers ; but yesterday evening, as we 
 were sitting together in the twilight, grand- 
 
108 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 mamma asked her to sing some pretty song for 
 her, and the bashful child actually sat down at 
 the piano and sang. Stay, here are the verses. 
 
 ' How fleetly toward eternity 
 
 Still pass the years away ! 
 Ah ! would but this our sluggish souls 
 
 More diligently weigh ! 
 Ah ! would but each fast fleeting year 
 Increase of ripened fruitage bear ! 
 
 ' But where, where is the precious fruit 
 
 That we have borne till now % 
 How oft our Lord hath sought in vain 
 
 One single laden bough ! 
 What wonder then that still he grieves, 
 When 'stead of fruit he finds but leaves ! 
 
 * Hew down, he saith, the useless tree 
 Whereon no fruit is found ! 
 Come, Death, and strike the barren root ; 
 
 Why cumbers it the ground ? 
 Come, lift thine axe ; it lives no more ! 
 One vigorous stroke, and all is o'er ! 
 
 ' But hark ! the loving Saviour speaks : 
 Yet this year, let it stand, 1 
 
 And if it still no fruit shall bear, 
 
 Renew thy just command ! 
 O Father ! yet awhile delay ! 
 One year, in hope, thy judgment stay ! 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 109 
 
 { Then give me, dearest Saviour, power 
 
 This year much fruit to bear ! 
 Let all my branches' precious freight 
 
 Repay thy loving care ! 
 May also all this household prove 
 
 Thy richest blessings, grace and love ! ' 
 
 " I really believe grandmamma was crying 
 when she ended ; bnt so much I do know, 
 that she asked Margaret to dictate the verses 
 for me to write down, because she was ac- 
 customed to my hand. I do wonder what she 
 could find to admire in that doleful song ? 
 Anyhow, I sincerely wish the four weeks our 
 guests intend remaining with us were well 
 over ! " 
 
 Soon after this conversation, Alicia found 
 herself accidentally alone with Fritz, and she 
 thus began to question -him. 
 
 " What were you running after so fast last 
 Monday morning ? The wind was blowing so 
 hard, it must have blown your cap off." 
 
 " Why do 1 you wish to know ? " replied 
 Fritz, starting, and not without considerable 
 embarrassment. But he suddenly seemed to 
 take heart, and, seizing his cousin's hand, he 
 
110 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 looked her steadily in the eyes as he con- 
 tinued : " Do you not think Margaret a good, 
 honest girl ? I pray you, tell me openly ! " 
 
 "Certainly," said Alicia, astonished; "but 
 what of that ? " 
 
 " Well I am glad to hear you say so," re- 
 plied Fritz, with evident emotion ; " but on the 
 very day you mention, I saw my sister going 
 alone, and apparently much excited, toward 
 the garden. It seemed to me as if she must 
 have met with some misfortune. I called after 
 her, but she did not hear me, and hurried on 
 toward the grove of elms and poplars. I threw 
 away whatever I had in my hands and ran 
 after her, I dare say without my cap, for I 
 remember nothing about that. There I saw 
 her on the ground — No, no ! I cannot tell 
 you the rest, Alicia; it would pain you too 
 deeply ! " 
 
 Fritz could have said no more even if he 
 had wished to, for a sudden stream of tears 
 stifled his voice, and before he iiad recovered 
 his self-possession Madame Feige entered the 
 room. Throwing his handkerchief over his 
 face as if his nose were bleeding, he went 
 out quickly through a side door. 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 Ill 
 
 Alicia lost no time in imparting to her moth- 
 er her impression that it was Margaret who 
 had been wicked enough to spoil the pleasure 
 intended for the grandmother ; and, in truth, 
 what Fritz had said, and still more what he 
 had held back, seemed to signify clearly 
 enough that he had himself seen his sister 
 engaged in the hateful deed, and that his 
 deep affection toward her rendered it a most 
 painful and heart-rending subject to him. His 
 aunt was scarcely less troubled than himself, 
 that a child to whom she had always testified 
 so much love and confidence, and whom she 
 had even held up as an example to her own 
 daughter, could have been guilty of such a 
 misdeed, and she took no little pains to seek 
 some possible ground of excuse for Margaret's 
 conduct. She had the less doubt of the truth 
 of the suspicion, because she had observed 
 that, since the day before Madame Bomberg' s 
 birthday, Margaret had constantly avoided re- 
 maining in her vicinity. 
 
 She did not wish to speak with the child's 
 father, because the farmer was an excellent 
 but a somewhat hasty man, and she felt un- 
 
112 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 willing to pain him ; besides, he spent only 
 the hours necessary for rest and refreshment 
 in Ins brother's house, and was too much occu- 
 pied in business matters to pay much atten- 
 tion to his children. Madame Feige hence 
 determined to speak to the little girl herself, 
 and earnestly reprove her for the bad action 
 of which she was thought guilty ; and as at 
 that moment she heard her passing through 
 the anteroom, she sent Alicia away, that she 
 might be alone with the supposed culprit. 
 
 While Alicia hastened to her grandmother, 
 not without a species of malicious pleasure, 
 to relate what had befallen, Margaret quietly 
 and unconstrainedly entered the room where 
 sat her aunt. She had an open letter in her 
 hand, and her fresh, blooming countenance 
 beamed with happiness and aifection. 
 
 " Mother has written me a long, delightful 
 letter," cried she in joyful tones. " I do won- 
 der where she found the time ; for when papa 
 and I are away from home, she has twice as 
 much as usual to do. You must know, dear 
 aunt, that in the country I rise every morn- 
 ing at five o'clock, and help mother an hour 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 113 
 
 about the house before I go to my lessons. 
 Thanks to Heaven, my dear ones in Gabels- 
 dorf are all well, — mother, grandmother, little 
 George, Uncle Henry, and Cousin Amy. Poor 
 blind Peter has been up to see them with his 
 mother, and they had a fine dance on the 
 green. And only think, aunt, the pretty East- 
 Indian hen that father gave me, and that lays 
 such beautiful, orange-colored eggs, has hatched 
 out her first brood, — fifteen healthy little 
 chickens, as mother says in a postscript; I 
 only wish I could see the dear little piping 
 creatures ! " 
 
 " You love your home and all you have left 
 in Gabelsdorf very dearly, do you not, Marga- 
 ret ? " said the Councillor's wife, drawing the 
 child toward her, the better to see clearly into 
 her bright, honest blue eyes. 
 
 " O very dearly ! " replied the young girl, 
 her eyes suffused with longing. 
 
 " And you are always very happy when you 
 can prepare any little pleasure for those you 
 love ; is it not so ? " 
 
 " yes ! " cried Margaret, the momentary 
 shadow passing away from her countenance. 
 
 8 
 
114 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 " "When I brought mother the first shirt I ever 
 made under grandmother's instruction, anc 
 when I gave grandmother a bowl full of slicec 
 oranges (so good for her dyspepsia) which ] 
 had bought with the money saved by my eat- 
 ing no sugar at breakfast for some time, 3 
 felt so happy that I could hardly sleep the 
 whole night through." 
 
 " And you would have been very much dis- 
 tressed," continued Madame Feige, "if any 
 one through carelessness or ill-will had spoilec 
 your pleasure. Suppose, for example, that 
 Fritz had wanted to taste your fruit, and hac 
 let the bowl fall ? " 
 
 Margaret smiled, as if she would have saic 
 " Fritz is no glutton." But remembering that 
 her aunt had merely mentioned this by way ol 
 example, she replied : " Certainly, I should 
 have felt very sorry ! " 
 
 " Well, now you «nay think how it grievec 
 my husband and myself when the pleasure pre- 
 pared for our dear mamma on the eve of her 
 birthday was turned into a source of pain. 
 Do you not think it was very wrong and ill- 
 natured in whoever did it to act so ? " 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 115 
 
 " It may perhaps have been done acciden- 
 tally and without any evil intention," said 
 Margaret, who did not like to blame even an 
 unknown person unjustly. 
 
 " If it had happened through carelessness or 
 accident, the least the doer could have done 
 would have been to come and openly confess 
 the truth, lest suspicion should fall upon some 
 innocent person." 
 
 " That is true ! " said the young girl, 
 thoughtfully. 
 
 Her aunt remained silent a few moments, 
 to give her time to collect herself and make a 
 candid confession. But Margaret only re- 
 opened her letter and began again to read it. 
 
 Madame Feige looked perplexed, and with- 
 out any further introduction asked the direct 
 question: "What were you doing- a few' days 
 ago in the garden under the elm-trees ? " 
 
 Margaret blushed to her temples. " Aunt," 
 , said she, imploringly lifting her hands, " do 
 not ask me that, for indeed I cannot tell 
 you." 
 
 " Not when I beg you from my heart, and 
 promise beforehand to forgive you if you have 
 
116 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 done wrong ? 99 Thus saying, Madame Feige 
 drew the child tenderly toward her. 
 
 But Margaret, in evident confusion, only 
 replied : " Not you ; you, least of all ! " and 
 gently strove to free herself from her aunt's 
 encircling arms. 
 
 "And suppose I knew all already, Margaret, 
 would you not then tell me the truth? " asked 
 Madame Feige in somewhat sharper tones. 
 
 The child shook her head ; her tears flowed 
 fast over her aunt's hand. The latter, deeply 
 disappointed, loosened her clasp, and slowly 
 left the room. 
 
 It was now considered a settled fact that 
 Margaret, through carelessness or some other 
 unexplained cause, had injured the fireworks, 
 and was ashamed to confess her fault. Mad- 
 ame Romberg and her daughter, as well as the 
 Councillor, were fully convinced that this was 
 the case, but felt unwilling to speak of it to the 
 other children. From that day Margaret went 
 about as if under a ban ; no one spoke to her 
 so kindly as before, and her aunt's looks, which 
 had formerly rested upon her with so much 
 affection, now often sought her countenance 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 117 
 
 with a sad and reproachful expression. This 
 alteration pained her deeply, hut the cause 
 remained unknown and unguessed. 
 
 One evening, as Madame Romberg was sitting 
 alone in her room, — her daughter had gone 
 out and the gentlemen were engaged with busi- 
 ness, — Margaret softly entered the door, and, 
 seating herself on a little stool at the old lady's 
 feet, asked, " May I not read to you again ? " 
 
 " Ah, your Bible is still here ! " replied the 
 latter, without heeding the child's request ; " I 
 really must reproach myself for haying kept it 
 so long. You have probably never stood more 
 in need of its teachings than at the present 
 time, when you have so obstinately refused to 
 be open and candid. We ought to bear about 
 God's law, not only in our book, but graven in 
 our hearts and on our souls. There, take your 
 Bible, and seriously and devoutly consider that 
 part where God promises his graces and bless- 
 ings to the upright." 
 
 " You have something against me," said 
 Margaret, suppressing her tears, as she held 
 fast the hand of the old lady, who hastily 
 reached her the Bible, as if she were anxious to 
 
118 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 be freed from her presence as soon as possible. 
 " You all treat me differently from what you 
 once did, and no one tells me what I have done 
 to lose your affection ! " 
 
 " You ought to tell us what you were doing 
 under the trees in the park, when Fritz followed 
 you and found you on the ground.' ' 
 
 The Presidentess stopped, for Fritz had told 
 nothing further, and she did not wish to seem 
 as if she already knew all. Margaret drew a 
 deep breath, and, quietly lifting her eyes to 
 Madame Romberg's face, said : " You never 
 asked me, and I could not tell my aunt. You 
 are an old lady ; when I see you, I always 
 think of my own dear grandmother, and I 
 could tell you everything. You see, I was 
 praying under the elms ; but Fritz ought not 
 to have told that he saw me kneeling there. 
 Alicia had hurt me so deeply, — she called me 
 a little hypocrite who wanted to steal away her 
 mother's love from her, and on whose account 
 she was scolded every day. She said that I had 
 gentle, pious words upon my lips, but that I 
 intended evil to her in the bottom of my heart, 
 and that that was very wicked ! When I heard 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 119 
 
 that, and yet felt quite sure that I had never 
 harbored one evil thought against my cousin, 
 then, I must confess it, — then, I felt very 
 angry, and was on the point of saying some 
 very wicked words ; but it suddenly seemed to 
 me as if I saw my grandmother standing before 
 me, with her finger laid warningly upon her 
 lip. She once said : 6 Maggie, whenever you 
 feel your temper rising, you must pray, — pray 
 humbly and earnestly ; go where you will be 
 alone, fall upon your knees, and beg God to 
 give you a gentle and humble heart ! ' Another 
 time she said : ' My child, beware of anger, 
 because it will lead you to do what is wrong in 
 the sight of God ? ; and I promised her that I 
 would try to pray whenever I was tempted to 
 be angry. When Alicia was so unjust toward 
 me, I soon saw that the time had come for me 
 to pray, and, as I always like to do exactly 
 what grandmother tells me, I ran into the gar- 
 den, where I thought I could kneel down and 
 pray unseen. I prayed for Alicia too, and all 
 the bitterness soon vanished from my heart. 
 Since then I have been careful not to stay with 
 my aunt so much as formerly, dearly as I love 
 
120 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 her; for Alicia might think again that I was 
 trying to win her mother's love away from 
 her. But I cannot tell you how it grieves me 
 that my aunt no longer asks for me, and never 
 gives me a kind look ! She will surely never 
 love me again, because I would not tell her 
 what I was doing in the park. And you must 
 not tell her, even when I am gone ; will you 
 promise me that ? " 
 
 " No, my good child," ssfid the Presidentess, 
 deeply moved, " I cannot make you such a 
 promise. But where could all our eyes have 
 been, when we thought your honest face capa- 
 ble of concealing a bad action? Come, kiss 
 me, Margaret ; from henceforth you shall never 
 fail to receive the love you so well deserve." 
 
 The young girl was overjoyed, but still felt 
 troubled that the Presidentess would insist 
 upon giving her daughter a true statement of 
 the facts. Of the suspicion which had rested 
 upon her, however, she learned nothing. 
 
 On the evening of the following day, the 
 grandmamma invited her two grandchildren, 
 and their cousins from Gabelsdorf, to take- 
 tea with her in her own room. Victor was 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 121 
 
 delighted, for there would surely be something 
 very delicious and recherche to eat, and he 
 was quite a little gourmand ; he felt rather 
 sorry, however, that his Cousin Fritz must 
 also be of the party. Alicia was in a high 
 state of expectation, because her grandmother 
 had taken her tortoise-shell jewel-box out of 
 her bureau in the morning, and had not put 
 it back in its place. She had often said that 
 among her ornaments was one peculiarly pre- 
 cious ring, which she intended during her 
 lifetime to give N to one of the children in the 
 family, as an especial token of her approba- 
 tion and affection. Alicia, in her self-love and 
 exalted opinion of her own merits, had never 
 for a moment doubted that this distinction 
 was to fall to her. 
 
 " Certainly," thought she, " grandmamma 
 must intend carrying out her design to-day, 
 and my triumph will be the greater because 
 of the presence of my uncle's children ; Mar- 
 garet will learn a good lesson, and find out 
 that she is not so pre-eminent as she thinks 
 herself." 
 
 She could hardly wait for the appointed 
 
122 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 hour, and in her impatience was more im- 
 perious and unkind toward her cousin than 
 ever. 
 
 Finally, the hour came. The Presidentess 
 received her young guests, who were of course 
 accompanied by Madame Feige, with great cor- 
 diality ; but Alicia at once observed that Mar- 
 garet was regarded by the grandmother with 
 looks of unusual kindness and affection. 
 
 " So much the deeper will be her humilia- 
 tion," thought she to herself, " for to-day, 
 when we are all together, something will 
 surely be said about Margaret's misdeed." 
 
 She was, however, quite vexed that her 
 grandmother carried her politeness so far, that 
 she not only talked awhile with the little of- 
 fender in one of the deep window recesses, 
 but also suffered her to kiss her hand, which 
 Margaret had not ventured to do since the 
 supposed discovery of her delinquency, and 
 placed her at table in the seat of honor at 
 her right. 
 
 While standing near the window the Presi- 
 dentess had said : " Do you still desire that 
 I should say nothing to my daughter about 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 123 
 
 Alicia's injustice, and the real cause of your 
 being found in the garden upon your knees ? " 
 
 Margaret replied : "I beg you most ear- 
 nestly not to mention it, and I cannot feel 
 entirely happy until you promise me you will 
 not." 
 
 " But your aunt thinks you untruthful, 
 perhaps even something worse. Does that 
 not grieve you ? " 
 
 Margaret sighed. " My good aunt would 
 feel still more grieved to hear how Alicia had 
 behaved. Do not tell her ! If she can think 
 evil of me, — but she is too good to do that, — 
 God himself will one day bring my innocence 
 to the light." 
 
 The old lady would willingly have embraced 
 the good child, but she restrained her joy at 
 this exhibition of good feeling, and only gave 
 Margaret such a pleased and tender look, that 
 the latter seized her hand and pressed it re- 
 peatedly to her lips. 
 
 The spirit-lamp under the silver tea-kettle 
 was now lighted, and the kettle was soon heard 
 singing its cosey song, while the little com- 
 pany comfortably arranged themselves round 
 
124 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 the pretty table, set out with fine rolls, cakes, 
 and sweetmeats. Margaret was always helped 
 next to Madame Feige, and, what was utterly 
 incomprehensible to Alicia, the young girl, who 
 but a few hours before had scarcely been spoken 
 to at all, seemed suddenly to have become the 
 main person at the little feast. Alicia's vexa- 
 tion made the sweet fruits and the dainty cakes 
 taste to her like gall. It was only when her 
 eyes fell upon the jewel-box, standing on a 
 chair by her grandmother's side, that her ill- 
 humor gave place to a proud hope. But Mar- 
 garet had not felt so happy for a long time ; 
 the renewed kindness of Madame Romberg's 
 manner toward her was inexpressibly grateful 
 to her sensitive heart, and she also rejoiced at 
 that lady's promise not to betray her little gar- 
 den secret. She talked of her dear home in the 
 most confidential manner, and thus ever more 
 clearly revealed the pure depths of her innocent 
 heart. Even the Councillor's wife forgot her 
 displeasure with the young girl, and addressed 
 many a kind word to her, which of course 
 added to Margaret's happiness. 
 
 "When at length the tea things were carried 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 125 
 
 away, Madame Eomberg made a movement 
 toward the mysterious casket, and Alicia, who 
 had never suffered her attention long to wander 
 from it, sprang forward to reach it to her 
 grandmother ; an action highly commendable, 
 had it proceeded from the respect due to age, 
 but scarcely so praiseworthy in one who was 
 striving by assiduous courtesy to render her- 
 self agreeable, and thus win the longed-for gift. 
 When the pretty casket with its silver orna- 
 ments finally stood upon the table, Alicia's face 
 beamed with delight, and her eyes, which had 
 previously been sullenly bent upon the ground, 
 fairly sparkled with joy. 
 
 The Presidentess unclasped a small bunch of 
 keys from her belt, and, taking the smallest 
 and prettiest, applied it to the silver lock ; the 
 cover of the box flew back with a faint click, 
 and brilliant rays of blue, green, red, and yel- 
 low light shone from the precious stones em- 
 bedded in the soft white velvet. An astonished 
 " Ah ! " escaped Margaret's lips, for she had 
 never seen anything of the kind before. It 
 almost seemed to her as if some of her grand- 
 mother's fairy stories, in which gold and jewels 
 
126 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 figured so largely, had suddenly come true ; 
 she also thought for a moment, " How delight- 
 ful to wear such pretty things ! " — for she was 
 a young girl, and what young girl is entirely 
 indifferent to a little adornment? — but only 
 for a moment ; for she suddenly remembered 
 how her grandmother at home used to say, 
 " Christ's blood, his love and justice, — such 
 be my crown, my robe of honor ! " and she 
 thought, " This is all very beautiful, but it is 
 not the most beautiful! " 
 
 The kind hostess now took out a small ring 
 from among the glittering diamonds, rubies, 
 and emeralds. The ring was set with a fine 
 sapphire of unusual size, surrounded by genu- 
 ine pearls. 
 
 " The sapphire is said to lose its beautiful 
 transparent blue if placed on the hand of one 
 whose thoughts are mean and ignoble," said 
 the grandmother ; " but to bring fortune and 
 happiness if worn by one with whom its color 
 does not change. I have destined this ring as 
 a gift to one who shall be proved worthy to 
 wear it ; when I lay outward advantages, tal- 
 ents, and various good qualities in one scale of 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 127 
 
 the balance, I find them all outweighed by a 
 sincerely good and pious heart. I read this 
 morning a story translated from the Swedish, 
 which I would like you to hear before we pro- 
 ceed to determine who is most deserving of the 
 ring. Margaret may read it for us." 
 
 So saying, Madame Romberg took down a 
 book from a shelf, and, handing it open to the 
 young girl, bade her read as follows : — 
 
 " The most precious gifts my soul has re- 
 ceived during its earthly pilgrimage have often 
 come from men as poor in this world's goods 
 as in worldly learning. Among these donors, 
 I especially remember one, — an uneducated, 
 hard-working laboring man from Indiana or 
 Illinois. He told me that he was one of thirty 
 or forty New-Englanders who, some twelve 
 years before, had left their homes to settle in 
 the wilds of the West. They had nearly all 
 been neighbors at home, and closely bound 
 together by the similarity of their views. Dur- 
 ing several years they had been accustomed 
 from time to time to assemble at each other's 
 houses, and in heart-felt simplicity discourse 
 upon their duties to God. The Bible was their 
 library, and its precepts their guide. 
 
128 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 " Rich in the things of the spirit, but pos- 
 sessed of but little worldly goods, they deter- 
 mined to seek the Far West in hope of better- 
 ing their external condition. Their internal 
 home was a blooming garden, but their outer 
 one a. wilderness. They were laborious and 
 temperate, and succeeded in all they undertook. 
 But adventurers of various kinds, who regarded 
 neither the laws of honor nor the command- 
 ments of God, pressed like hungry wolves 
 round their abodes, and by strength or cun- 
 ning began to rob them of their property. The 
 little colony of practical Christians mildly re- 
 proved them for their misdeeds, and repaid 
 them only by kindness and benevolence. They 
 said openly, ' You may do us all the harm 
 you will, we will return you only good for your 
 evil ! ' Men, loving justice, came into their 
 neighborhood, and offered to defend them. 
 They only replied, ' We do not need you ! ' — 
 ' But what will you do,' asked they then, 
 i when the rascals have burned your barns 
 and stolen your harvests ? ' — ' We will still 
 return good for evil. We believe that this is 
 the highest truth, and also the best policy.' 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 129 
 
 " When the rogues heard this, they thought 
 it a good joke, and tried to provoke the good 
 people by saying and doing a variety of annoy- 
 ing things, which they doubtless deemed very 
 witty. They would take down the bars during 
 the night, and turn their cows into their neigh- 
 bors' cornfields. The latter would endeavor 
 as far as possible to repair the injury done 
 their crops, and, after keeping the cattle during 
 the day in their own sheds, would take them 
 in the evening to their owners, and mildly say, 
 4 Neighbor, your cow has been in my field. I 
 have fed it during the day, but would not keep 
 it over night, lest your children should be in 
 want of milk.' 
 
 " If this were indeed a jest, they who had 
 devised it had not the heart to laugh at it. A 
 gradual change came over these bad neighbors. 
 They ceased cutting off the tails of the good 
 people's horses, and breaking their chickens' 
 legs. ' Don't throw that stone, Bill,' said one 
 boy to another; 'last week I knocked one 
 of their hens on the head, and they sent it to 
 mother, saying they thought it would make a 
 good dish of broth for our sick Mary. You 
 ought to be ashamed to stone their chickens ! ' 
 
 9 
 
130 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 " Thus was evil overcome with good, for at 
 length no one had the heart to play any hurt- 
 ful tricks upon these good neighbors. 
 
 " Years passed, and their worldly possessions 
 increased beyond those of all around them ; 
 notwithstanding this, they were universally be- 
 loved, by the rich as well as the poor. Neither 
 lawyers nor judges derived any part of their 
 revenue from them. 
 
 " After the lapse of ten years, the govern- 
 ment lands upon which they had established 
 their farms were offered at public sale. They 
 had indeed the right to buy them in for them- 
 selves ; but since they had settled in the West, 
 the speculation fever had risen to such a height 
 that ' the Christian colony ' had little hope of 
 being able to retain their lands ; agents were 
 pouring in from every quarter, to bid them up 
 beyond their means. They hence were fully 
 prepared to wander anew into the wilderness, 
 and once more begin their laborious task. 
 
 " But on the following morning, when their 
 land was about to be offered for sale, they were 
 agreeably surprised at finding their neighbors 
 going about among the new-comers, and saying: 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 131 
 
 4 Do not bid for these lands. The good people 
 have faithfully worked them for ten years, and 
 during that time have never done the least 
 wrong to man or beast. They have always 
 returned good for evil, and are a blessing to 
 the whole neighborhood. It would be a sin 
 and a shame to rob them of their lands.' 
 
 " And among all those wild and greedy spec- 
 ulators there was not found a single one to bid 
 for the lands of the peaceful settlers. 
 
 " 6 But what would you do,' were they once 
 asked, ' if a lazy, thieving vagrant were to 
 come among you, and alike refuse to depart or 
 to labor for his livelihood ? ' — c We would give 
 him food when he was hungry, shelter when 
 he was cold, and would always treat him like 
 a brother.' — ' But such a mode of proceeding 
 would bring upon you a host of such useless 
 vagabonds. How would you avoid being over- 
 run by them ? ' — ' They would either alter 
 their way of life, or go out from among us. 
 We would never say an ill word to them, or 
 deny them any of the necessaries of life, but 
 we would always regard them with sorrow, 
 and treat them as we would an erring but be- 
 
132 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 loved brother. That is harder for a human 
 heart to resist, than scourging and captivity. 
 They could not hold out. They would either 
 amend or leave us altogether. And I believe 
 that in nine cases out of ten they would 
 amend. ' 
 
 " All this is but another proof that Christ's 
 teachings are the highest wisdom. Who, upon 
 reading the above account, will not at once 
 think of these words : — ' Blessed are the meek, 
 for they shall possess the earth ' ? " 
 
 Madame Romberg here took the book from 
 the reader's hand, and said : " We also, in our 
 little circle, have just such a meek, pious heart. 
 It beats in the breast of our dear Margaret, 
 and to her belongs of right the precious ring! " 
 
 Alicia started and grew suddenly pale ; the 
 hand with which she was hurriedly drawing 
 the worsted through the canvas of her embroi- 
 dery visibly trembled. But Margaret's eyes 
 were filled with tears over what she had just 
 been reading, and thus she did not at first see 
 that the Presidentess was reaching her the 
 precious ring, and opening wide her arms to 
 embrace her. 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 133 
 
 " God keep your heart pure and clear as this 
 stone," said the old lady, affectionately kissing 
 her forehead ; "no impure or selfish thought 
 has ever yet troubled its depths, where rest 
 those precious pearls of genuine womanhood, 
 Humility, Helpfulness, Meekness, Piety, and 
 Love. God bless you, my dear child, with 
 every good gift ! " 
 
 Margaret was so overcome with surprise and 
 joy that she could not speak a word; Alicia 
 and Victor were dumb with vexation. Mad- 
 ame Feige, who had guessed something of the 
 true state of the case, wished to ask for further 
 information, but her mother laid her finger 
 significantly upon her lips. Thus, from vari- 
 ous motives, would all have remained silent, if 
 Fritz had not sprung up from his seat with a 
 cry of joy, and, pressing a fervent kiss upon 
 the grandmother's hand, thanked her for her 
 kindness to his dear, dear sister. 
 
 " But she deserves it," said he, looking to- 
 ward her with joyful pride : " Margaret is bet- 
 ter than all of us put together! " Quickly cor- 
 recting himself, he added, " Except, of course, 
 the gracious grandmamma and our dear aunt." 
 
134 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 " What can this worthy company be doing, 
 that my modest knock cannot be heard ?" 
 said the Councillor, entering the room. " I 
 too would like to be happy with you a little 
 while, and forget the vexatious cares troubling 
 my poor head. Only think, dear wife ! our 
 new servant has perpetrated a considerable 
 larceny in the dry-goods store adjoining our 
 garden wall. I have just received a letter from 
 the president of the police, who says that the 
 criminal has been arrested. He stole from 
 seven to eight hundred dollars' worth of costly 
 goods ; and where do you think he hid them ? 
 Under our old elm-trees ! — The riddle is now 
 solved as to who destroyed my fireworks. The 
 thief must have observed our preparations, and 
 have been afraid that his stolen property, which 
 he could not at once remove without fear of 
 discovery, would be injured by the explosion 
 of the powder. Hence, he rendered the burn- 
 ing things harmless, and spoiled our pleasure 
 for the evening. The wretched man will re- 
 ceive the punishment due his ill deeds ; but his 
 honest wife and her five poor children are really 
 to be pitied." 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 135 
 
 The Councillor's wife was more deeply af- 
 fected by this account than the subject itself 
 seemed to warrant. She rose, walked two or 
 three times up and down the room, and then, 
 placing herself by Margaret's chair, threw her 
 arms round the child's neck, and kissed her re- 
 peatedly. This was her silent apology. The 
 good child was now fully justified. 
 
 When at length the conversation became 
 more general, Margaret slipped up to the 
 Presidentess and whispered in her ear : " You 
 see, God brings everything to light. I know 
 now what aunt thought! But the beautiful 
 ring does not belong to me. I was not so mild 
 and gentle as those good people from New 
 England ; I had first to pray away my anger. 
 No, — I ought not to wear the costly stone, 
 but it might be used to aid the poor woman 
 and her five children, if you had no objections, 
 and would permit it." 
 
 Margaret's aunt had followed her, and, al- 
 though she had spoken very softly, Madame 
 Feige had overheard all she said, and now 
 added, in a low tone : " They shall be my care, 
 my good child; they shall want for nothing. 
 
136 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 But the ring must remain yours. Its beauty 
 will prove no snare to your humility. " 
 
 " Oh ! our Margaret prays when temptations 
 steal upon her," said the grandmother, in the 
 same tone ; " she has the best and surest means 
 to keep the beautiful, deep-blue stone pure 
 and bright upon her hand ! 99 
 
 So saying, she placed the ring upon the 
 young girl's finger. 
 
 Our young readers may imagine how sweet 
 was Margaret's sleep upon that happy night, 
 and also how many bitter tears were shed by 
 Alicia upon her sleepless pillow. Her grand- 
 mother had whispered but a few words in her 
 ear, to explain what she had done ; but these 
 few words proved enough to fill her heart with 
 shame and repentance. 
 
 Yictor consoled himself with the reflection, 
 that no one but himself had enjoyed the fine 
 bonbons, macaroons, and raisins prepared for 
 the evening's entertainment, in consequence of 
 which he had been enabled to bring away a 
 great pocketful for future eating. This was 
 his. profit from the little feast in the grand- 
 mother's room. 
 
COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 137 
 
 The other three children, however, brought 
 away with them much more ; — Margaret, 
 the beautiful ring, and what she prized still 
 more highly, the love of all connected with 
 her; Fritz, his delighted sympathy in the 
 distinction bestowed upon his sister, of which 
 he was much more proud than Margaret 
 herself; and Alicia, the wholesome lesson 
 that no external advantages, neither knowl- 
 edge, skill, nor the finest manners, have the 
 least value unless they are accompanied by 
 humility and genuine goodness of heart. She 
 had learned, that to those whom God loves 
 all things must in the end turn out for the 
 best. 
 
 The evening with her grandmother remained 
 in her remembrance to her latest days, and 
 was productive of the most beneficial conse- 
 quences. 
 
 Three days later, the brother and sister re- 
 turned to Gabelsdorf, because Victor had fallen 
 ill of a fever, and his parents were unwilling 
 to expose their young guests to the danger of 
 contagion. For the same reason, they were 
 accompanied by Alicia to their sheep and chick- 
 
138 
 
 COUNTRY COUSINS. 
 
 ens, as she had shortly before said in ridicule 
 of their love for their country home. She was 
 obliged to remain with them the whole sum- 
 mer ; for Victor recovered very slowly, and 
 then accompanied his father and mother to 
 the sea-side, where Alicia was not taken, 
 that she might remain as long as possible under 
 the excellent influences her parents felt sure 
 would surround her in Gabelsdorf. 
 
 Let us hope her visit will not have passed 
 without profit. When in the fall she returns 
 to the city, she will be accompanied by Fritz, 
 who intends to study in the gymnasium. Pro- 
 fessor Werner thinks he will soon be his best 
 scholar, probably, at some future day, a man 
 of real learning, and certainly in every case 
 a useful member of human society. 
 
 Whatever Victor may think or say to the 
 contrary, we have faith in Professor Werner's 
 prophecy. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 A TALE. 
 By MARIA BURG. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a charcoal- 
 burner, who, with his only son, lived in a dense 
 and lonely wood. The father went off early 
 every morning to the smoking coal-heaps, 
 where he would often stay a whole week if he 
 found his presence necessary. Frank in the 
 mean time stayed at home, and passed away 
 the time as best he could. As long as his 
 mother lived, she took care of everything, and 
 Frank could play the whole day through. But 
 she had died during the past cold winter. The 
 father had buried her under the great beech- 
 tree, and placed a cross upon the grave. Frank 
 at first wept very bitterly, but when the snow- 
 drops began to peep out from the cold ground, 
 the thrush and the black-bird to warble their 
 sweet songs, and the green grass to cover the 
 
142 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 mother's grave, he too became cheerful as be- 
 fore, and danced about as merrily as the goat 
 which gave him her milk. 
 
 During the winter, the father read in the Bi- 
 ble, and in an old book of Chronicles ; he also 
 taught Frank to read, and to know something 
 of the Word of God ; but when the snows were 
 all melted, the father again went into the wood, 
 where he felled trees and built his coal-heaps. 
 When the charcoal was ready, it was put into 
 sacks, which were piled up upon the wagon, 
 to which the good old horse was harnessed, 
 and away the coal-man drove from the lonely 
 wood into the noisy town. There he sold his 
 coal, and filled the empty bags with bread, po- 
 tatoes, cheese, bacon, and all sorts of provis- 
 ions, sometimes adding a little coat for Frank 
 or a flannel shirt for himself. 
 
 The father never took Frank to town with 
 him, so "the boy remained always in the cool, 
 green wood. He had the housekeeping to do, 
 the cabin to keep clean, and the horse and goat 
 to take care of. He also had to cook his pota- 
 toes and his milk-broth, which he accomplished 
 entirely to his own satisfaction. His father 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 143 
 
 sometimes took him to the coal-heaps, but not 
 very often, for the horse and the goats would 
 have been lonely at home without him. Frank 
 was thus almost always alone in the green, airy 
 forest ; and if he had not talked with himself, 
 he would probably every summer have forgot- 
 ten how to speak, as at first was the case with 
 his reading, until he finally fell upon the plan 
 of cutting out letters with his knife, and then 
 placing them together so as to spell various 
 words and sentences. This occupation gave 
 the boy great pleasure, and on rainy days en- 
 
 , abled him to pass away his time both profitably 
 and agreeably. 
 
 But when the sun shone, he never stayed 
 within doors. He would often mount the 
 horse and gallop about in the wood. That 
 was his greatest enjoyment ! He never went 
 astray, for, as he had no bridle, he could not 
 guide the horse, and the animal, knowing the 
 way exactly, always came home when he was 
 tired. Often would the boy lie for hours 
 together upon his back on the soft grass, look- 
 
 ; ing up among the branches of tlM tall trees. 
 He loved to see the sun shining down so 
 
144 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 friendly upon the green canopy above, with 
 here and there a little piece of the blue sky 
 gleaming through. 
 
 But it made him very impatient to see the 
 leaves always moving about and whispering to 
 each other; for, like other children, he was 
 very inquisitive, and hence longed to know 
 what those leaves were always talking about. 
 He thought the little shining birds that built 
 their nests upon the trees and among the 
 bushes would know it all well enough. Hence 
 he strove to imitate their songs, and thus lure 
 them to his side. The birds were not shy; 
 they came when he stretched out his hand, 
 and, settling on his arm, looked at him right 
 gayly and knowingly, with their bright round 
 eyes. When he said, " Come, tell me, you 
 dear little birds, what the trees and the leaves 
 are all talking about ? " the pretty creatures 
 would open their bills and trill forth their 
 lively songs, each in his own way, until their 
 little breasts fairly trembled with delight. 
 But Frank could not understand what the 
 birds told him. 
 
 " I really believe," said he, i 6 that the silly 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 145 
 
 things do not know themselves ; they are 
 far too flighty, and would much rather hear 
 themselves sing, than listen to the trees whis- 
 pering. I will ask the bees and the beetles; 
 they often sit for hours quite still upon one 
 leaf; they will surely know." 
 
 He caught a beautiful, glittering gold-bug, 
 and again asked : " Tell me, my dear little 
 gold-bug, what the leaves and the trees are all 
 whispering about?" 
 
 Then the beetle spread out its gossamer 
 wings, and buzzing, " Hum ! Hum ! Don't 
 be so dumb ! " flew away, and left the boy 
 as wise as he was before. 
 
 Then he thought, " Why need I care to 
 know ? " and, striving to banish the idea from 
 his mind, returned with new affection to his 
 horse, sprang upon his back, and — trot — trot 
 — he galloped over stock and stone. 
 
 Curiosity, however, is a little worm which 
 glides imperceptibly into the heart, and, no 
 matter how often it may be chased away, al- 
 ways returns to gnaw at the selfsame spot. 
 Such was also Frank's experience ; for a long 
 time he avoided lying on his back and gazing 
 10 
 
146 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 up among the branches ; but as he rode through 
 the forest, the leaves rustled louder than ever, 
 and the trees, nodding and bowing, seemed to 
 be laughing at him because he could not un- 
 derstand their language. He felt quite pro- 
 voked, but tried to console himself, saying: 
 "Silly stuff! it's nothing but the wind after 
 all!" 
 
 But one day the muttering and whispering 
 in the wood seemed livelier than ever; the 
 birds were also even gayer than usual, and 
 warbled and trilled without cessation. Our 
 poor Frank, who was quite weary with look- 
 ing after his horse and goat, felt really vexed, 
 but he would not lie down upon his back and 
 gaze up among the branches ; he had firmly 
 resolved never to do so again. Mankind must 
 see, however, for to that end have they re- 
 ceived eyes, and they can only keep them 
 closed by going fast asleep; but Frank nei- 
 ther could nor would sleep, and hence looked 
 straight before him into the thicket. The 
 leaves there were whispering very softly, and 
 only spoke when addressed by the lofty, high- 
 born trees around them. The golden sunlight 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 147 
 
 was playing through the foliage, and as the 
 leaves moved, the changing lights and shad- 
 ows danced upon the grassy ground beneath. 
 That was very beautiful to see, and so in- 
 terested Frank that he forgot to listen to the 
 trees. 
 
 As he gazed more and more intently among 
 the bushes, he suddenly perceived a bird such 
 as he had never seen before. Its breast was 
 crimson, its wings blue and gold ; its tail was 
 long, and glittering with all the colors of the 
 rainbow, and on its little white head it wore a 
 crown of gold and jewels. The bird hopped 
 from branch to branch, and finally came so 
 near to Frank that he might have caught it 
 with his hand. It opened its smooth, shining 
 bill, and sang more beautifully than anything 
 Frank had ever heard before. His heart seemed 
 almost ready to burst with delight. 
 
 The bird kept looking at him with its clear, 
 bright eyes, as if it wanted something from him, 
 and he said : " Ah ! you dear little gold-bird, 
 I would so like to answer you, if I only knew 
 what you were saying ! You see I am a stupid 
 lad who has never been out of this wood, who 
 
148 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 knows nothing, and will never learn anything, 
 — not even the speech of the trees and the 
 animals, to which he has listened so long ! " 
 
 " You shall learn to know it ! " said a gentle 
 voice ; and there, where the bird had been a 
 moment before, stood a tall, beautiful lady, 
 in robes of interwoven green and gold, with a 
 glittering crown upon her long, fair hair. 
 
 The boy gazed at the apparition in amaze- 
 ment. It seemed to enjoy his astonishment, 
 and continued with a smile : "I am the wood 
 fairy, and hold you especially dear, because 
 you have never left my realm, and have al- 
 ways so earnestly desired to understand the 
 speech of the trees and animals. Well, you 
 shall have the gift ! Take this golden locket ; 
 it is a talisman which you must never let go out 
 of your own keeping. You see upon one side 
 a small bird, beautifully inlaid ; whenever you 
 turn the locket so that the bird will rest upon 
 your breast, you will understand the language 
 you desire ; if you turn the other side round, 
 tree and bird will be incomprehensible to you 
 as before. You would lose your reason were 
 you to listen to them all at once. You havo 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 149 
 
 good cause to rejoice in being the fortunate 
 possessor of this talisman. But never venture, 
 come what come may, to open it ; for I expect 
 you to return it to me uninjured whenever 
 I shall ask for it. Woe to you, if I find it has 
 been opened! Overcome your curiosity, and 
 be obedient ! " 
 
 So saying, the fairy hung a golden locket, 
 fastened to a neat little chain, round the boy's 
 neck, kissed his brow, and departed, before he 
 had half recovered from his wonder and amaze- 
 ment. 
 
 " Are you satisfied, little Frank ? " lisped 
 a gentle voice ; " you have long enough tor- 
 mented yourself to be able to understand us. 
 I am the Beech-tree who am now speaking to 
 you." 
 
 " The Beech is very talkative," said the Oak ; 
 " listen to me if you really wish to learn some- 
 thing worth knowing ; I will tell tell you how 
 it looked here in tlie forest when I was a child 
 like you." 
 
 " The trees don't know much," twittered a 
 bird ; " they are all rooted to one spot, and can 
 only see what takes place under their own 
 
150 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 shadows. You know yourself, dear boy, that 
 it is very seldom anything remarkable happens 
 here in the forest. Their conversation is hence 
 exceedingly tiresome ; but we birds fly far, 
 far away, and back again ; our eyes are keen 
 and our ears sharp ; we know a great deal. 
 So listen to me and I will tell you a pretty 
 story.' ' 
 
 "You certainly will not hearken to that 
 thoughtless Finch," muttered the Fir-tree ; " I 
 will instruct you in all the lore of ancient wis- 
 dom. Listen to me ! " 
 
 " We will talk to you, dear boy ; drive that 
 prattling Finch away ! " cried the trees in full 
 chorus. 
 
 " Be quiet ! " said Frank ; " I will first hear 
 what this sweet little Finch has to tell me, else 
 he will fly away and I cannot find him again. 
 You all stand fast in your places ; I can talk 
 with you at any time. Come, dear little Finch, 
 now begin." 
 
 The Finch, to the Fir-tree's great vexation, 
 placed himself upon one of its lower branches, 
 smoothed down his feathers, turned his little 
 head first to the right and then to the left, and 
 thus began : — 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 151 
 
 "The village of Waldheim lies directly 
 at the entrance of this great wood. The 
 most beautiful trees, bearing the finest cher- 
 ries, grow in the garden of the wealthy pro- 
 prietor. Overseer Meyer, who has for a long 
 time occupied the premises, is a kind, benevo- 
 lent man, who does not grudge us lively finch- 
 es a portion of his cherry crop. He places 
 no straw-men, no disagreeable rattles, among 
 the spreading branches, to frighten us away. 
 Hence, we always gratefully sing for him our 
 best songs. One side of the pretty house is 
 entirely covered with vines ; near it stands a 
 cluster of snowballs and lilac-bushes, and the 
 fruit-trees surrounding it extend their branches 
 even over the low roof. We found our abode 
 there very quiet and pleasant, for the windows 
 on that side were never opened. The reason 
 of that was — so I heard my wise godmother, 
 the swallow, say — that those were the proprie- 
 tor's rooms, and he with his family dwelt far, 
 far away, in some large city. There, as she 
 further told me, the people were not so hospi- 
 table as in Waldheim ; they would never have 
 permitted a good, home-loving swallow to build 
 
152 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 her nest in one of their gay windows, and if 
 any one had been bold enough to try it, and 
 had, even with great care and trouble, half 
 finished her dwelling, some one would certainly 
 have come with a great stick, and have knocked 
 down the pretty little nest. They only venture 
 to build under the eaves of the churches ; and 
 that is well, because it shows that the word of 
 God protects even the little birds. The over- 
 seer at Waldheim lets us build our nests wher- 
 ever we will, and never molests us. Thus I 
 had during several years built mine between 
 the grape-vine and the window, and there, with 
 my little wife, I dwelt happily for many a long, 
 balmy summer. 
 
 " Last spring, we began as usual to build our 
 nest. We suddenly saw with amazement the 
 windows opened, the maid sweeping and scrub- 
 bing, and good Mrs. Meyer bringing various 
 articles of furniture and arranging them round 
 the rooms. I was just flying after a bit of 
 straw I needed for my building, when, looking 
 in at the window, I observed that the maid 
 had shaken out sundry woollen threads and 
 small feathers from the armful of bedding she 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 153 
 
 was carrying, beside which there were numer- 
 ous straws upon the floor. I quickly flew in 
 and picked up several straws, embracing also 
 this excellent opportunity for taking a good 
 survey of the room, as I had often before 
 wished to do, but could not, by reason of the 
 closed windows. I was really surprised at 
 what I saw. On the walls were painted houses 
 and men, trees and animals ; they did not look 
 exactly like the real ones, but bore the most 
 amusing and comical resemblances to things 
 I had seen before. I particularly remember a 
 bird which I think was intended to represent a 
 finch, but which was so puffed out that, if I 
 had attempted to look like it, I should certainly 
 have split my sides. Just then the maid came 
 back, and — away I flew. My little wife and 
 I made the best use of our good fortune, and 
 brought all we wanted for our building from 
 that wonderful room. As we had not far to fly, 
 our nest was almost done, when one day the 
 overseer's wife came to the window and said : 
 4 Poor things, your labor has all been in vain, 
 for this year you must not build so near the 
 house. ' 
 
154 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 " She went away, and my little wife and I 
 looked at each other in dismay, as we both 
 asked at once, 'Why then can we not build 
 again in our dear old place ? ' "We could find 
 no answer to our question, and flew away to 
 acquire the information we desired. 
 
 " The overseer's son, Theodore, an especially 
 good friend of mine, was in the garden pluck- 
 ing all the crocuses and other spring flowers 
 just peeping out of the ground. I settled my- 
 self upon a gooseberry-bush, and sang out in 
 my clearest tones ; I asked as plainly as I could 
 what all this unwonted stir was about. But 
 he did not hear me, indeed he did not even 
 seem to see me, but ran away as fast as he 
 could over the garden beds. I then flew to 
 the great apple-tree in the pastor's garden. I 
 knocked very modestly at the window, and 
 asked the reverend gentleman what was going 
 on at the overseer's house, and why I could 
 not build in the same place as on so many pre- 
 vious years. I only got a good lecture for my 
 curiosity, and for being out in the evening, 
 flying about the town, when, as a good hus- 
 band, I ought to be at home keeping my wife 
 company. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 155 
 
 " 4 But I have no house, and am forbid to 
 build me one,' replied I. 
 
 " * Silly Finch ! ' said the pastor, 6 must your 
 house then always be in the same place ? Can 
 you not build it somewhere else ? Instead of 
 flying about and wasting your time in seeking 
 to gratify your curiosity, you might have been 
 selecting another spot, and have prepared your- 
 self to go again vigorously to work to-mor- 
 row morning. But that is the way with all 
 you thoughtless finches ! Now, take yourself 
 off as fast as you can, for I am tired and want 
 to sleep ! ' 
 
 " I was about to reply, and to ask some more 
 questions, but the old gentleman seemed quite 
 impatient for me to be gone, so I spread my 
 wings and flew away as fast as I could. 
 
 " While waiting for our nest to be finished, 
 we had taken up our quarters on the cherry- 
 tree. I was just on my way there, when I sud- 
 denly remembered that I had not yet asked my 
 neighbor, the sparrow, who might perhaps be 
 able to tell me what I wanted to know. He 
 lived under the eaves, quite near my old and 
 much-loved dwelling. I flew up to the roof. 
 
156 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 There I found my little wife sitting beside 
 Madam Sparrow. They had been discussing at 
 great length the whys and the wherefores of 
 the wonderful changes in the rooms below, and 
 were now waiting for Mr. Sparrow, who had 
 flown off to see what he could learn. He soon 
 returned, but no wiser than myself. We then 
 asked counsel of our good neighbors as to the 
 best place for us to build. We were all of 
 opinion that it would not be desirable for us to 
 move very far off, so we finally concluded to 
 settle ourselves upon a fine lilac-bush but a 
 few paces from our old home. That was an 
 excellent idea, for thus we remained quite near 
 our good neighbors, the sparrows and the swal- 
 lows, and besides, I could see from my nest 
 into the window through which I had that day 
 so often flown into the pretty painted room. 
 The matter was thus settled, and as it was 
 quite late, we all went to rest in the moonlight, 
 while Mrs. Nightingale sang us into a sweet 
 sleep. 
 
 " The next day, I was very busy building my 
 new dwelling ; and not till it was finished, and 
 we could make ourselves quite comfortable in 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 157 
 
 it, did I again look toward the window. It 
 was closed and all the curtains down, so that 
 everything looked as quiet and peaceful as be- 
 fore. What was the use of making such a 
 fuss, thought I, and again went to sleep. Dur- 
 ing the night I awoke and saw a light shining 
 behind the curtains, which was indeed some- 
 thing new to tell my neighbors in the morning. 
 I again fell asleep, but by the first dawn of day 
 I had shaken my feathers, and was ready for 
 flight. Mrs. Swallow had just flown out of her 
 nest. ' Hallo ! ' I cried, 4 pray, my good 
 Mrs. Swallow, can you tell me what is going 
 on in the shut-up room ? I saw a light there 
 last night!' 
 
 " < I don't know,' she replied ; 4 1 had much 
 to do at home yesterday, and had no time to 
 trouble myself about other people's business ; 
 I am in a great hurry this morning, so I beg 
 you will not detain me.' 
 
 " Away she flew. Off I went to my neighbor, 
 Mr. Sparrow, and finally learned from him that 
 the family had all come up from the city, and 
 now occupied the mysterious rooms. The spar- 
 row was just on his way to the stable-yard to 
 
158 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 hear what the groom and the maid had to say 
 about the new-comers. 
 
 " Now I knew the meaning of all these prepa- 
 rations. I had never seen any aristocratic society 
 from the city, and I was very glad that I should 
 now have the means of learning something 
 about them. I hopped from twig to twig, and 
 kept my head turned toward the house, that I 
 might not be out of the way when the city peo- 
 ple drew aside the curtains and looked out of 
 the window. But I waited in vain ; the win- 
 dow remained closed, and although the cur- 
 tains were sometimes moved from within, no 
 one looked out. Thus passed several days ; I 
 flew about the garden and the yard, but saw 
 none but old acquaintances ; the city folks 
 remained invisible. As everything seemed so 
 quiet, I concluded not to deny myself the pleas- 
 ure of visiting the window-ledge where I had 
 so often sat when my home was in the grape- 
 vine. The sun shone down bright and warm, 
 and I bathed my limbs with delight in his 
 golden rays. I dusted off my feathers, spread 
 out my wings, and turned round and round, 
 so that the sun might shine upon every part of 
 my body. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 159 
 
 " You would not believe, my dear Frank, 
 how deliriously refreshing such a sun-bath is ; 
 it makes a sober, steady finch feel like a new 
 creature, and forget all that is passing in the 
 world around him. I was thinking of nothing 
 but my own enjoyment, and hence was quite 
 startled, when, on looking up, I perceived just 
 within the window-pane a pair of great blue 
 human eyes ! I flew away as fast as I could, 
 but soon alighted upon a branch, whence I 
 again shyly lookfed toward the -eyes that had so 
 terrified me. They belonged to a pale, fair- 
 haired girl. With one hand she held her 
 doll, and with the other put back the curtain, 
 while her blue eyes looked out longingly into 
 the garden. That, then, was a city child ! 
 She did not look so gay and rosy as our peas- 
 ant children in Waldheim. The face soon 
 vanished behind the curtain. 
 
 " 4 Why does not the pale child come out into 
 the garden ? ' asked I of my neighbors, when 
 on the following evening we met as usual. 
 
 " c I will tell you,' replied the swallow ; ' I 
 have found a little crack through which I can 
 see into the room and hear all that is going on. 
 
160 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 Little Lina's mother is sick in her soul. You 
 see, neighbors, the lady has no trust in our 
 good God ; hence, she will never let the child 
 out of her sight, and thinks she can shield her 
 from all evil. She passes much of her time in 
 bed, and is afraid of a breath of fresh air, so 
 that the poor child is nearly always confined to 
 the house. ' 
 
 " ' What ! she has no trust in our good God ! ' 
 cried we all. 6 Ah, that indeed is a very bad 
 sickness ! Who can help her S ' 
 
 u 6 The reverend pastor visits her very often, 
 so that she must know what is right,' said the 
 sparrow. 
 
 " 4 The poor lady ! ' cried we all, shaking our 
 heads ; and as we went our different ways 
 homeward, we pondered deeply this inexpli- 
 cable case. 
 
 " I thought, too, a great deal about little Lina, 
 and felt a real compassion for the poor, lonely 
 child, who was not allowed to breathe God's 
 fresh air, and to whom a sun-bath would cer- 
 tainly be very beneficial. I thought and 
 thought how I could procure one for her, and 
 finally concluded that I must first entice her 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 161 
 
 out into the open air. To this end I seated 
 myself the next morning on the window-ledge, 
 and sang : — 
 
 ( Trilleriiieree ! Trillerilleree ! 
 'T is fine without, 
 Come, child, come out 
 And play about ! 
 The sun shines clear ; 
 'T will cure you, dear, 
 So warm 't is here ! 
 Trillerilleree ! Trillerilleree ! ' 
 
 " The curtains were drawn back and the child 
 laid her pale face against the window-panes. 
 This time I did not fly away, but tripped up 
 and down the ledge, nodding my head from 
 side to side, and looking as kindly as I could 
 into the child's eyes. The little one put out 
 her hand toward me. I flew to the pane and 
 pecked at the glass, when she laughed out so 
 clearly that I could hear her through the closed 
 window. Then came an old nurse and said 
 something to the child: I flew away to the 
 nearest tree, and began smoothing down my 
 feathers. Lina seemed to be begging some- 
 thing, but the nurse shook her head, and great 
 tears flowed down the child's cheeks, The old 
 11 
 
162 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 woman then closed the curtain, and all was 
 quiet as before. 
 
 " I now flew every day to the window-ledge 
 and sang, 
 
 ' Trillerillerec ! Trillcrilleree ! 
 
 The child always came at once, nodded to me, 
 and sent me many a kiss through the window. 
 Finally the nurse seemed inclined to be a little 
 more yielding. One day I saw the reverend pas- 
 tor standing near, and earnestly talking to her ; 
 soon after she opened the window a very little. 
 The child clapped her hands, and sprinkled a 
 quantity of bread-crumbs on the ledge, while 
 she cried out in a sweet, clear voice : ' Come, 
 little birdie, come ! ' The window was soon 
 closed again, and I flew upon the ledge and 
 began picking up the crumbs. The child 
 seemed to be delighted, and, hopping up and 
 down, I sang : — 
 
 ' Trilleriiieree ! Trillerillerec ! 
 'T is fine without/ etc. 
 
 " From that time I daily became more inti- 
 mate with little Lina ; I sang to her every morn- 
 ing, and tried to lure her into the garden, while 
 she, pressing her little mouth to the window- 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 163 
 
 pane, would whisper : 6 Ah, how happy you 
 must be, dear Finch ! You can fly about 
 wherever you like, you can sit upon the trees 
 and watch how the flowers unfold their pretty 
 leaves. But I hardly think, dear birdie, you 
 have patience enough for that ; you are never 
 long enough quiet. I would not do it either, if 
 I were in your place. Ah, if I could only fly 
 like you, I would fly far, far away over the gar- 
 den and into the greenwood. We might live 
 right happy there, and play so nicely together. 
 I think you like me right well, my little birdie, 
 and I love you so dearly, much better than my 
 dolly ! ' 
 
 " Time passed, and to my great joy Lina at 
 length came out into the garden. The nurse 
 accompanied her, but she was nevertheless 
 very lively, and frolicked about like a young 
 lamb. 
 
 " c Ah ! ' cried she, £ how good it was in our 
 pastor to beg mamma for permission for me to 
 play a little in the garden. How beautiful it 
 is out here ! But where has my dear Finch 
 flown to, that I neither see nor hear him ? 9 
 
 " I quickly flew toward her, placed myself on 
 
164 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 a rose-bush, and sang, 4 Trillerillerec ! Tril- 
 lerilleree ! Now art thou here ! ' Before I 
 had finished my little song, the child stood 
 close beside me, and with a coaxing smile held 
 out her hands to take me. I suffered myself 
 to be caught. Lina uttered a cry of joy, pressed 
 me to her pale cheek, and kissed me over and 
 over again. 
 
 " ' Since the bird gives you so. much pleas- 
 ure,' said the nurse, 4 we will take him in 
 with us. Mrs. Meyer will give us a cage to 
 put him in ; you can then feed him and play 
 with him every day.' 
 
 " ' yes ! yes ! ' cried the child, 6 that 
 will be delightful ! ' I began to feel quite 
 "anxious about my liberty, and, mournfully 
 shaking my head, gave the child an imploring 
 look. Her eyes filled with tears ; she kissed 
 me again, and said, ' I cannot do it, Hannah ; 
 if the poor finch were to stay so much in one 
 room as I do, he would certainly feel very sad, 
 and perhaps die. Ah ! it is too delightful to 
 be able to fly about where one will, and I will 
 not prevent him.' 
 
 " She opened her hand a little, and away I 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 165 
 
 flew. Hannah scolded the good child that 
 she had not held me fast, and took her back 
 into the house. 
 
 " From that time Lina came daily into the 
 garden, usually in the afternoon, and soon 
 Hannah only brought her out and took her 
 in, leaving her alone the greater part of the 
 time. I always flew down to her, placed my- 
 self upon her shoulder, and sang my prettiest 
 songs ; or, flitting on before her, I hopped 
 from twig to twig, and lured her from the 
 green before the door farther and farther into 
 the garden. She brought me food every day, 
 letting me pick the crumbs from her hand, 
 or even from her lips. "We were the best 
 friends in the world. My neighbors, the swal- 
 low and the sparrow, were quite envious, and 
 my dear little wife, who was at that time 
 obliged to sit a great deal on her nest, really 
 ! became quite jealous of my new friend. 
 
 " The first of May was near at hand. I had 
 long been thinking how I could arrange it so 
 that Lina could celebrate our festival with 
 us wood creatures, for I knew how much 
 good it would do her. It was not yet de- 
 
166 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 cided, however, how many finches were to be 
 invited to the feast, and whether I was to be 
 of the number. One day, a thrush from the 
 forest came to see me, and gave me my invita- 
 tion. I had been appointed to play the flute 
 among the musicians at the festival. Who 
 could now be happier than I ! 
 
 " On the afternoon preceding the festival, which 
 was to be celebrated on the night of the full 
 moon, I impatiently waited for Lina to come 
 out. As soon as she was alone, I alighted on 
 her shoulder, received my food, and then flut- 
 tered on before her, renewing our usual game 
 of Catch me if you can, by which I always 
 lured her farther and farther into the garden. 
 This time I led her directly to the great gate, 
 which stood open. When we had reached it, 
 I looked back at her and sang : 
 
 • Follow mc ! Follow me ! 
 Breathe this air, fresh and free ! 
 Lina dear, I await 
 Till thou passest the gate ; 
 Dearest child, I am longing for thee ! 
 Trilleree! Trilleree ! Trilleree! 
 Trillerilleree ! ' 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 167 
 
 " I then flew as much as twenty paces over 
 the meadow, and alighted on a stone. The 
 child stood a moment uncertain, and then cried 
 out, 6 Where are you, dear Finch ? ' 
 
 " ' Here ! here ! ' trilled I, once more rising- 
 joy fully into the air. 
 
 " 6 We must go home, or mamma will scold,' 
 said the child. 6 Come, come now, dear Finch, 
 do not fly away from me, I love you so dearly ; 
 come and sit on my hand ; indeed, we must 
 go back ! ' * 
 
 " ' Catch me ! catch me ! ' cried I, flying 
 away still farther. Lina ran as fast as she 
 could after me, but as soon as she was quite 
 near, and about to lay her hand upon me, 
 away I flew again. We thus entered the 
 wood. Lina stood in amazement under the 
 green trees skirting the forest, and delight- 
 edly gazed into its serene depths, now glimmer- 
 ing with green and gold. The bright mosses 
 and grasses made a soft carpet for her feet, 
 and the gay wild-flowers sparkled in the sun- 
 light. On a branch of a lofty oak sat a thrush, 
 who received us with a loud 6 Hurrah ! Hur- 
 rah ! ' We heard a cuckoo calling out to us 
 
168 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 from a distance, and all the birds twittering 
 and rejoicing. I alighted on a young fir-tree 
 and sang: 
 
 { Lina, Lina, 
 
 Follow me ! 
 
 Do not, dearest, 
 
 Fearful be ! 
 Let thy heart be light and gay ; 
 Strengthening is the breath of May. 
 
 Follow, follow, 
 
 Follow me ! 
 
 Trillerillerilleree ! ' 
 « 
 
 " The child first tried the mossy carpet with 
 her little feet, and then ran lightly and joy- 
 ously toward me. She plucked as many of 
 the beautiful flowers as she could carry, and 
 fairly shouted aloud with delight. Then she 
 looked up and, cried, ' Finch, where are you ? 1 
 
 " £ Catch me ! ' replied I, coming a little 
 nearer to her ; but just as she bent down over 
 me, I flew upon another branch and cried 
 again, ' Here I am, here ! Catch me ! ' 
 
 " ' Naughty Finch ! ' returned she, ' I will 
 soon have you ! ' 
 
 " She took off her hat and tried to fling it 
 over me. The hat remained hanging upon 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 169 
 
 the branch, while I flew away, crying, 6 Here 
 I am ! Trillerilleree ! ' 
 
 I " < Wait a minute, you rogue, I will catch 
 you yet ! ' laughed she, tying her little shawl 
 into a knot and throwing it after me. 
 
 " The kerchief also remained hanging on 
 a branch, and I flew on, crying, 6 Trilleril- 
 leree ! Here I am ! ' 
 
 " I thus lured her deeper and deeper into the 
 wood, until we came to an open place sur- 
 rounded by oaks and beeches. I beheld my 
 comrades, all the singing birds in the forest, 
 seated on the branches. Some were still 
 smoothing down their feathers, while others, 
 overcome by their usual custom of going to 
 sleep at this hour, had already hidden their 
 heads beneath their wings. I took my place 
 among them so that I could sit directly oppo- 
 site to my little friend, who, wearied with the 
 unusual length of her walk, had thrown her- 
 , self down upon the soft moss at the foot of 
 a lofty oak. The night had meantime set in, 
 and the moon, with its full, round face, looked 
 down through the trees, and shed its silver light 
 over bush and brake. 
 
170 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 " 6 Heaven ! ' cried the child, < there is 
 
 the moon ; now it is night, and I am not at 
 
 home. How troubled and anxious mamma 
 
 I 
 
 will be ! It is all that naughty finch's fault, 
 and now he has gone and left me alone in 
 the wood. 0, I shall die here ! ' sobbed she, 
 covering her face with her hands and weep- 
 ing bitterly. 
 
 " 4 Do not cry, dear child, and take courage, 
 for no one here will harm you,' said a gentle 
 voice quite near the little girl's side. 
 
 " Lina let her hands fall, and looked round 
 inquiringly as she asked : 4 Where are you 
 then who are talking to me ? ' 
 
 " 4 Here, quite near you ! ' 
 
 " 4 But I do not see you, and yet the moon- 
 light is very bright,' said Lina. 
 
 " ' You have overlooked me because I am 
 rather small,' replied the gentle voice. 4 If you 
 will look to your right hand, you will see me 
 standing close beside it.' 
 
 " Lina wiped her eyes, opened them wide, 
 and anxiously looked round to find some hu- 
 man creature in her vicinity. In vain ! she saw 
 nothing but flowers. Wonderful to relate, 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 171 
 
 one of the flowers was moving ; as she thought, 
 stirred by the wind. But no, the flower actu- 
 ally left its place and began walking up and 
 down. The child soon discovered that her 
 eyes had deceived her, and that what she 
 had taken for a flower was in fact a tiny 
 man, most singularly dressed. He wore green 
 pointed shoes, green clocked stockings, and a 
 little coat with wide sleeves that looked like 
 notched leaves. He had an uncommonly deli- 
 cate, friendly white face, and his shining silver 
 locks were surmounted by a snow-white point- 
 ed cap. Hence it was that the child had at 
 first taken the little man for a white flower. 
 
 " Lina looked at him a moment, and then 
 said : 6 Xow I see that you are a little man ; 
 at first I thought you a flower ; do not be 
 angry with me, and tell me your name.' 
 
 '"I am Woodroof,' replied he ; ' men know 
 me well, and in the spring are very dangerous 
 to me and to my race. They lead us into 
 captivity, and drown us in bowls of wine, to 
 make a beverage of which they are very fond, 
 and which they call May-wine.' 
 
 " 6 May-wine ? ' said Lina ; 6 1 never heard 
 of that.' 
 
172 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY, 
 
 " < Well, my child ! you shall drink some 
 genuine, pure May-wine this very night, and 
 it will give you strength, health, and serenity 
 during your whole life. You have come here 
 at a good time ; we celebrate to-night our May 
 festival. I will in a few words explain it to 
 you. You see, we wood-flowers must stand 
 during our whole lives upon the same spot; 
 we can make no visits, and we hear nothing 
 except what the winds choose to whisper, or 
 the birds, beetles, and butterflies tell us, and 
 as they talk so much about the glory and 
 beauty of the world, our hearts are filled with 
 longing, and many a tender flower hence bows 
 its head and perishes before its bloom is fully 
 over.' 
 
 " £ About a hundred years ago the flower- 
 fairy came among us, and wandered visibly 
 through her blooming realm. She graciously 
 heard the complaints and requests of her sub- 
 jects, and, with her usual kindness, ordered 
 that every May, when the moon was full, the 
 wood-flowers should all be permitted to leave 
 their places, to walk about wherever they liked, 
 and to enjoy themselves as best they could. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 173 
 
 Hence, we always, on some well-selected spot, 
 celebrate the festival and prepare • the May- 
 wine. During the feast, the birds and insects 
 wait upon the flowers, and are obedient to 
 their commands. The flowers and all the liv- 
 ing creatures present partake of the May-wine, 
 and thus drink in health and cheerfulness for 
 their whole lives. If a human being should 
 chance to be among us on the night of the full 
 moon, he too must share our beverage, and 
 thus be cured of every bodily pain, and receive 
 the gift of sound health during the whole pe- 
 riod of his existence upon the earth. You, 
 my dear child, are the first human creature 
 that has ever taken part in our festival, and 
 hence will the blessing fall upon you with 
 double power.' 
 
 " ' Can the garden flowers in the city also go 
 out walking to-night ? ' asked the child. 
 
 " 6 No,' replied the Woodroof, ' they are not 
 so lonely as we in the wood ; they are much 
 admired by men, and are often brought in 
 company to market, whence they are trans- 
 ferred to pretty rooms, where they can see 
 and hear all sorts of things. Why should 
 
174 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 they wish to come this long way into the 
 forest ? 9 
 
 " The "Woodroof was here interrupted by a 
 Beetle, which settled on the top of his white- 
 cap and buzzed : 
 
 1 Buzz ! Buzz ! Buzz ! 
 Now all begin to come ! 
 
 Lo ! each guest 
 
 Has donned his best, 
 And none are dull or dumb ! 
 Humm ! Humm ! Humm ! ' 
 
 " Suddenly appeared a multitude of Wood- 
 roofs, which hastened to meet the approaching 
 ladies. They were married dames and young 
 girls from the old and distinguished family of 
 the Lilies. They came in a long, orderly train, 
 wearing shining white garments and green 
 shoes and crowns. They gracefully seated 
 themselves upon the moss, and listened to the 
 gentlemen's conversation. 
 
 " £ Let the music begin ! ' commanded the 
 first Woodroof, who was master of ceremonies. 
 
 "The birds immediately prepared to obey; 
 we wakened our sleeping comrades, and tuned 
 £ur voices so that we might all together pro- 
 duce a glorious symphony. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 175 
 
 " As I said before, I had placed myself -upon 
 one of the foremost boughs, and I sang at first 
 louder than was quite proper. The child 
 looked up, recognized me, and gave me a 
 friendly nod. I returned the salutation, and 
 gave her to understand that she should be 
 without care or anxiety. Entirely reassured, 
 she abandoned herself to the full enjoyment of 
 the festival. 
 
 " Many guests had meantime arrived, whom 
 the Woodroofs, as hosts, received with various 
 degrees of honor. One could see well that the 
 high-born Lilies looked down quite condescend- 
 ingly upon the Misses Buttercup, who seemed 
 to care very little about the matter, and one of 
 whom remarked with a smile to a Mr. Wood- 
 roof, that she really thought a yellow satin 
 gown much prettier than that everlasting white. 
 The Woodroof merely bowed, but Mr. Crocus 
 entirely agreed with her, and glanced compla- 
 cently at his own yellow coat. 
 
 "On a bright, moon-lighted terrace walked 
 Miss Primrose and Miss Bluebell, arm in arm. 
 They whispered together, and seemed to be 
 looking for something which made them often 
 droop their pretty heads nearly to the ground. 
 
176 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 " ( What are you seeking, ladies ? ' asked 
 Lieutenant Cuckoo, who belonged to the family 
 of the Cuckoo-flowers, and to whom his varie- 
 gated uniform was very becoming. 
 
 " i Our cousin, the modest "Violet ; I do not 
 see her at our festival,' replied the lovely Blue- 
 bell. 
 
 " * Do not trouble yourselves further, young 
 ladies,' said the Lieutenant. ' There, in the 
 background, sit many Violets. You cannot 
 see them for their dark dresses.' 
 
 " ' The dear, good, modest girls ! ' said Miss 
 Primrose ; ' they never thrust themselves for- 
 ward, and are thus frequently overlooked. 
 Come, Lieutenant, we will go and find them 
 seats beside the Lilies ; that is the highest 
 place, and they who through humility abase 
 themselves, deserve to be exalted.' 
 
 " 4 That is an excellent idea, my good young 
 lady,' 1 replied the Lieutenant ; 4 for the poor 
 Violets are in very bad company, and have not 
 the courage to leave it. Only think ! the poor 
 girls are surrounded by envious Nettles and 
 prickly Thistles, notoriously the worst tongues 
 in the community ! ' 
 
THE INQUI&TIVE BOY. 177 
 
 " £ the poor Violets ! ' cried Bluebell and 
 Primrose. 6 Come, Lieutenant, you are a hero, 
 and in your company we fear neither Thistle 
 nor Nettle ! ' 
 
 " The three vanished, and soon after were 
 seen leading a number of little Yiolets to the 
 vacant places beside the Lilies. The latter 
 graciously nodded their heads ; the modest 
 children bowed in return, and blushed as they 
 looked down upon their dark-blue velvet robes. 
 
 " Now began the ball. The gentlemen ap- 
 proached the ladies, the officers claimed the 
 right of the first dances, and as they generally 
 seemed to prefer the Misses Buttercup for their 
 partners, the Messrs. Crocus and Dandelion, 
 thinking their relations honored, determined 
 not to dispute the claim. 
 
 " It was charming to see the flowers, in their 
 variety of colors, dancing in the moonlight, on 
 the fresh greensward. We birds sang to our 
 hearts' content, the beetles and butterflies 
 buzzed and fluttered about, and the child 
 gazed dreamily upon the gay and stirring fes- 
 tival. 
 
 " The dancing ceased. A number of large 
 
 12 
 
178 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 beetles shoved aside a stone which had hitherto 
 stood in the middle of the green, covering a 
 round opening. The Woodroofs stepped for- 
 ward in solemn order, and surrounded the 
 opening. 
 
 " * Now the May-wine will be prepared ! ' 
 cried all the flowers. The child shook back 
 the long, fair curls which had fallen over her 
 face, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and 
 gazed expectantly toward the spot where the 
 precious elixir was to be made. 
 
 " The Woodroofs bent and shook the dew 
 from their heads into the opening, then the 
 Lilies and the Primroses followed their ex- 
 ample. Great shining beetles brought upon 
 fresh leaves the dew from the Orange and the 
 tears of the Vine ; finally came the busy bees 
 and brought their honey. The first Woodroof 
 held a slender rod, to which was fastened the 
 cup of an acorn ; with this instrument he 
 stirred the mixture. After an anxious pause, 
 the Woodroof gave a sign. All the guests sat 
 down upon the moss. A number of acorn- 
 cups were piled up beside the Woodroof ; they 
 served as goblets for the distribution of the 
 precious beverage. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 1T9 
 
 " c Pages ! ' cried the little man, ' come here 
 and wait upon the ladies ! ' 
 
 " Beautiful variegated butterflies responded 
 to this call, and each received upon a green- 
 leaf waiter the cup he was to bear to the 
 ladies ; the gentlemen and we birds were 
 served in like manner, except that our cup- 
 bearers were beetles. At that moment, a ser- 
 vant buzzed in and announced the arrival of a 
 celebrated family of singers from Waldheim, 
 who begged permission to exhibit their skill to 
 this illustrious assemblage. 
 
 " ' Their name, if you please ? ' asked Wood- 
 roof. 
 
 " ' Their name is Nightingale,' replied the 
 servant. 
 
 " < Ah ! ' cried the guests, ' that is indeed a 
 celebrated name ; they are real adepts in their 
 art!' 
 
 " 6 They may come and begin at once,' said 
 Woodroof. 
 
 " Lieutenant Cuckoo twirled his mustache, 
 and straightened his uniform. 
 
 " ' Look ! ' whispered Buttercup to Violet, 
 4 he is trying to make himself look handsome, 
 so that the lady singers may admire him ! ' 
 
180 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 " 4 1 presume the ladies of the family will 
 wear a variety of colors,' said a Lily to a young 
 Woodroof ; ' in my opinion, white is by far the 
 most stylish hue ! ' 
 
 " The Nightingales appeared, bowed to the 
 company, and took their places on the wide- 
 spreading branch of a noble old oak, whose 
 youthful, light-green foliage whispered a friend- 
 ly greeting to the welcome visitants. 
 
 " ' Mrs. Nightingale is very simply dressed, 
 in her plain brown satin gown,' said Miss Blue- 
 bell. 
 
 " ' Too simply for so noble a company,' re- 
 plied Miss Lily. 
 
 " ' By the North and South wind, what heav- 
 enly eyes ! ' cried Lieutenant Cuckoo. 
 
 " 6 Moderate your raptures, Lieutenant,' said 
 Miss Buttercup ; 6 we will first hear whether she 
 has as fine a voice as our forest singers, Black- 
 bird, Thrush, Robin, etc. I cannot base my 
 judgment upon the eyes alone.' 
 
 " All conversation was now suspended to lis- 
 ten to a duet which the singers had begun. 
 All the native woodnotes wild, which the flow- 
 ers had hitherto heard and admired from their 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 181 
 
 favorite singers, were nothing in comparison 
 with the strains which now fell upon their 
 ears ; tender and longing, strong and passion- 
 ate, swelled the tones ; gloriously rose passage 
 after passage, and trill after trill, until each 
 flower-heart was almost ready to burst with 
 emotion and delight. Envy was silenced, and 
 when the artists ceased, all burst forth into the 
 most rapturous applause. 
 
 " The cups were then quickly filled and 
 handed to all the flowers, Lina, and the Night- 
 ingales. The invigorating draught was tossed 
 off with many a 6 Vivat ! 9 to the moon of May, 
 and to the ravishing singers. y?e other birds 
 then flew down and divided the remainder of 
 the May-wine among us ; thus strengthened, 
 we again began to play a cotillon. The flower 
 couples made a wide circle round the tree at 
 whose foot sat the child, and the dance recom- 
 menced. The dancers' feet seemed winged, 
 and, becoming more and more excited, the 
 various couples could scarcely be distinguished 
 as they wound in and out among one another ; 
 indeed, you would have supposed them a great 
 basket of flowers tossed about by a whirl- 
 
182 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 wind. Meantime, the nightingales renewed 
 their songs, the butterflies fluttered about, 
 the beetles buzzed, the moon began to go 
 down, and a gray twilight to overspread thk 
 earth. 
 
 " The child's head had sunk upon the soft 
 moss, her eyes had grown heavy ; she twico 
 made an effort to keep them open, then closed 
 them in sweet slumber, while music and dan- 
 cing, with the song of the nightingale, followed 
 her into the land of dreams, until these, too, 
 ceased, and the gay company, exhausted, lan- 
 guidly sought their respective dwellings. The 
 Woodroof and I alone remained beside the 
 child, and covered her with dry moss and 
 leaves, lest the cool morning air might in- 
 jure her. 
 
 " The sun was just rising as I awoke from 
 my short sleep. The child still slumbered ; 
 her cheeks looked quite rosy, and were dim- 
 pled with smiles arising from her happy 
 dreams. The Woodroof stood beside her, his 
 feet fast rooted to the ground, his head bent, 
 and his whole appearance dull and mournful. 
 I smoothed down my feathers and tried my 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 183 
 
 morning song, but I found myself quite hoarse 
 with my unwonted exertions of the previous 
 night. I had just put my head under my 
 wing to sleep a little longer, when I heard an 
 anxious cry of ' Lina ! Lina ! ' resounding 
 through the forest ; I gave my feathers a shake, 
 and flew off to meet Theodore, the overseer's 
 son, whose voice I had recognized. The lad 
 had been guided to the spot by Lina's hat and 
 kerchief, hanging on the bushes, and great was 
 his joy when he found her sleeping under the 
 tree. He thanked God for his good fortune, 
 lifted her carefully in his arms, and carried 
 her homeward. Joyously twittering, I flew 
 from tree to tree before him. 
 
 " In the garden we found the sick lady, whom 
 anxiety for her child had aroused from her 
 customary inertness. She forgot her weakness, 
 her usual fears for her health, and, leaning 
 upon her maid, hastened out into the morning 
 air, usually so carefully shunned, to seek her 
 child. 
 
 " As I could fly faster than Theodore could 
 run with the child, I reached the garden before 
 them. I there heard the pastor striving to 
 
184 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 encourage the lady, and saying to her that 
 Lina was in God's hands, and that nothing 
 could happen to her unless He so willed it. If 
 He had wished to take the child from her, he 
 could have done it as well in her own chamber 
 as elsewhere. 
 
 " Neighbor Sparrow twittered : ' Trust in 
 God, poor lady ! Not one of us falls to the 
 ground without His will ; how much less will 
 He leave your sweet child unprotected ! ' 
 
 " Meanwhile, Lina entered the garden. The 
 people who had been sent to seek her had fallen 
 in with Theodore on the way, and now joyfully 
 surrounded the happy boy. Lina had awaked 
 and looked about her with clear, sparkling 
 eyes. When she recognized her mother, she 
 freed herself from Theodore's arms, and, with 
 a cry of joy, flung herself upon that mother's 
 heart. 
 
 " When the first joyful greeting was over, 
 the lady beheld with astonishment that the 
 night passed in the wood, instead of injuring 
 her child, had rendered her stronger and more 
 blooming than before. She, as well as many 
 others, thought Lina's account of the flower 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 185 
 
 festival, and the delicious, invigorating May- 
 wine, deserving of no credence, and merely the 
 effect of a vivid dream ; but the whole occur- 
 rence had nevertheless opened her eyes to the 
 folly of her previous life. She gained confi- 
 dence in God, and hence recovered her health 
 and serenity of mind. 
 
 " Lina and I are still the best friends in the 
 world, and I always join cheerily in when the 
 mother, from the fulness of a loving and trust- 
 ful heart, sings : 
 
 ' who, thou Strengthener of the weak. 
 
 Could trust refuse to thee ? 
 The eyes thy wondrous ways that seek 
 
 Thy glorious works must see. 
 O God ! our Lord and Friend indeed, 
 Our Counsellor and Help in need, 
 Lo, before thee weak I stand ! 
 Perfect the work of thine own hand ! ' " 
 
 The finch ceased. Frank drew a long 
 breath, and said : " 0, how delightful such a 
 May-night must be ! Listen, dear Finch ! you 
 must take me to the next festival." 
 
 " Agreed ! " replied the finch. " But now 
 I must go ; the sun is setting. I have a great 
 way to fly before I get home, so you must not 
 
186 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 detain me any longer. Farewell, dear Frank, 
 I will come for you in May ! " 
 
 He nodded his head, first right and then 
 left, shook himself, spread out his wings, and 
 away he went. 
 
 Meantime, Frank felt a somewhat ungentle 
 thrust in the back ; he turned and saw his 
 goat, which, making a long face, said : " Ma- 
 hem ! Maliern ! Frank, you were so taken up 
 with that long rigmarole the finch was telling 
 you, that you entirely forgot me. It is high 
 time that I was milked. The horse too is 
 still in the meadow. You are a good-for- 
 nothing, forgetful little fellow ! " 
 
 Frank sprang up and cried : " yes, dear 
 Goat! this once I really did forget both you 
 and the horse. Come, let us go home as fast 
 as we can ! " 
 
 " Stay, dear child ! " said the Pine, " we are 
 just murmuring our evening prayers ; the birds 
 will all sing too, and you had better remain 
 and join us." 
 
 " Turn your talisman," bleated the goat, 
 " so that you will not hear all that chattering, 
 else you will never get away, and you know 
 you ought to go home with us." 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 187 
 
 Sighing deeply, the boy obeyed and followed 
 the goat, which gravely walked on before hirn, 
 every now and then turning his head round 
 toward his young master, as if to warn him 
 against the danger of stopping to indulge his 
 curiosity. He finally reached the cabin, still 
 listening to the rustling of the leaves and the 
 singing of the birds, although he could not 
 understand a single word they said. 
 
 From this time forth Frank dwelt in a mar- 
 vellous world. Often, he could hear nothing 
 distinctly, because all were talking at once, 
 and chiefly concerning indifferent matters. 
 The trees and plants were either wishing for 
 rain, or complaining of the too frequent visits 
 of the watery element. The birds were dis- 
 cussing their young and the best places to look 
 for food. The boy soon wearied of all this, 
 and, as he could now converse with any crea- 
 ture he fancied, his desire to do so was already 
 half satisfied. Hence he willingly followed 
 the fairy's advice, and usually wore the talis- 
 man so that he understood nothing : only when 
 he wished to talk with some particular individ- 
 ual did he turn it in the opposite direction. 
 
188 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 One day he was sitting on the grass watch- 
 ing his good friends, goat and horse, pasturing 
 in the meadow. Suddenly he thought : " Ah ! 
 they are my dearest companions. Old Blacko 
 often looks at me as wisely as if he knew all 
 I was saying. I will talk with him a little 
 while." He called the animal, which came 
 running toward him ; then, turning the talis- 
 man, he patted the faithful creature's neck, 
 and said : " Come now, you dear old Blacko, 
 have you nothing to tell me ? " 
 
 " My dear young friend," replied the horse, 
 " I cannot tell you a lively tale like the finch, 
 but I have long wished to narrate to you the 
 history of my life. You will find it very in- 
 structive, if you will only draw from it the 
 proper moral." 
 
 " Well, then, begin ! " said the boy, throw- 
 ing himself upon the grass. 
 
 The horse neighed several times to clear his 
 voice, and thus commenced : * — 
 
 " In my youth I was just as gay and sprightly 
 a young fellow as you, my dear Frank, and 
 
 * The horse's tale has been somewhat abridged in the 
 translation. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 189 
 
 like you I was never weary of running and 
 jumping about on the fresh, green earth. I 
 had many companions of my own age, and, 
 being very ambitious, I was anxious to sur- 
 pass them in every way. Soon, none could 
 equal me in speed, or in beauty of form and 
 color. My pride and vanity were both sat- 
 isfied. 
 
 " When we had grown of a proper age to be 
 useful, an aristocratic-looking stranger one 
 day came to visit our paddock. He was the 
 Prince's equerry, and was received with great 
 honor. When he came with our keeper to 
 look at us, I did my best to please him, and, 
 as I finished my last caracole, I heard him 
 say : < Bravo ! that is a noble animal, swift, 
 powerful, and handsome. He evidently comes 
 of a good stock, and I must have him for the 
 Prince ! ' 
 
 " That was music for my ears ; I neighed 
 loud and long, and proudly arched my neck. 
 The keeper seemed to think me too wild and 
 unmanageable for a riding-horse, but the 
 Prince's equerry insisted that, with proper 
 training, I should be a most valuable animal. 
 
190 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 " I listened with exultation to the whole 
 discussion : to be the Prince's own riding-horse 
 seemed to me the height of earthly felicity for 
 a noble animal like myself; and, to reach that 
 distinction, I determined patiently to bear all 
 the disagreeabilities attending the necessary 
 course of instruction. 
 
 " My school days being finally ended, I was 
 sumptuously caparisoned and taken to the 
 castle. There stood the Prince, surrounded 
 by his court and the officers of his staff. My 
 faultless limbs, graceful neck, fiery eyes, and 
 shining black coat elicited universal applause. 
 The manner in which I acquitted myself in 
 the display of my various accomplishments 
 gained me fresh admiration, and finally the 
 Prince himself cried : " To horse, gentlemen ! 
 we will take a ride, and I will myself give the 
 handsome black a trial." 
 
 " I neighed with joy. The Prince leaped 
 upon my back, and I pranced along, proud 
 of bearing such a rider. I obeyed the slightest 
 movement of his hand, and delightedly heard 
 him say he had never ridden so excellent a 
 steed. I 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 191 
 
 " My existence from that time was easy and 
 comfortable. My master often rode me; I was 
 •universally admired, and acknowledged to be 
 the first among all my comrades. For a short 
 time, this made me quite happy ; but one wea- 
 ries of admiration, as of all other merely selfish 
 pleasures. I had not a single friend ; I looked 
 down upon all around me as beneath my regard, 
 and consequently felt lonely and unhappy. 
 
 " In the next stall to me stood a gray horse, 
 which had made various advances toward win- 
 ning my good will ; but I had disdainfully re- 
 pulsed all his efforts to establish more intimate 
 relations between us. One day, I heard two 
 of the grooms discussing us, and making com- 
 parisons. One of them actually said he thought 
 my neighbor had more endurance than I, and 
 could outrun me in a race. You may imagine 
 my rage ; I contemptuously measured my rival 
 from head to foot, and wondered what any one 
 could find to admire in him. The very thought 
 made me foam at the mouth, and kick the straw 
 all about my stall. One of the grooms endeav- 
 ored to soothe and quiet me ; but as he was 
 the very individual that had ventured to criti- 
 
192 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 eise me, I only became the more furious, rear- 
 ing and stamping until he was forced to go 
 away. Then, exhausted with rage, I flung 
 myself down upon my straw bed. 
 
 " A few days later, there was to be a grand 
 hunt. As usual, I was selected to bear the 
 Prince, and all went well until, as we were rid- 
 ing along, he suddenly halted and gave some 
 order. I saw my neighbor, the gray, galloping 
 past me. The temptation was too strong ; now, 
 thought I, is my time for showing what I can 
 do. Regardless of my master's restraining 
 words, and his powerful hand upon my rein, 
 away I went, over ditch and hedge, leaving my 
 rival far behind me. In vain did the whole 
 company endeavor to stop me ; I only reared 
 and dashed on more swiftly than before. At 
 length, I beheld a rapid stream running directly 
 across my headlong path. I determined to leap 
 it. I did so, and with one bound stood safely 
 on the opposite shore. But alas ! my master 
 had lost his hold and fallen to the ground. It 
 was surely not my fault that he could not sit 
 fast in the saddle. At all events, I had proved 
 my superiority, and fairly distanced my rival. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 193 
 
 " But my ambition had this time played me 
 an evil turn. Although the Prince's injuries 
 were but slight, from that moment his love for 
 me was changed to aversion. I was placed 
 during a short time in the care of an under- 
 ling, who almost maddened me with daily 
 stripes, and was finally sold to a foreign horse- 
 dealer." 
 
 The horse ceased, and sighed deeply over the 
 remembrance of his brilliant youth, and the 
 mishap that had befallen him. 
 
 " Poor Blacko ! " said Frank, stroking his 
 mane. 
 
 After a pause, Blacko continued : " After 
 many vicissitudes, in which the desire to be 
 always first proved a constant source of mis- 
 fortune, I came into the service of a general. 
 As he rode at the head of his regiment, I had 
 no rivalry to fear, and was consequently very 
 docile and obedient. Your father, who was 
 then in the army, was my groom, and as he 
 invariably treated me well, I became very fond 
 of him. 
 
 " Soon a war broke out, and I was very glad, 
 for I thought it a good opportunity to win new 
 
 13 
 
194 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 laurels. I impatiently longed for the first bat- 
 tle ; — it came. The opposing armies met, and 
 the fight began. The trumpets sounded, the 
 thunder of the artillery, accompanied by deaf- 
 ening cries, burst upon the ear. I pawed the 
 ground, and longed to fly into the midst of the 
 fray. My master sat quietly on my back, keep- 
 ing his position on a small eminence, whence 
 he could oversee the fight, and issue his orders 
 accordingly. My impatience momentarily in- 
 creased, and suddenly our regiment rode past 
 at full speed. I could endure it no longer. 
 "Was not our place at the head of our troop ? 
 If my master so ill understood his duty, was it 
 not for me to teach it to him ? Away I went, 
 and we were soon where we belonged, — at the 
 head of our regiment, in the thick of the fight. 
 Fairly maddened by the noise of the cannon 
 and the trumpets, the smoke of the powder, 
 and the loud cries of the soldiery, I plunged and 
 reared about, until suddenly a lance entered 
 my right eye. The pain rendered me perfectly 
 frantic, and I remember nothing further until 
 I found myself lying bleeding and exhausted 
 in a grove near the field of battle. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 195 
 
 " The combat was over, and a peasant who had 
 lost his own horse in the war washed my wounds 
 and took me to his stable. Ah, Frank ! there 
 I first learned what poverty and misery meant. 
 The village had been sacked, the villagers had 
 but little to eat, and their animals, of course, 
 less. Our life was wretched enough. My 
 wounds healed, but I had lost one eye. The 
 peasant harnessed me to his plough and forced 
 me to labor. That was dull work for a crea- 
 ture that had been the favorite of a prince and 
 the pride of a regiment. I now learned, but, 
 alas ! too late, to rue my foolish pride and van- 
 ity. I was the cause of my own downfall, and 
 if I had only been reasonable, I might still 
 have been living in the Prince's stables. But 
 I had always suffered my passions to rule me, 
 and I felt that the humiliating servitude to 
 which I was now subjected was but a just pun- 
 ishment for my arrogance in the days of my 
 prosperity. 
 
 "Time passed. The country began to re- 
 cover from the disastrous effects of the war, 
 and my new master, the peasant, required ad- 
 ditional aid in the cultivation of his land. A 
 
196 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 stout, healthy horse of a good, working stock 
 was purchased, and I was forced to yield to 
 him my comfortable place in the stable, and 
 the best of my food. 
 
 " One day, when I was, as usual, laboring in 
 the field, and at the same time bewailing my 
 hard fate, a traveller passed along the road and 
 thus saluted my master : 4 Your lands look so 
 well, one would hardly think that but a few 
 years had passed since they were desolated by 
 so cruel a war ! ' 
 
 " £ We are beginning once more to lift up 
 our heads,' replied the peasant. 
 
 " At the first sound of the stranger's voice, I 
 pricked up my ears. I could not see him, for 
 he stood on my blind side ; but as soon as the 
 plough was turned, I recognized your father. 
 I can never forget my delight ; I neighed, and 
 went on like mad. My singular behavior at- 
 tracted your father's attention, and, in spite of 
 my altered appearance, the recognition and the 
 joy were mutual. 
 
 " He at once offered to buy me ; the price 
 was soon agreed upon, and then I came to live 
 with him in this fresh, green wood, where I 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 197 
 
 cheerfully serve both you and your excellent 
 father." 
 
 " Dear Blacko ! " said Frank, as the horse 
 ceased, " I never should have thought you 
 could ever have been so fiery an animal. But 
 it must have been a fine sight to see you run- 
 ning, and jumping, and leaping about ! Can 
 you do it yet ? " 
 
 " I think I can," said the horse, his eye 
 sparkling with youthful fire. 
 
 " "Well, then, let us for once ride through the 
 forest as fast as we can, and try some leaping 
 and jumping," cried the boy, springing on the 
 animal's back. 
 
 " Come, come, you had better let that 
 alone," bleated the goat ; " Blacko is old and 
 stiff, and should he try any youthful tricks, he 
 will certainly fall, and you with him ! " 
 
 " I am not stiff," angrily replied the horse ; 
 " and if I am old, I can still take a good leap. 
 Farewell, Mrs. Grumbler ! " 
 
 Away he went, and Frank cried out, laugh- 
 ing : " Farewell, Mrs. Grumbler ! " 
 
 Hop ! hop ! galloped they over stock and 
 stone into the very depths of the forest. Faster 
 
198 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 and faster they went, until Frank's hair 
 streamed behind him like a pennon in the 
 wind, and he fairly shouted with wild de- 
 light. 
 
 u Huzza, good Blacko, quicker, quicker ! 99 
 cried he, urging the old war-horse to still 
 greater exertions. At that moment, they 
 reached a deep hollow, surrounded by pine- 
 trees. Near it stood an old fir, half shattered 
 with lightning ; at its foot ran a brook ; Blacko 
 determined to leap over it. He gave a spring, 
 but unfortunately fell as his feet touched the 
 opposite side. Away went Frank, head over 
 heels, until he finally landed on his back 
 among the mosses at the foot of the fir. 
 
 Thus ended the mad ride, undertaken by 
 childish ignorance and the momentary revival 
 of the slumbering passions of age. If they had 
 only listened to the counsels of the sensible 
 goat ! 
 
 Blacko soon recovered himself, and rose to 
 his feet. But alas ! he had hurt one of his fore 
 legs ; he tried in vain to use it, and groaned 
 with pain. Then, sadly limping to the boy's 
 side, he licked his face, and tried in every way 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 199 
 
 to restore him to consciousness. His efforts 
 were soon successful ; Frank opened his eyes, 
 and looked about him inquiringly. He had 
 been stunned, but not injured, by his fall. 
 
 " How did it all happen, dear Blacko ? 
 asked he. 
 
 The old fir-tree rustled, and in a deep voice 
 replied : " This ground is cursed, and mis- 
 fortune clings to this spot, where a fearful 
 crime was once committed. Boy, in future 
 avoid this place, which you have to-day visited 
 for the first time." 
 
 Frank started and looked around him. The 
 place was indeed wild and desolate ; no birds 
 sang, no insects fluttered, or flowers bloomed, 
 within its melancholy precincts. The brook 
 flowed rapidly over the mossy stones, and soon 
 lost itself in the deep hollow. No fresh green 
 tree broke the sad uniformity of the dark pines 
 and firs. The boy shuddered ; but feeling cu- 
 rious to know the cause of this singular deso- 
 lation, he asked : " What, then, happened here 
 to make this place so fearful ? " 
 
 " I will gratify your curiosity," muttered the 
 old Fir, and tell you the story of 
 
200 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 THE MERCHANT AND CUNNING PEGGY. 
 
 " Many, many years ago, Germany was de- 
 vastated by a cruel war, which lasted thirty 
 years. When the war was over, many of those 
 who had been dependent upon it for their 
 means of subsistence found themselves without 
 a home or an occupation. Here in the wood, 
 under the shade of my spreading branches, a 
 small colony of men, women, and children 
 had built themselves a few huts, where they 
 lived apparently employed in burning charcoal, 
 but really deriving their support from highway 
 robbery. 
 
 " At that time the main road to B 
 
 wound through this hollow to the foot of yon- 
 der hill. One day the head of the pretended 
 coal-burners, commonly known as ' Black Nich- 
 olas,' entered the settlement with two of his 
 companions. 
 
 " ' If we succeed/ said he, 6 we are made 
 men ; we will each take our share, go where 
 we like, and begin a new life.' 
 
 " < And when do you expect Jacob ? ' asked 
 Red Andrew. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 201 
 
 44 4 He may come at any moment,' replied 
 Nicholas ; 4 are you armed ? ' 
 
 " 4 Yes,' answered the men, opening their 
 jackets and showing the knives and pistols in 
 their belts. 
 
 " 4 They will be of no use,' said Nicholas ; 
 4 you know that I have given my word that the 
 man's life shall be safe.' 
 
 44 i You ought not to have done so,' muttered 
 Andrew ; 4 suppose he should be armed, and 
 attempt to defend himself, are we to let our- 
 selves be shot down like so many dogs ? ' 
 
 " 4 The man will have no chance to act thus,' 
 replied Nicholas ; 4 my wife, Cunning Peggy, 
 has thought of a way which must certainly 
 render us successful.' 
 
 44 4 I can see nothing to be gained by it,' 
 returned Andrew. 4 I tell you it will have a 
 bad end somehow ; the man will certainly be- 
 tray us unless we leave him, like the others, 
 stiff and cold on the moor ! ' 
 
 " 4 Fool ! ' growled Nicholas, 4 if we divide 
 the plunder and at once depart from this place, 
 what have we to fear ? Besides, we could not 
 otherwise have made sure of so rich a booty. 
 
202 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 Stephen, who is now in the merchant's service, 
 and to whom wc owe our information with 
 regard to his movements, has sworn that lie 
 will warn his master, and induce him to go 
 some other way, unless we consent to give our 
 word, with the intention to stand by it, not to 
 take the man's life. The merchant will have 
 with him a large quantity of gold and jewels, 
 and Stephen, of course, must have his share ; 
 but he says the man must not be put to death, 
 because he has been to him a kind and excel- 
 lent master. Well, I could not avoid giving 
 Stephen the solemn oath he required, and what 
 is more, I mean to keep it ! ' 
 
 " The conversation was here interrupted by 
 the arrival of a rosy-cheeked boy, who came 
 running at full speed. 
 
 " 6 Well, Jacob ! ' cried Nicholas, ' what 
 news do you bring ? ' 
 
 " ' They are coming ! ' gasped the boy. ' The 
 merchant is riding on before ; he has his 
 portmanteau, containing his precious articles, 
 strapped to the saddle behind him, and his 
 money-belt round his waist. Stephen has 
 nothing on his horse but a change of clothes ; 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 203 
 
 he will keep a little behind, as if to arrange 
 his saddle, and you must meantime be ready 
 to do your work. He also bade me remind 
 you of your word, and tell you, if you failed to 
 keep it, it would certainly be so much the 
 worse for you.' 
 
 " i Good, good ! ' cried Nicholas ; ' how soon 
 will they be here ? ' 
 
 " 4 In about a quarter of an hour,' was the 
 reply. 
 
 " ' To your places ! ' commanded Nicholas. 
 6 Away, boy, and tell my wife that the women 
 must hold themselves in readiness.' 
 
 " The boy sprang into the thicket, and the 
 men also disappeared. 
 
 " The afternoon was very close, and a pro- 
 found silence reigned in the forest. I knew, 
 from sundry messages sent me by the west- 
 wind, that a storm was on its way. The air 
 was heavy, and I felt very anxious. 
 
 " Suddenly I heard the tramp of a horse ; it 
 came nearer and nearer. Soon, from my top- 
 most boughs, which overlooked a considerable 
 portion of the road, I could see two horsemen 
 approaching. 4 Back ! ' cried I, gesturing and 
 
204 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 making signs until my branches nearly swept 
 the ground. ' Back ! ' cried I to the pine ; 
 ' danger threatens the traveller ! ' The pine 
 passed the warning on to his neighbor, and 
 thus it went from tree to tree through the 
 whole forest. The consequence was a loud 
 rustling among all the branches. But the 
 traveller did not understand the warning, and 
 thought it merely a sudden gust of wind, the 
 forerunner of the storm. 
 
 " The horseman finally entered this hollow. 
 The horse trotted slowly onward, the rider sat 
 carelessly in his seat, and the bridle hung neg- 
 ligently upon the animal's neck. 
 
 " The servant who followed him now stopped 
 and busied himself with his saddle-girth, while 
 he looked searchingly round into the wood. 
 The traveller rode slowly forward, seemingly 
 unconscious of his servant's delay. Quiet still 
 reigned until he came to this spot, when a 
 great net was suddenly flung over horse and 
 rider. I perceived on a neighboring tree the 
 robber who had thrown the net over the mer- 
 chant's head. This then was Cunning Peggy's 
 device! Nicholas and his companions sprang 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 205 
 
 forward with a wild cry, and surrounded the 
 unhappy captive. Several women crept out of 
 the thicket and fastened the cord which drew 
 the net together to a tree. 
 
 " The unfortunate merchant angrily drew a 
 pistol from his belt ; the horse reared, but could 
 not free himself from the snare, and the rob- 
 bers, approaching from behind, soon disarmed 
 the captive. The net was then loosened, the 
 merchant thrown upon the ground, bound, and 
 robbed of his money-belt. Others took the 
 horse by the bridle and led him toward the 
 huts. Then the men derisively bade the mer- 
 chant adieu, and, wishing him a pleasant jour- 
 ney and success in his affairs, hastened away. 
 
 " 4 Miserable rascals ! ' cried the traveller, 
 foaming with rage, 6 you shall not long rejoice 
 in the success of your villany. I shall know 
 you all again, and justice will not be slow in 
 overtaking you ! ' 
 
 " The departing robbers had heard these 
 rash words ; — they stopped, and quickly re- 
 turned. Andrew raised his dagger, but Nicho- 
 las barred his way, crying : 4 Not his life ; I 
 have given my word ! ' 
 
206 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 " 6 He will then betray us ! ' murmured all. 
 
 " 1 0, I know a good way ! ' cried Cunning 
 Peggy, * you have guaranteed his life, Nicholas, 
 but not his eyes. Put out his eyes, and then 
 he will surely never know you ! ' 
 
 " This diabolical proposition was greeted 
 with loud applause. The men rushed upon 
 the poor victim. One heart-rending cry, and 
 the horrible deed was done ! 
 
 " The robbers unbound the poor, plundered, 
 blinded man, and returned into the thicket. — 
 The storm had made rapid advances, and the 
 sun was already hidden behind heavy gray 
 clouds. — There stood the unhappy man, the 
 blood gushing from the empty eye-sockets over 
 the deathly pale cheeks. Lifting his tremb- 
 ling arms to heaven, he cried : * Hear me, 
 Almighty God ! Thou who seest the secret 
 things of earth, and ever punishest crime ! I 
 curse these monsters ! I lay my especial curse 
 upon the woman who gave the devilish counsel 
 to blind me, and as I, through her fault, am 
 now deprived of the light of day, so may her 
 descendants never enjoy it. Hear me, thou 
 Avenger in heaven ; hear my curse, thou 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 207 
 
 righteous God ! Punish them, and avenge 
 me!' 
 
 " The unhappy man sank powerless to the 
 earth. A terrible thunder-clap gave answer to 
 these fearful words. The robbers, who had 
 overheard the blind man's curse, were panic- 
 stricken ; they hastened away from the scene 
 of horror, and all was for a moment quiet as 
 the grave. Then burst the storm ; the thun- 
 der rolled, and flash after flash of the most 
 vivid lightning rent the dark clouds. The rain 
 still delayed, sending only a few large drops to 
 announce its coming. 
 
 " Suddenly the bushes were opened, and a 
 young girl glided trembling from the thicket. 
 She knelt down beside the poor man, gently 
 kissed his hand, and wet it with her tears. He 
 did not move. She hastened to the neighbor- 
 ing brook, took off her linen neck-kerchief, tore 
 off two strips, which she dipped in the cold 
 water, then went back and laid them upon the 
 bleeding sockets, binding the remainder of the 
 kerchief round the head to keep the wet band- 
 ages in their places. Her tears flowed fast 
 over the poor man's face, and finally roused 
 
208 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 him from his swoon. Sighing deeply, he faintly 
 said : 1 Where am I ? ' 
 
 " ' Can yon walk, dear Sir ? ' asked the young 
 girl, in a low and trembling voice. 
 
 " 4 Who are you ? ' demanded he in return. 
 
 " 6 Alas ! do not ask me/ sobbed the maid- 
 en ; 6 were I to tell you, you would surely curse 
 me. Do not do it, Sir ; you see, I did not know 
 until a few moments ago what was the real oc- 
 cupation of my cousin and his wife. Now that 
 I know it, it will be impossible for me to remain 
 with them. They have committed a fearful 
 crime in depriving you of your sight. Alas ! 
 for such a loss there is no remedy. You must 
 away from here as fast as possible ; they might 
 return and murder you. But if you will not 
 permit me to lead you, you cannot go ; you 
 would run against every tree. 0, be pitiful ! 
 Let me be your eyes until I have led you to 
 your friends, and then treat me as if I had 
 indeed belonged to the robber band. I will 
 cheerfully suffer everything! Only, do not 
 curse me ! ' 
 
 " She again fell upon her knees and pressed 
 Iiis hand to her lips. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 209 
 
 " 6 1 curse no one, child ! ' said he, faintly. 
 t God will give me strength to bear my hard 
 fate. What do you mean by cursing ? I do 
 not think I have cursed any one ! ' 
 
 " 6 yes ! ' sobbed the maiden. 
 
 " 6 Then God forgive me ! ' cried the mer- 
 chant. 4 Pain and anger must have so dis- 
 turbed my mind that I knew not what I did. 
 No, a Christian should curse no one, — not 
 even his bitterest enemy. " Vengeance be- 
 longs to God alone." Alas ! I too have deeply 
 sinned upon this spot. Away ! Let us go 
 hence ! ' 
 
 " He sprang to his feet, and, stretching out 
 his hands, tottered a few steps forward. The 
 maiden gently laid her hand upon his arm, and 
 led him like a child. A sorrowful spectacle, 
 and one that might make a stone weep, much 
 more the kindly heavens, whence now flowed a 
 gentle rain. 
 
 " The crime proved of but little advantage to 
 the robbers ; for when they opened the mer- 
 chant's portmanteau, they found no gold nor 
 jewels, but in their stead a letter, from which 
 they learned that the merchant, having been 
 
 14 
 
210 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 warned of existing danger, had sent his valu- 
 ables by another route. The gold in the 
 money-belt was their only booty, and that, di- 
 vided among them all, did not amount to much. 
 They were hence obliged to abandon their plan 
 of at once leaving the forest, and lived on in 
 constant fear of discovery, which fear was in- 
 creased by the sudden disappearance of Nicho- 
 las's young cousin. The band was soon after 
 dispersed, only Nicholas and his wife remain- 
 ing in the old place. 
 
 " A short time after, Peggy had a son. He 
 was born blind. This discovery awakened the 
 conscience of the miserable woman. She again 
 heard in her ears the blind man's curse. She 
 saw that it had been thus far fulfilled ; and for 
 the first time in her life, she thought seriously 
 of God, the Omnipresent, the Avenger of crime. 
 A nameless anguish seized upon her heart ; her 
 many sins stood before her in crimson dyes, 
 and seemed to be calling down God's wrath 
 upon her miserable soul. She wept and wrung 
 her hands, but still did not dare penitently to 
 fall at her Lord's feet and implore his forgive- 
 ness. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 211 
 
 " She had never before cared to know our gra- 
 cious God, and hence she now only thought of 
 him as of a just avenger ; his love and mercy 
 to the penitent sinner were totally unknown 
 to her. 
 
 " The conscience of Nicholas was also aroused, 
 although he strove to persuade himself and his 
 wife that the misfortune which had befallen 
 their child was a mere accident, and by no 
 means the consequence of their sin, and the 
 merchant's curse. Meantime, he quitted the 
 miserable trade of robbing travellers, and really 
 became what he had pretended to be, — a char- 
 coal-burner. 
 
 " Time passed, and a daughter was born to 
 the hopeful parents. But alas ! this child was 
 also blind. Thus was the curse fearfully ful- 
 filled, and even Nicholas was forced to admit 
 the power of the Almighty. 
 
 "Just then, as if she had indeed been a 
 messenger from heaven, appeared the young 
 cousin, Elsie, who had so strangely vanished 
 on the day of the unhappy deed. 
 
 " She had led the blind man on, until, his 
 eyes becoming very much inflamed, he had 
 
212 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 fallen into a fever, and was forced to stop in a 
 little town, where he long lay dangerously ill. 
 Having no means of support, he must have 
 died of want had Elsie not nursed him and 
 begged for him. She made every sacrifice to 
 procure him the necessary comforts and means 
 of recovery, and watched at his bedside until 
 he was well enough to return to his home, 
 where he was a wealthy and distinguished 
 man. Elsie there witnessed the sorrow of his 
 excellent wife, and the grief of his children 
 when their father returned to them blind, but 
 she also saw how resignedly this pious family 
 bore their affliction. The merchant deeply 
 regretted the curse he had invoked, and re- 
 membering the Saviour's teaching (to return 
 good for evil), he bought a small farm and 
 gave it to Elsie, with the desire that she would 
 remove her relatives from the wood and settle 
 them upon it, that they might be enabled to 
 forsake their evil courses and become useful 
 members of society. Elsie herself was to re- 
 turn to him and live in his family, for he loved 
 her as a sister. This was the cause of Elsie's 
 reappearance in the forest, where she acquainted 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 213 
 
 the guilty pair with the noble proposition of 
 their late victim. 
 
 " I learned all this through conversations held 
 under the shadow of these trees, between the 
 young girl and her relatives. 
 
 " I know not what passed in the minds of 
 Nicholas and his wife, but I saw them leave 
 this wood, no longer bold and arrogant, but 
 sad, and as if bowed with the burden of their 
 sins. 
 
 " The jolace remained desolate, and the huts 
 fell to pieces, until not a post was left stand- 
 ing. I am the only one remaining of the trees 
 which beheld the frightful deed ; the rest have 
 all been felled, and I am now surrounded by 
 a younger but sadder generation. No birds 
 build their nests among our boughs, no squir- 
 rels hoard their winter provender in our hol- 
 lows, and no deer, or other wild creatures of 
 the forest, rest in our shade. All signs of 
 happy life have left the spot where the in- 
 human deed was committed. 
 
 " But the west-wind occasionally brings me 
 news of Cunning Peggy's descendants. She 
 and her husband sincerely repented of their 
 
214 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 misdeed, and earnestly strove to amend their 
 lives. Elsie brought them the Holy Scriptures, 
 and taught them to know the extent of God's 
 love and mercy toward the penitent sinner. 
 They gave themselves to Him with their whole 
 souls, and from that time bore the curse laid 
 upon them with humble resignation, recog- 
 nizing it as a just punishment for their crime. 
 
 " All their children were more or less blind, 
 and the curse still works. Peggy's descend- 
 ants all have weak eyes, and not one can clearly 
 see the light of day and the beauty of God's 
 world. Thus does God visit the parents' sins 
 to the third and fourth generations ! 
 
 " Boy ! beware of sin, and never forget that 
 what is hidden to man is yet open to God, 
 and that the crime committed in secret will 
 surely be punished in the face of the whole 
 world." 
 
 " that is frightful, horrible story ! " cried 
 the trembling boy " Fie, you ugly Fir-tree, 
 why did you tell me that ? Now I shall feel 
 afraid in the wood which I always loved so 
 dearly. I wish I were well away from this 
 place, but I do not know how I am ever to 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 215 
 
 get home again ! " exclaimed he, bursting into 
 tears. 
 
 " The frog shall show you the way," mur- 
 mured the Fir. "Follow him without fear. 
 Do not forget the sad story I have told you, 
 and let it be a warning whenever temptation, 
 in whatever shape it may, comes upon you." 
 
 A great frog here hopped out from among 
 the dry reeds, and winked with his green eyes 
 to the boy to follow him. Frank laid his 
 hand upon the neck of the horse, which 
 limped slowly after him, and sadly followed 
 his strange guide. Soon, the forest became 
 lighter ; green oaks and beeches, with a joy- 
 ous choir of birds, gave him a cordial greet- 
 ing, and even the little wild-flowers nodded 
 a friendly welcome. At length he found him- 
 self in a well-known path, and, once more 
 breathing freely, hastened toward the hut. 
 But he had already turned the talisman, for 
 he wished to hear no more that day. Shiver- 
 ing with horror, he entered his home and fell 
 upon his knees. He prayed long and fervently, 
 the more so that his conscience reproached 
 him with having of late almost forgotten his 
 
216 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 Father in heaven. With a beating heart lie 
 thought how soon, when far from God, he too 
 might become a sinner. 
 
 Thus had the fir-tree awakened his conscience, 
 and at the right moment warned him against 
 the greatest evil that can befall a human being, 
 indifference toward God our Lord and Father 
 in heaven ! 
 
 The following day Frank remained quietly 
 at home, thinking over the strange story he 
 had heard from the Fir. He made no use 
 of his talisman, lest some similar tale might 
 again greet his ears. He tended the horse, 
 which had happily met with but a slight in- 
 jury, and avoided the goat's reproachful looks, 
 which ever seemed to say to him : "If you 
 had only listened to Mrs. Grumbler's sensible 
 warning! How if the horse had broken his 
 neck, or you had injured yourself severely, 
 — what would your father have said ? " 
 
 His conscience reproached him with his 
 folly, and he determined in future to be more 
 careful. 
 
 These impressions gradually faded in the 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 217 
 
 boy's mind. He gayly drove old Blacko before 
 him, occasionally urging him to greater speed 
 with a loud Halloo ! But however far he wan- 
 dered into the forest, he always took especial 
 pains to avoid the dismal spot where grew the 
 old fir-tree. The horse soon entirely recovered, 
 but the boy would not mount him, lest he 
 should again meet with some accident. 
 
 One day he halted with his two charges in 
 a pleasant, green opening in the wood, where 
 both horse and goat found excellent pasturage, 
 and where they could quench their thirst in a 
 clear, cool spring. He laid himself down in 
 \h& shadow of a beech, and looked up among 
 the rustling leaves. Soon he seized his talis- 
 man, but again suddenly withdrew his hand. 
 He felt afraid lest he should hear another 
 story like that the Fir had told him. 
 
 The sun shone down from a cloudless sky, 
 the bees and beetles hummed, and the butter- 
 flies fluttered from one tree to another; but 
 the birds were silent in the burning midday 
 heat, and every creature sought the shade 
 for coolness and refreshment. The horse and 
 goat lay comfortably sleeping on the soft grass. 
 
218 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 Everything breathed of quiet and repose. Why 
 should not the boy follow the example of his 
 dear companions ? He closed his eyes and 
 listened to the humming of the insects, but 
 did not sleep, because he thought it would 
 be pleasant to know what the little winged, 
 humming, and buzzing creatures were saying. 
 He turned the talisman, and heard the follow- 
 ing song : — 
 
 " Gold-chafer, humm ! 
 Soon here will come 
 A princess fine 
 Who will be thine. 
 Then don thy best, 
 Prepare the feast. 
 Musicians small 
 Wait in the hall ; 
 The guests in state 
 Their queen await. 
 Lo, in her pride, 
 The lovely bride ! 
 Her broidered robe of gold, 
 Of wondrous worth untold ! 
 Her jewelled crown so fine, 
 From deepest, richest mine ! 
 A lily bright her ship, 
 Its masts with golden tip, 
 Its sails by spiders spun, 
 Its helm from fairies Avon, 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 219 
 
 A beetle gray to steer ! 
 
 The mossy shore they near ! 
 
 kingly chafer, come 
 
 Thy bride to meet ! — Humm ! humm ! " 
 
 Frank opened his eyes a little to see some- 
 thing of the wedding and the lovely little 
 hride. The beetles buzzed about, and seemed 
 to be all going toward a hollow in one of the 
 branches. Each beetle and butterfly bore 
 with him some beautiful offering. One car- 
 ried a tall flower-stamen, another a slender 
 grass filament ; two, by uniting their strength, 
 strove to bear along a small cake of hardened 
 resin which glittered like gold, while others 
 trailed behind them gossamer webs. All flew 
 into the hollow, and adorned the dark walls 
 with their precious gifts. On a downy leaf 
 sat a beautiful, shining gold-chafer, on whose 
 head two companions, one with blue and the 
 other with purple wings, were placing a tiny 
 but exquisitely wrought crown. 
 
 Suddenly, two common beetles buzzed in 
 and announced the arrival of the royal bride. 
 The crowned gold-chafer immediately spread 
 his wings, and, followed by his whole court, 
 
220 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 flew off to the spring. He had no sooner 
 reached its brink, and settled on a long grass- 
 stalk, than a pretty little ship, made of a water- 
 lily, with gossamer sails, appeared upon the 
 water. However beautiful the tiny vessel 
 might be, no one thought of admiring it after 
 the charming princess had left her crimson 
 tent. She was attired exactly as the song 
 had portrayed, and her beauty was beyond 
 description. Many little ladies and gentle- 
 men followed in her train. They seemed to 
 be taking leave of their mistress, bowing and 
 kissing her hand and her garments, until the 
 gold-chafer, alighting on the rim of the vessel, 
 put an end to the affecting scene. 
 
 He bent his crowned head, and gave his 
 royal bride a tender and respectful greet- 
 ing After returning his salutation, she was 
 lifted up by two distinguished lords of her 
 court, and seated upon the outspread wings 
 of her betrothed. She bent her head and 
 waved her hand in token of farewell ; the 
 gold-chafer then rose and flew away with the 
 little princess to the hollow in the tree, while 
 the pretty ship sank back among the waves. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 221 
 
 The whole of the princess's retinue followed 
 the royal pair to the lofty palace, where the 
 bride and groom were greeted with loud Vi- 
 vats ! and a most enthusiastic clapping of glit- 
 tering wings. The princess graciously bowed 
 and said : " Beloved and faithful subjects ! I, 
 the representative of a distinguished race of 
 elves, have, in spite of the opposition of my 
 noble relatives, determined to become your 
 queen. I hope you will show yourselves duly 
 grateful for this condescension, and lend me 
 your wings whenever I wish to take a fly ; for 
 it does not become my dignity to use those 
 growing from my own shoulders. This service 
 will be an easy one, as I am very light, and 
 you well know that every nation must bear 
 its burdens, not even excepting the nation of 
 beetles. In conclusion, I must inform you 
 that the spider is an old enemy to my race, 
 although we highly prize her labors, as you 
 may see by the veil floating over my shoulders. 
 Should any of these malicious monsters find 
 their way into our kingdom, I trust you will 
 destroy them. I rely upon your love and 
 truth ! You are. now dismissed. Remember 
 
222 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 when you are in need, that you will always 
 find me a gracious sovereign." 
 
 " Long live our king and queen ! " again 
 buzzed the people, clapping their wings. The 
 king went, with his bride and the most dis- 
 tinguished of the lords and ladies, into his 
 castle, where the wedding was celebrated and 
 a sumptuous feast spread out. The common 
 people flew away, and all around the tree was 
 once more quiet. Suddenly, a great spider let 
 herself down from one of the higher branches. 
 Rapidly but noiselessly she spun a thick web 
 before the opening. Poor little princess ! poor 
 king gold-chafer ! while you are gayly sup- 
 ping, your enemy has made you captives. 
 Where are ye all, ye beetles ! Where are the 
 watchfulness, the love and truth ye so recently 
 promised ! Each has flown away in pursuit 
 of his own pleasures, courting the flowers or 
 luxuriating in the sunlight ; not one has re- 
 membered his duty, not one has thought of 
 keeping watch over the entrance to the royal 
 dwelling. The enemy is already in the land, 
 at the very door of the king's palace, — and 
 the people do not even know it! No long 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 223 
 
 trains of armed warriors come to the rescue, 
 — and thus the web, the work of diabolical 
 hatred, is finished, and the poisonous spider 
 sits in the corner and awaits her prey. 
 
 Frank hastily sprang up from the ground. 
 " Wait a moment ! " cried he, " wait a moment, 
 you ugly spider ! you shall not complete your 
 villany. I will deliver the pretty little prin- 
 cess and the kingly gold-chafer ! " 
 
 " Be quiet, boy ! " said the Oak, in solemn 
 tones ; " the little elf is not powerless ; she can 
 leave her dwelling in the hollow whenever 
 she pleases, by ten other routes. She only 
 wished to try the love and fidelity of her new 
 subjects, and has no real reason to fear the 
 spider. Leave her to manage matters in her 
 own way, and give me your attention while 
 I redeem a promise made you some time ago, 
 by telling you what happened in this wood 
 when I was a child like you. This is the 
 first time you have visited this place since 
 the day you received the talisman, and yet 
 this is the very spot where the wondrous gift 
 was presented to you. Collect your wits, and 
 listen to me attentively." 
 
224 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 " Only do not let your story be too horri- 
 ble," said Frank, with whom curiosity had 
 gained the victory over fear. 
 
 The Oak rustled all its leaves, and thus be- 
 gan : " Boy, I will now lead your mind back 
 many hundred years, and will tell you about 
 
 WODAFS' OAK. 
 
 " In the olden time, before the light of Chris- 
 tianity shone over our beloved country, this 
 wood was a sacred grove ; that is, a wood in 
 which, according to the belief of the ancient 
 Germans, the gods had established their dwell- 
 ing. The axe was forbidden to touch us. The 
 priests here conducted their idolatrous wor- 
 ship, of which human sacrifices not unfre- 
 quently made a part. This spot was their 
 sacrificial ground, and near it stood my moth- 
 er, then a lofty and beautiful oak-tree, conse- 
 crated to their mightiest deity, Wodan. Be- 
 neath her spreading branches stood the altar, 
 built of rough stones, whereon bled the victims, 
 captives taken in war, or unhappy creatures 
 who had sinned against the sanctity of the 
 place, or against Wodan himself. Their skulls 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 225 
 
 were left to whiten upon spears encircling the 
 sanctuary, and in its midst the blackened 
 earth showed where the flames were kindled 
 when the poor victims were doomed to death 
 by fire. 
 
 " Centuries had thus passed away amid the 
 sacred groves. Suddenly, danger menaced the 
 venerated divinities ! One day we heard two 
 priests talking about the victorious king of the 
 Franks, who everywhere announced the God of 
 the Christians, and induced the conquered peo- 
 ple to be baptized. They gnashed their teeth, 
 and devoted all the Franks to death and ruin. 
 Throwing themselves on the ground at my 
 mother's feet, they solemnly swore to put to 
 death every Frank that should fall into their 
 hands. 
 
 " Time passed on, and we heard only vague 
 rumors of the progress of the Franks, who Jiad 
 already entered our native land. 
 
 " But, on one memorable night, — the moon 
 was shining down bright and clear upon the 
 altar and bleaching the ghastly bones of the 
 latest victims, — I suddenly heard a rustling 
 among the bushes, and out from yonder thicket 
 
 15 
 
226 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 stepped a pair whom I had never before seen, — 
 a young Frankish knight and a German maid- 
 en. The latter clung timidly to the young 
 man's arm, and whispered : 6 Otho, whither 
 have we wandered ! This is the sacred grove, 
 and yonder stands "Wodan's oak. Away, 
 away from this fearful place ! ' 
 
 " 6 It was no accident, Alma,' replied the 
 knight ; ' I brought you here on purpose. Here, 
 in the very presence of the idols which you 
 once worshipped, should you renounce their 
 service. You will hence be more firmly con- 
 vinced that they are mere delusions, dead and 
 powerless, bearing no comparison with the 
 might and majesty of the living God.' 
 
 "'Let us fly, Otho! We are both lost if 
 the priests find us here,' said the maiden 
 anxiously. 
 
 " 4 1 dare their might, and all the power of 
 the master whom they serve/ cried the youth 
 with kindling glance. 6 1 stand here in the 
 name of my Lord and Saviour, in the name of 
 the triune God, to fulfil His command, and 
 save a soul from destruction. He is with me ; 
 whom should I fear ? ' 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 227 
 
 " The maiden folded her hands, and bowed 
 her head. Profound stillness reigned through 
 the forest. Lifting her gleaming eyes to 
 heaven, she slowly sank upon her knees, and 
 said : ' I believe that Thou art the one only- 
 true God, the God of the Christians, and 
 that Jesus Christ is thine only and eternal 
 Son, who became man for the salvation of all 
 who believe in him ! Saviour of the world ! 
 I am a poor, weak maiden, still young in the 
 faith ; but my heart and soul are thine, thine 
 only. Receive me into the band of thy follow- 
 ers ; let me become wholly thine through holy 
 baptism ; bless and strengthen me, that when 
 death and danger threaten, I may never fail to 
 acknowledge thee as my Lord and my God. 
 Amen ! ' 
 
 " The knight listened with deep emotion to 
 the maiden's prayer. When she had ended, 
 he placed his sword in the ground so that the 
 cruciform hilt stood upright before her, and, 
 hastening to the spring, brought thence some 
 water in his helmet. He then baptized the 
 maiden according to the form prescribed by 
 the Christian Church. Both then fervently 
 
228 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 prayed together a few moments, when the 
 knight lifted the excited girl from the ground, 
 thrust his sword into its scabbard, and re- 
 turned the same way by which they had 
 come. 
 
 " A loud rustling was heard through all the 
 grove, which truly had never beheld anything 
 of that kind before. 
 
 " The solemnity of the holy ceremony had 
 been undisturbed, and yet the betrayer was at 
 hand. A young boy belonging to the priests 
 had been hidden in the thicket, and had seen 
 and heard all that had passed. The faith of the 
 Christian maiden was soon put to the proof. 
 
 " A few days later, the forest resounded with 
 loud cries, and we beheld a solemn procession 
 approaching. First came the armed men, with 
 their long, fair hair. They were dressed in 
 skins, the heads of the animals hanging down 
 behind, between the shoulders, or drawn up 
 over their heads, so that they looked like 
 wolves or bears. All bore a large, painted 
 wooden shield, and carried a long spear, a 
 broadsword, and a deadly sling. They drew 
 forth melancholy tones from their rude horns, 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 229 
 
 accompanied by wooden drums. They solemnly 
 arranged themselves in a wide circle round 
 the place of sacrifice. Then came the priests, 
 led by the high-priest, who brought with him 
 sundry small idols, which he placed upon the 
 altar. All bowed as they passed Wodan's Oak. 
 Among the priests walked the maiden who had 
 here been baptized but a few days before. 
 Four priests bearing lighted torches marched 
 by her side. The maiden was deadly pale, and 
 her long, fair hair flowed down to her feet. 
 Her hands were folded across her breast, and 
 her eyes lifted to heaven. 
 
 " When all had taken their appropriate 
 places, the high-priest thus addressed the Chris- 
 tian maiden : 6 For the last time do I now ap- 
 peal to thee, Alma, thou degenerate daughter 
 of the noble Eric ! Wilt thou at length ac- 
 knowledge the heinousness of thy crime ? Art 
 thou prepared to deny thy false, new faith, and 
 once more swear obedience and fidelity to our 
 ancient and revered divinities ? If so, Wodan 
 may still pardon thee, and spare thy life. If 
 not, thou must miserably perish in the flames. 
 Behold ! The pile is ready ! ' 
 
230 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 " < I have found the one true God,' said 
 Alma, in a steady voice ; 6 and I cannot deny 
 him. Even in the anguish of death must I ac- 
 knowledge him and his only Son, Jesus Christ, 
 my Lord and Saviour ! I stand here under 
 his protection, and no one can injure a hair of 
 my head if it be not his will. If my Lord has 
 destined me to die a martyr's death for the 
 strengthening and purification of my faith and 
 the salvation of my soul, he will aid me to 
 bear it courageously, and perhaps also bless 
 it to your benefit, you poor blinded servers 
 of idols. I do not tremble ; my God will 
 strengthen me in the hour of trial, and even 
 among the flames will refresh me with the 
 waving of the heavenly palms ! ' 
 
 " < Miserable girl ! ' cried the priest ; 'no 
 longer delay will be allowed you ; you have 
 thrown away your last chance for life ! Bind 
 her upon the pile ! ' 
 
 " Two priests were about to fulfil this com- 
 mand, when the maiden sank at the feet of an 
 old, gray-haired warrior, who stood mournfully 
 contemplating the scene. 
 
 " ' My father ! ' cried she, 6 my father ! forgive 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 231 
 
 nie that I have grieved you. Do not let me 
 die burdened with your curse ; tell me that you 
 have forgiven your Alma.' 
 
 " The old man pushed her back, turned away 
 from her, and covered his face with the wolf's 
 head belonging to his raiment. 
 
 " ' Before God's throne, where I hope soon to 
 kneel, will I pray that the Lord will enlighten 
 thee with his grace, and free thy noble heart 
 from the abomination of idolatry. There shall 
 we meet again ! Farewell, father ! ' 
 
 " Tears stifled her voice and flowed fast 
 over the old man's feet, which she kissed re- 
 peatedly. The priests lifted her from the 
 ground and bore her to the pile. She was 
 quickly bound to the stake and the pyre kin- 
 dled at every corner, while the priests and 
 the people performed the usual ceremonies. 
 
 " Old Eric leaned upon his shield, his eyes 
 fastened upon his daughter. The maiden 
 stood upon the pile, and, raising her eyes, 
 fervently prayed. The flames mounted and 
 already waved round her light robe and her 
 golden hair. Lifting her arms imploringly 
 toward heaven, she cried: 6 Almighty and 
 
232 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 merciful God ! Jesus Christ, my Lord and 
 Saviour ! if it can be, save me ! save me ! 
 Pray for me, Holy Virgin ! Help, save me, 
 Christ, my Lord and Saviour ! ' 
 
 " The mounting flames suddenly wavered, 
 and, darting their fiery tongues along the border 
 of the burning pile, left the maiden untouched. 
 A gentle rain fell softly from the sky, and soon 
 extinguished the fire. The maiden stood with 
 flushing cheeks and gleaming eyes, while from 
 her lips flowed grateful words of praise and 
 thanksgiving. She seemed rapt, and lost to 
 the realities around her. 
 
 " A wild clamor followed the first surprise. 
 c Down with the sorceress ! ' cried several 
 threatening voices. ' No, her God is mighty, 
 he protects her ! ' cried others. Suddenly, 
 rising above all other sounds, was heard the 
 blast of a trumpet. 
 
 " ' The enemy ! To arms ! The enemy ! ' 
 shouted the sentries, while hundreds repeated 
 the cry ; and, lifting their shields and draw- 
 ing their swords, the warriors rushed into the 
 wood whence came the alarm. 
 
 " But a few priests with their head had re- 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 233 
 
 mained behind, and were now lying prostrate 
 under the oak, crying to Wodan to give their 
 arms the victory. 
 
 " Alma was still bound to the stake, her 
 arms lifted in prayer, while her countenance, 
 beaming with holy enthusiasm, showed that her 
 spirit was still dwelling in heavenly regions. 
 
 "Thus on the same spot prayed the blind 
 heathen and the faithful Christian. 
 
 " Nearer and nearer came the wild tumult. 
 6 Fly ! All is lost ! The Franks are victori- 
 ous ! ' cried the fleeing Germans. 
 
 " ' Not one step farther shall you bear your 
 shame, coward ! ' exclaimed the high-priest, 
 felling one of the fugitives to the earth. 6 And 
 you, who by your magic arts have delivered 
 yourself from the flames, shall find no way 
 of escaping from my hand. - Wodan is angry, 
 — he asks a victim. Behold it here, mighty 
 One ! ' 
 
 "The wrathful minister of Wodan leaped 
 upon the pile, and, lifting his axe, was about 
 to let it fall with fearful force upon the maid- 
 en's head, when his strong arm sank powerless, 
 stricken from his shoulder, whence flowed a 
 
234 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 stream of blood ; while, like the angel of battle, 
 with bloody sword and uplifted shield, knight 
 Otho stood before the rescued maiden. 
 
 " < Victory ! victory ! ' shouted the Franks ; 
 while all the Germans who were not slaugh- 
 tered on the battle-field, or who did not seek 
 safety in flight, were captured and disarmed. 
 Thus were they overwhelmed on the very spot 
 where, secure in their own strength, they had 
 so recently purposed offering so horrible a 
 sacrifice. 
 
 " While a portion of the Franks pursued the 
 fugitives, and renewed the combat in various 
 parts of the wood, Otho, with his immediate 
 followers, remained near the pyre. His sword 
 soon loosened the maiden's bonds, and a little 
 water, brought by a soldier in his casque, proved 
 most refreshing to her exhausted frame. After 
 returning thanks to God and the knight for 
 her deliverance, she asked for her father, and 
 her anxious glance sought him out among the 
 wounded captives. Her presentiment had not 
 deceived her, for there he lay, with a deep 
 wound in his head whence flowed a stream 
 of blood. She hastened to him, washed his 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 235 
 
 wounds, and bound them up as well as possible 
 under the circumstances ; but scarcely had the 
 warrior opened his dying eyes and recognized 
 his daughter, when he turned away from her 
 as if in horror. 
 
 " 4 My father ! ' cried she, with the tears 
 rolling over her cheeks, 4 my good, noble 
 father! Do you not then see that the gods 
 whom you have hitherto served are mere dead, 
 powerless idols ? Was I not in their power, 
 and have you not yourself seen how my God, 
 the only true one, saved me from the flames ? 
 This one sign should suffice for you ; and yet 
 there is another quite as wonderful. The 
 Franks have conquered, and here, in the sacred 
 grove, in view of Wodan's consecrated oak, 
 here where you believed that the gods them- 
 selves dwelt, has the victory been won. You 
 must then acknowledge Wodan's powerless- 
 ness, and the might and majesty of the Chris- 
 tians' God!' 
 
 44 4 Wodan is angry, and hence hath delivered 
 us into the hands of our enemies,' said Eric ; 
 4 but he will soon arise and with one blow an- 
 nihilate all who oppose him. It is thine apos- 
 
236 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 tasy, unhappy girl, which has brought this 
 woe upon us ! Dost thou hear the rustling in 
 the sacred oak? Should a sacrilegious hand 
 be laid upon it, Wodan would surely arise in 
 all his might. ' 
 
 " < No, no, — never, never ! ' said a mild but 
 powerful voice ; while from among the crowd 
 of warriors stepped forth a man of noble pres- 
 ence, arrayed in the garb of a Christian priest. 
 He bore a large cross, which he planted in 
 the earth beside him, and, lifting his hand to 
 command silence, thus addressed the multi- 
 tude : 4 Hear me, ye poor blinded people ! I 
 am sent by the one true God and his only Son, 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, with the aid of the 
 Holy Spirit to bring you peace and life : peace 
 upon earth, and life everlasting ! 
 
 " 6 Christ, our Lord and Saviour, the eternal 
 Son, who was before the world began, taking 
 pity upon our fallen, sinful race, became a 
 man like unto us ; but although he was 
 tempted, no shadow of sin was ever found in 
 him, and thus, as the pure Lamb of God, he 
 took upon himself the sins of the whole world, 
 and died on the cross to deliver us from the 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 237 
 
 curse our sins had brought upon us. He died 
 and was buried, but the grave had no power 
 over him ! The third day he rose again, and 
 after dwelling forty days upon the earth, he 
 ascended into heaven in the sight of multi- 
 tudes of men, who stood ready to attest what 
 they had seen with the last drop of their blood ; 
 he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the 
 right hand of God, whence he shall come to 
 judge the living and the dead ! And all who 
 believe in him and in his saving death shall 
 be delivered from their sins, and, through his 
 perfect righteousness, shall also one day stand 
 purified and justified in the sight of God, and 
 be received as heirs into the kingdom of heaven. 
 And this loving Saviour and his divine teach- 
 ing do I now preach to you. do not delay ! 
 Come all of ye, and through holy baptism re- 
 ceive the glory of the children of God ! Shall 
 your Saviour in vain offer you salvation, and 
 say to you, " Give me thy heart, my son, my 
 daughter ! " give it to him, solely and en- 
 tirely ! And that you may see that you have 
 hitherto served false gods, I will prove to you 
 how powerless they are. Then, in God's holy 
 
238 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 name, I lay my hand upon this oak and fell 
 it, that you may be entirely convinced of the 
 error of your belief! 
 
 " 6 Almighty God ! open the eyes and the 
 hearts of this people, and send down thy holy 
 grace as a gentle dew, that thy sacred word 
 may take root in their souls, and they may be 
 converted to thee. In thy name, thou All- 
 Powerful, do I now begin the work, Amen ! ' 
 
 " Profound silence reigned during the Bish- 
 op's speech. The eyes of the captives were 
 turned upon him with an expression partly 
 anxious and partly wrathful ; but as he lifted 
 the axe, and struck the first blow upon the 
 stem of the sacred oak, a cry of horror rang 
 through the air. All, except Alma and the 
 Franks, fully expected some fearful conse- 
 quence to follow the rash act. But blow fol- 
 lowed blow, and yet no supernatural aid came 
 to the rescue of the threatened tree. The 
 heathen priests cried aloud to Wodan for aid 
 and vengeance, but their prayers remained 
 unanswered. At a sign from the Bishop, many 
 soldiers came forward and aided him in his 
 work. The queenly oak, my hitherto so pro- 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 239 
 
 foundly venerated mother, bowed her leafy 
 crown and finally sank upon the earth. An- 
 other cry, and all again was still. The Bishop 
 embraced the cross, knelt down, and entoned 
 the 4 Hallelujah.' All the Franks followed his 
 example. 
 
 " When the hymn was ended, Eric rose with 
 considerable effort, and, offering the Bishop his 
 hand, said in a steady voice : 1 1 here renounce 
 Wodan and the gods whom I have hitherto 
 served, and acknowledge the God of the Chris- 
 tians ! I have but a few moments to live, and 
 hence have no time to study more profoundly 
 the Christian doctrine, but my soul longs for 
 holy baptism, and my heart rests upon my 
 Saviour. Blessings upon thee, my daughter, 
 that thou hast preceded me in finding the 
 truth ! But hasten ! I feel — my life ebbing ! ' 
 
 " The Bishop approached, and with great 
 solemnity performed the sacred rite. Eric's 
 eyes glistened, but he strove in vain to speak, 
 and, seizing the hands of Otho and Alma, who 
 knelt beside him, joined them together and 
 looked imploringly toward the Bishop. The 
 latter understood the dying father's wish, and 
 
240 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 forthwith united the youthful pair in marriage. 
 When the ceremony was ended, the gray-haired 
 warrior laid his hands in blessing upon his 
 children's heads, and, with a look of deep 
 affection, bowed his face and yielded up his 
 spirit. 
 
 " Thus did Christ triumph over the hea- 
 then, for Eric's companions soon followed his 
 example, and erelong the one true God was 
 worshipped throughout the land. The sacred 
 groves vanished and the idolatrous altars were 
 overthrown. In their places rose many church- 
 es, whose bells still call the faithful to prayer. 
 On this very spot there was a chapel which 
 stood for several centuries, until it was finally 
 destroyed during a bloody war, and now not 
 a vestige is left remaining except a few stones 
 clinging to my roots, so that I may truly say 
 I stand upon holy ground. Otho and Alma 
 established themselves in the land, and became 
 the progenitors of a noble race, whose fortunes 
 I have not been able to follow, as I am fast 
 bound to this one spot." 
 
 " That is a wonderful tale," said Frank, as 
 the Oak ceased, " but I do not exactly under- 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 241 
 
 stand it. Were there indeed, in those times, 
 men who knew nothing of God and our dear 
 Saviour ? " 
 
 " Certainly, my child ; you must believe 
 what I tell you," replied the Oak, " and when 
 you are older and have learned more, you will 
 better understand my words. Until then, keep 
 them in your memory, and let your mind dwell 
 especially upon the fact that the Almighty is 
 everywhere present, that in time of trial and 
 danger he is always nigh to support and con- 
 sole his faithful followers, and that Christ, the 
 Light of the world, must ever triumph over 
 death and darkness. Give him your young 
 heart, always hearken to the law of the Lord, 
 and peace and innocence will never depart 
 from you." 
 
 " Halloo ! Frank, where are you ? " sud- 
 denly cried out a well-known voice. With a 
 cry of joy, Frank sprang up, and, followed by 
 his two faithful companions, hastened to greet 
 his father. 
 
 The ^charcoal-burner heartily embraced his 
 son, whom he had not seen for two weeks, and 
 whom he rejoiced to find so well and happy. 
 
 16 
 
242 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 He then bade him fetch the sacks, and to help 
 him with the wagon, as he intended going to 
 town early the next morning, to sell his coal. 
 The provisions were nearly exhausted, and the 
 father looked through everything with his son, 
 to know what was needed. As there was 
 plenty to be done, it was quite late before they 
 went to rest. Early next morning the father 
 departed, after taking an affectionate leave of 
 Frank, and telling him, if he would be very 
 busy, and have everything clean and nice by 
 his return, he should be well rewarded, and 
 have something very beautiful from the city. 
 
 You ought to have seen how Frank went 
 to work ! He spared neither labor nor water, 
 and rubbed away at the floor of the hut until 
 the sweat stood upon his brow. His trouble 
 was not in vain, and he fairly laughed with 
 delight as the planks became dry, and looked 
 so clean and white. He then went to the pots 
 and dishes, and finally to the yard and stable. 
 He made a new bed of dry leaves for the good 
 horse to sleep on, and had just lain himself 
 down upon it to try if it were soft enough, 
 when he heard in the distance the rattling of 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 243 
 
 cart-wheels. Springing up, lie ran to meet the 
 welcome travellers, and joyfully embraced, first 
 his father, and then old Blacko. 
 
 The father showed himself well satisfied 
 with Frank's diligence ; and, after arranging 
 the provender he had brought with him, leav- 
 ing a portion with Frank and taking the 
 remainder to the coal-heaps, he once more put 
 his hand into his sack, and said : " Now guess, 
 my lad ! What have I here ? " 
 
 Frank made great eyes, and curiously felt 
 all round the tied-up parcel. 
 
 " Guess, my son ! " laughed the father. 
 
 But that was too difficult a task for our 
 Frank ; he had never been in the city, and did 
 not at all know what kind of beautiful things 
 were to be found in it. Finally, the father cut 
 the string, opened the paper, and showed the 
 astonished boy a beautiful picture-book ! And 
 what a picture-book it was ! There were 
 Adam and Eve in Paradise, with all sorts of 
 plants and animals round them, the apple-tree 
 with the serpent, and even the angel with the 
 flaming sword. On other leaves, one saw the 
 pious Abel murdered by his brother Cain ; 
 
244 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 Abraham and Isaac ; Jacob and his sons ; Saul 
 and David, etc. ; — all pictures taken from Bible 
 history, and all colored with red, green, yellow, 
 and blue. On the reverse of each leaf stood 
 the explanation of the picture, and an appro- 
 priate verse. 
 
 " You can read, my son," said the father ; 
 u now study your book carefully, and you will 
 learn many excellent things from it ; whatever 
 you do not understand, I will explain to you 
 when I am at home in the winter. Be good 
 and industrious, that you may in future be- 
 come a worthy, useful man." 
 
 When the father left, on the following 
 morning, Frank felt less lonely than usual, for 
 he now had a new companion, a book he could 
 call his own. He opened it, and read and read, 
 until his eyes were quite weary. He forgot 
 both horse and goat, as well as his talisman. 
 Finally he left off reading, and only looked at 
 the pictures. 
 
 " That was real hateful in you, Mrs. Eve, to 
 be so curious and disobedient. Could n't you 
 have let that apple hang in peace upon the 
 tree ? It surely was not hunger that drove 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 245 
 
 you to disobedience, for only see how many 
 fruits are hanging round, — surely enough to 
 have contented you ! If I had been in your 
 place, I would not have touched the apple, let 
 the false serpent say what he might. The ani- 
 mals in Paradise must have known how to talk, 
 and Adam and Eve must have understood all 
 they said without any talisman. It is really 
 wonderful, that talisman ! How is it that I 
 can only understand the trees and the animals, 
 when the little bird rests upon my heart? 
 What can be the reason of it ? I never thought 
 of it before, but now I must try and find out 
 all about it." 
 
 He took out the talisman and turned it 
 round several times. It seemed to him as if 
 the little bird moved its eyes, and he thought 
 he heard a sweet, clear voice singing softly 
 within the wonderful case. With ever increas- 
 ing surprise and curiosity, he held the talisman 
 to his ear, and distinctly perceived a sound as 
 of little silver bells. 
 
 "What can it be?" cried the boy. "If I 
 could only open the talisman and see what is 
 singing and ringing so sweetly ] " 
 
246 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 " Touch the bird's topknot, and the lid will 
 spring open ! " said a harsh voice. 
 
 The boy looked round half frightened, to 
 discover whence the voice proceeded, and could 
 see nothing but a great toad, which, seated 
 upon a stone, seemed to be warming itself in 
 the sunshine. 
 
 " Yes, my son, it is I !" snarled the ugly 
 creature, as the boy's eyes fell upon it. " It is 
 I who have told you how you may see all the 
 beautiful things shut up in that little box. 
 What good do they do you now ? I am sure 
 it is a very small matter to be able to under- 
 stand what the trees and the animals say. As 
 soon as you are fairly possessed of the contents 
 of the talisman, you can really call yourself 
 the master of the whole world. All the powers 
 of nature must serve you ; you will rule over 
 the elements, over gold and jewels, and all the 
 hidden treasures of wisdom will of themselves 
 come to you. You may then go out into the 
 beautiful world and enjoy all the pleasures of 
 life to eternity, for even death will be subject 
 to your magic power, and cannot touch you. 
 Delay no longer, then, but open the mysterious 
 talisman ! " 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 247 
 
 Frank heard these alluring words with a 
 beating heart ; he was about to press his finger 
 upon the spring, when his conscience spake : 
 " Hold ! the fairy forbade it ! " Bowing his 
 head, he repeated these words aloud. 
 
 A scornful laugh replied to this doubt. 
 " Fool ! " cried the toad, " blind fool ! Do you 
 not see that the fairy laid such great stress 
 upon the prohibition, because she knew that, 
 as soon as you were in possession of the magic 
 secret, she, as well as the rest of creation, 
 would be subject to your power ? " 
 
 " But she will punish me severely," replied 
 Frank, " when she sees that I have disobeyed 
 her." 
 
 " Do you not yet understand me, silly fool ? 
 You will be the fairy's lord and master ; how 
 then can she punish you ? " said the toad, im- 
 patiently. 
 
 " That is true ! " cried the boy, with a light- 
 ened heart ; " I did not hear that part. No 
 indeed, I have no reason to be afraid of her ! " 
 
 " But you are very ungrateful," whispered 
 his conscience, knocking loudly within his 
 bosom ; " the good fairy, out of pure love, lent 
 
248 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 you the talisman ; she did not give it to you, 
 and will surely one day ask it from you. You 
 have to thank her for so many pleasant hours, 
 and now you would rob her of her power, and 
 make yourself her master ! Fie ! that is very 
 wicked ! " 
 
 Frank stood irresolute ; he held up the 
 talisman, ready to open it, and then suffered 
 his hands again to fall. He probably would 
 have withstood the temptation, had not curi- 
 osity been the main fault of his character. 
 
 " I will not be wicked and ungrateful," said 
 he, after a short struggle ; "I will only look 
 at the magic wonders in the locket, and then 
 close it again and give it to the fairy when- 
 ever she comes for it. That cannot harm her, 
 — indeed, she will not even observe it, — and 
 I shall know how it looks inside, and what it 
 is that sings so sweetly." 
 
 No sooner thought than done ! He pressed 
 the spring, and, with a tremendous noise, the 
 cover flew open. Frank felt a sudden shock 
 through his whole frame, and would have 
 fallen prostrate had he not steadied himself 
 against a tree, and concentrated all his atten- 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 249 
 
 tion upon the talisman, so that nothing should 
 escape his observation. With a beating heart 
 he looked within, and saw — a thick mist, 
 which rose from the little case, ascending ever 
 higher and higher, and spreading wider and 
 wider, until it enveloped tree and shrub, and 
 even veiled the glittering sunlight. It soon 
 became twilight, and finally dark night. At 
 length, amid the impenetrable darkness, ap- 
 peared a small bright spot, which whirled 
 round with inconceivable swiftness, and mo- 
 mentarily increased in size. The trembling- 
 boy soon perceived in the glittering, twirling 
 sun, for to this dimension had the spot in- 
 creased, the little bird which had been inserted 
 in the lid of the talisman. It fluttered hither 
 and thither, grew with the sun, and became 
 of a most extraordinary size. The strange 
 creature finally spread its wings, and — the 
 wood fairy stood in all her dazzling majesty, 
 gazing with earnest and reproachful looks upon 
 the trembling boy. 
 
 " Ungrateful, disobedient child ! " said she, 
 in threatening tones " Woe to thee ! Thou 
 hast sinned; thou hast suffered thy curiosity 
 
250 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 to rule thee, and hast despised my warning, 
 my most express command. Woe to thee, for 
 thy punishment shall follow close upon thy 
 fault. Thou didst arrogantly and presumptu- 
 ously blame the mother of the living, Eve, and, 
 placing thyself above her, didst assert that the 
 serpent would have had no power over thee, 
 and yet at that very moment didst yield to 
 the first temptation. Thy curiosity overruled 
 thine understanding, or thou wouldst not so 
 easily have believed what the lying toad told 
 thee. How was it possible to think that I, 
 knowing thy curiosity, would have volunta- 
 rily placed in thy childish hand the control 
 of my power ! Any thoughtful, reasonable 
 boy would at once have seen through the de- 
 ception. I lent thee the talisman in the hope 
 of freeing thee from thy besetting sin ; and it 
 would have been well for thee if thou hadst 
 stood this first trial, for I intended leading 
 thee on from step to step, until I could have 
 intrusted thee with a portion of my power, and 
 thus have made thee the happiest of mortals. 
 Thou art not worthy of my favor ; thou seest 
 the mote in thy neighbor's eye, and feelest 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 251 
 
 not the beam in thine own, and thyself com- 
 mittest the sin which thou hast just so severely 
 condemned in another ! 
 
 " I now leave thee to thy fate, and thou 
 wilt see whither it will lead thee if thou dost 
 not overcome the evil within thee. Reconcile 
 thyself with God, repent and amend ; thy faults 
 shall be placed visibly before thine eyes, until 
 thou hast banished them from thy soul. Tree 
 and bush, bird and beast, shall remain unin- 
 telligible to thee. Thou shalt never see me 
 again, for only the pure in heart are worthy 
 to converse with higher beings ! Thou hast 
 stained thy soul with curiosity and disobe- 
 dience. Farewell ! Again I say, Amend ! " 
 
 A loud clap of thunder confirmed this sen- 
 tence ; overcome with fear, shame, and re- 
 pentance, Frank sank fainting to the earth. 
 When he recovered his senses, the fairy, with 
 the dazzling sun, the toad, and the talisman, 
 had vanished. A violent storm raged through 
 the forest, and the birds twittered anxiously. 
 Near the boy stood his old friends, the horse 
 and the goat. The latter cast sorrowful and 
 reproachful looks at him, as if to remind him 
 
252 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 of his transgression, while good old Blacko 
 gazed at him compassionately, and affection- 
 ately licked his face. 
 
 When Frank recovered the full conscious- 
 ness of what had happened, he wept aloud, and 
 cried : " Woe is me ! What have I done ! " 
 He was about to bury his face in his hands, 
 when his gaze was suddenly arrested and fas- 
 tened upon his palms. Alas ! his faults were 
 there written, in the plainest of characters; 
 there stood the terrible words, Disobedience, 
 Curiosity ', inscribed in large, black letters. 
 Frank ran to the brook, and eagerly washed his 
 hands ; but the harder he rubbed, the blacker 
 the writing became. Thus were the hands 
 which had committed the sin of opening the 
 talisman, against the command of the owner, 
 rendered the instruments of the inquisitive 
 child's punishment. 
 
 Sadly now passed the days for the unhappy 
 boy. He went no more away from the hut, 
 for the forest, once so dear to him, had become 
 gloomy and distasteful. He could not help 
 thinking, when he heard the trees rustle, that 
 they were talking about his misdeed ; and the 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 253 
 
 birds too, would they not tell wherever they 
 went, how there had once been a boy who 
 could understand their speech ; and would not 
 the story of " Inquisitive Frank " be held up 
 to all the children as a warning, in the same 
 way that the Fir had told him i,ne history of 
 Nicholas and Cunning Peggy ? He felt very 
 penitent, and seriously determined to overcome 
 his faults. Knowing his own weakness, he fer- 
 vently prayed to God to aid him. Taking his 
 book, he looked long at the first picture, and 
 from the bottom of his heart begged pardon of 
 Eve that he had dared to despise her. 
 
 He diligently learned all the stories and ver- 
 ses in his book, and thereby became ever more 
 and more conscious of the wrong he had done. 
 
 When his father returned, he confessed all 
 to him without reservation, and, with stream- 
 ing eyes, held out to him his disfigured hands. 
 The father folded him in his arms, and said, in 
 a voice full of emotion : " My son, you feel 
 your error so deeply, that I will not add a 
 single reproof. I indeed hope you will amend, 
 and I think that, when you have really done 
 so, the writing will disappear from your hands. 
 
254 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 You shall remain no longer alone ; yon are 
 now quite old, and strong enough to help me 
 with my coal-burning." 
 
 And thus it was. Frank was now obliged 
 to work hard ; he had no longer time to listen 
 to the rustling of the leaves, and the song of 
 the birds ; he obeyed his father implicitly, and 
 earnestly strove to resist all temptation to in- 
 dulge his curiosity. 
 
 A year passed ; Frank had grown quite tall 
 and strong, and his father wished to send him 
 to the nearest village, that he might go to 
 school, and learn all that became his age and 
 condition. This plan made the boy feel very 
 sad, for he did not wish to leave his good 
 father, the green wood, and the old goat. His 
 dear Blacko had meantime died of old age ; and 
 as his loss had not been supplied, Frank was 
 himself obliged to carry the coal-sacks to the 
 town. Whenever school was named, Frank 
 gazed with moistened eyes upon his hands, 
 which he was ashamed to let any one see. It 
 really seemed to him sometimes as if the writ- 
 ing had grown paler, but then that might be a 
 mere delusion. 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 255 
 
 A§ he was one day speaking to his father of 
 his shame, and sorrow that, as soon as his 
 hands were seen, every one would know his 
 faults, the coal-burner replied : " What does it 
 help, when you can conceal your faults from 
 the sight of men ? do they not still stand before 
 the eye of God, who reads the very depths of 
 your soul ? Act so that they may thence dis- 
 appear, — that is the main point. No defects 
 in the body can be so ugly as those of the soul, 
 which are often found, even in beautiful forms. 
 Believe me, my son, most men are quite igno- 
 rant of the spots in their souls, and it would 
 be a real kindness to render them visible, so 
 that with God's help they might earnestly 
 strive to efface them. You see, Disobedience 
 has already become quite faint in your hand, 
 and probably, as soon as you have entirely ban- 
 ished the fault from your soul, the letters will 
 disappear from your palm. Therefore, cour- 
 age ! No evil was ever yet made good by de- 
 spairing. Work and pray ; that will help 
 
 you." 
 
 These words proved very consoling, and the 
 boy looked forward with much less repugnance 
 to the time when he should enter school. 
 
256 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 One day, his father sent him to the city, 
 whither, as we have said before, he had often 
 helped to carry the coal-sacks, and was now 
 able to find his way alone. He was to take 
 with him as mnch coal as he could carry, and 
 bring back a variety of provisions. On such 
 occasions the boy was accustomed to make 
 his hands much blacker than the mere hand- 
 ling of the coal would have rendered necessary, 
 — he well knew the reason why, — and then 
 gayly went his way. 
 
 As he was walking along through the wood, 
 and going over in his mind all his father's 
 commissions lest he should forget anything, 
 he came across an old woman resting herself 
 under a tree with a large basket beside her. 
 
 " Whither away, my little lad ? " asked she. 
 
 " To the city," replied Frank, politely salut- 
 ing her as he was about to pass on. 
 
 " Stop a minute, little boy," said the woman, 
 " you can do me a great favor. You see I am 
 old and do not walk very easily ; I have, be- 
 sides, hart my foot so badly, that I cannot stir 
 from this spot, and yet I must get this box 
 to town to-day. If you would take it for me, 
 you would do me a real service." 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 257 
 
 " Most willingly, if you "will ■ tell me where 
 to leave it," said the boy, without a moment's 
 hesitation. 
 
 The old woman took a box from her basket, 
 and gave Frank an exact description of the 
 house where it was to be left. That was an 
 easy task. Frank promised to execute his 
 commission faithfully, and, taking the box 
 under his arm, went his way, followed by the 
 old woman's thanks. 
 
 But the boy soon had reason to repent his 
 good-nature ; for the box, which had seemed 
 to him very light when he had first taken it, 
 after a time became so heavy that it impeded 
 his walking. He took it first under one arm, 
 then under the other, but its weight nearly 
 pressed him to the earth. 
 
 " This is very strange," thought he ; " I shall 
 not be able to get along at all ! I think I must 
 take it back to the old woman. But no, the 
 poor old creature, with her lame foot, could 
 not carry it even as well as I. I will sit down 
 a moment and see if I cannot tie it -to the 
 coal-sack, and so manage it better." 
 
 " But what can there be so dreadfully heavy 
 
258 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 in that little box ? " said he, when he had 
 seated himself and taken a closer survey of 
 the object of his solicitude. " It is very strange. 
 I really think I can feel something moving in- 
 side, — something like a living creature. How 
 I should like to know what it really has in it ! 
 The cover is not fastened, so that I can open 
 and shut it whenever I like, and then I can 
 find out what rustles and moves so, and what 
 makes it so heavy.' ' 
 
 He was about to lift the lid, when he sud- 
 denly stopped, his hands trembled, and tears 
 gushed from his eyes. 
 
 " Great Heaven ! " he cried, " I had nearly 
 again suffered myself to be overcome by curi- 
 osity ! Ought I to open a box which does not 
 belong to me, whether it be fastened or not ? 
 I have no need to know what is in it, and 
 what is more, I will not know ! " 
 
 He sprang up, and, fastening the tempting 
 box to his coal-sack, strode on, singing a gay 
 song, and scarcely feeling the weight upon his 
 back ; for he had a light conscience, and when 
 that is the case, no burden can be very heavy. 
 
 Frank reached the city, left the box at the 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 259 
 
 designated place, finished Iiis father's business, 
 and returned through the wood at a much 
 earlier hour than he could have expected. He 
 was, however, very weary, and hence seated him- 
 self on a soft, mossy bank to rest awhile and 
 eat his supper. He contentedly thought over 
 his day's work, and rejoiced exceedingly that 
 he had manfully resisted the temptation to 
 peep into the box. While he was thinking, 
 his eyelids became heavy ; they closed, and 
 he fell asleep with his black bread in his 
 hand. 
 
 The sun was gilding the trees, the birds 
 were singing their vesper hymn, the insects 
 were humming, — who, with a good conscience 
 and weary limbs, could have failed to sleep 
 sweetly ? 
 
 Frank smiled as if in a dream, and, lifting 
 his hand, murmured : " Beautiful wood-fairy ! 
 — Ha! there thou art! — How good, how 
 beautiful ! — Hast thou forgiven me ? — Good 
 and pious ? — Certainly, I will try to be so ! — 
 There ! there ! — Ah, my hands ! I pray you, 
 I implore you ! " 
 
 The words of the sleeper were lost in indis- 
 
260 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 tinguishable murmurs. The sunlight played 
 through the rustling foliage upon the boy's 
 flushed countenance. A glittering butterfly 
 fluttered hither and thither, alighting first 
 upon the sleeper's hands, then upon his brow, 
 and finally, with a wave of its many-colored 
 wings, flying off to the nearest flower. 
 
 The boy still smiled in his dream, and softly 
 moved his lips. Then suddenly rising, he 
 opened his eyes, stretched forth his hands and 
 cried : " Wood-fairy ! wood-fairy, stay ! " 
 
 By this time fully awake, he sighed deeply, 
 bent his head, and said : " Alas ! I shall never 
 see the beautiful wood-fairy again : I have 
 forfeited that pleasure. But," added he, more 
 cheerfully, " she appeared to me in my dream, 
 she talked with me, smiled upon me, and for- 
 gave me because I stood the trial to-day with 
 the box. She touched my hands, too, and — " 
 he quickly rubbed off the coal-dust on the soft 
 moss, looked at his palms, and, bursting into 
 tears, cried : " They are clean again ! The 
 ugly words have disappeared! God too has 
 forgiven me ! my Heavenly Father, how 
 can I thank thee ? " 
 
THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 261 
 
 What more can I have to say of the inquisi- 
 tive boy, who is no longer inquisitive ? Having 
 overcome his faults, his father sent him to 
 school, where he learned many useful things ; 
 indeed, he was so apt a scholar, that he had no 
 need in after-life to earn his bread by burning 
 charcoal. He never forgot his love for the 
 greenwood, and many were the holidays he 
 spent with some favorite young companion, 
 wandering among the hills and dales surround- 
 ing the village, gathering plants or minerals 
 to aid him in his studies ; for he had deter- 
 mined to study nature scientifically, and at 
 some future day to be a skilful forester. 
 
 Often, when wandering through the forests 
 and listening to the songs of the birds and the 
 rustling of the leaves, would his mind sorrow- 
 fully revert to his childhood, when he under- 
 stood their language ; and he never ceased to 
 regret that through his own fault he had lost 
 the innocence of his soul and the compre- 
 hension of Nature's hidden tongues. 
 
 The stories he had heard during his more 
 intimate acquaintance with her secrets ever 
 remained in his memory, and continually re- 
 
262 
 
 THE INQUISITIVE BOY. 
 
 minded him that God is everywhere present, 
 all powerful, just, and merciful. And he 
 never failed to impress this upon the minds 
 of all the children to whom he afterwards 
 related these stories. 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 A TALE. 
 By ROSALIE KOCH. 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 It was a breezy afternoon, and the wind 
 was playing with the heavy black clouds of 
 smoke issuing from the tall chimneys of sev- 
 eral large factories, situated in a lovely green 
 valley, enclosed on three sides by wooded hills. 
 Along the fourth side ran the high-road, on 
 which was now approaching a miserable little 
 cart, drawn by a powerful black dog, and ac- 
 companied by a rosy-cheeked boy of about 
 twelve years old, and a woman whose face, 
 notwithstanding the heat, was half hidden by 
 a large head-handkerchief. She looked very 
 weary, and as if her thoughts were far away 
 from the charming scene before her. 
 
 As they reached the top of a little eminence, 
 the boy stopped and gazed delightedly upon 
 the neat village with its red tile roofs and 
 
266 
 
 THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 pretty gardens. Looking up appealingly into 
 his mother's face, he said : " Can we not go 
 down, mother ? There is a manufacturing vil- 
 lage ; you always told me that in such places 
 thousands dwell in want and misery. We 
 shall surely find plenty of rags there." 
 
 " Yes, want and misery of every kind," 
 gloomily replied the mother, "hut also the 
 wealth and arrogance of the manufacturers, 
 who derive from their machines and the sweat 
 of the laboring poor the means of leading idle 
 and luxurious lives. You know I always avoid 
 such people, and hence our trade in rags is 
 the right one for me : it never brings us into 
 contact with the rich, and yet earns us our 
 daily bread." 
 
 " That is true, mother. Yet I cannot al- 
 ways — " The boy hesitated, looked down em- 
 barrassed, and began to caress the dog which 
 had meantime lain down at his feet. 
 
 " What can you not always ? " asked the 
 mother, throwing back her kerchief, and dis- 
 playing a sad and woe-worn countenance, still 
 however bearing the traces of former beauty. 
 " Probably you cannot always be obedient to 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 267 
 
 your mother, Neddy, and help her to earn 
 her daily bread." 
 
 " No, mother, I will not say that. But you 
 know I have never yet been confirmed, and 
 then — would it not be well for me to learn 
 some trade, so that I might hereafter aid you 
 better than I can now ? " 
 
 The woman hastily shook her head. 
 
 " Boy, is the trade your parents followed 
 for so many long years too good for you? 
 When we return to our village at Pentecost, 
 you can be confirmed, but I see no reason for 
 changing your occupation. Rags are every- 
 where to be found, and paper is always need- 
 ed. Would you rather enter some peasant's 
 service, or work in a mill, and have your 
 arms or legs torn off by the machinery, or be 
 blown up by the bursting of some boiler ? You 
 are the child of poverty, and no one would 
 care that you were carried out with crushed 
 limbs from that long white building with its 
 hundred eyes. Do you fancy that ? " 
 
 " Ah ! I would so like to go down and see 
 the large green square before the factory! 
 Look, mother, how beautiful the grass is, and 
 
268 
 
 THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 how the fountain glitters like a silver thread. 
 And further on, at the foot of the hill, stands 
 a pretty manor-house, with white walls and 
 pointed turrets ; everything looks so clean and 
 orderly ! " 
 
 "Yes, from a distance," said the woman 
 scornfully, " but go nearer, and you will smell 
 the oil and the dye from the mills, and the 
 smoking chimneys will hide the pretty house 
 where lives a rich man who will have you 
 driven away if you only venture to peep through 
 his garden fence." 
 
 " Why are you always so angry, mother, 
 when you speak of rich people ? " 
 
 "Because — well, because I was once fool- 
 ish enough to aspire to higher things myself, 
 and hence fell into misery and want. Do not 
 look at me with such great, wondering eyes, 
 Neddy. I did not aspire to a manor-house, 
 but — well I will tell you all about it before 
 I die. Now we had better go our ways ! " 
 
 So saying, she drew up her kerchief and 
 turned to depart. 
 
 " And I may not go down ? " said Edward, 
 imploringly. " I would so like to walk through 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 269 
 
 such a clean village, with pretty houses and 
 gardens, and then I never saw a manor- 
 house right near in my whole life ! " 
 
 A struggle ensued in the woman's heart 
 between her unwillingness to enter the factory 
 village and her desire to gratify her son, whom, 
 in spite of her embittered feelings, she fondly 
 loved. Just then a handsome carriage passed 
 by on the high road. The horses pricked up 
 their ears at sight of the little wagon, and 
 sprang away to one side as they dashed rapid- 
 ly by. Edward's mother called aloud : " Go 
 down then into the valley ; it can be no worse, 
 when the very horses have a horror of raga- 
 muffins ! " 
 
 The boy did not stop to ask what had made 
 his mother change her mind, but turned into 
 a side road leading into the valley, and trot- 
 ted down the hill with his dear Norman so 
 gayly, that he scarcely felt the sharp stones 
 which lay upon the ground and cut his bare 
 feet. 
 
 After passing the mills and the neat village, 
 the little cart finally stopped before the gate 
 of the manor-house garden. Edward looked 
 
270 
 
 THE LITTLE BAGMAN. 
 
 toward his mother, but her face was now en- 
 tirely hidden in her kerchief, so that he could 
 not see whether she understood his silent re- 
 quest or not. 
 
 " Can one go in there ? " asked he at length, 
 timidly pointing toward the beautiful garden. 
 " Mother, I think it must have looked just so 
 in paradise ! " 
 
 " One may go in, but not one y s dog" re- 
 plied, a voice belonging to some unseen person. 
 It proved to be that of the gardener, who had 
 hitherto remained hidden behind the haw- 
 thorn hedge, setting out rose cuttings, and 
 who had overheard what the boy had said to 
 his mother. " If you are a good Christian," 
 added he, laughing, "you may enter para- 
 dise, for you will doubtless remember the his- 
 tory of the forbidden fruit, and will touch 
 nothing." 
 
 M Thank you, dear sir ! " cried Edward, joy- 
 fully throwing off from his shoulders the strap 
 with which he aided Norman in dragging the 
 cart. 
 
 "I may go, mother?" asked he, looking 
 wistfully through the gate. 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 271 
 
 She seemed about to hold him back, but, 
 pausing a moment, asked the gardener, " Are 
 the proprietors at home ? " 
 
 " No, not just now," was the answer. 
 
 The woman seemed anxious to escape the 
 gardener's searching looks, and prepared to 
 follow her son, saying, " I certainly cannot let 
 you go in alone ; but will you leave the dog 
 standing out here in the street ? " 
 
 " 0, Norman will neither let himself nor 
 the rags be stolen ! " cried the boy, making 
 a sign to the intelligent animal to remain 
 quietly where he was, and seizing his mother's 
 hand to take her with him. She shrank back 
 as if stricken with sudden pain. 
 
 " 0, what have I done ! " said Edward, en- 
 tirely forgetting the garden and the manor- 
 house, and now solely occupied with his mother. 
 " I have hurt your lame hand, mother ! How 
 sorry I am ! If you would rather, I will not 
 go in." 
 
 He saw that she looked out kindly upon 
 him from her singular head-covering, and, as 
 she made a sign to proceed, his face again 
 beamed with childish joy. 
 
272 
 
 THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 And what beautiful things he saw ! The 
 most luxuriant trees, exotic plants, an endless 
 variety of flowers, hot-houses with fruits whose 
 very names were unknown to him, and finally, 
 a little pond full of gold-fishes which gave the 
 boy the most extreme delight. But as he 
 stood with his mother beside the clear water, 
 in which were mirrored the blue heavens and 
 the green trees, he could not help observing 
 the reflection of his own and his mother's 
 ragged and untidy garments, and his face 
 clouded for a moment as he* sighed, " How 
 dirty my shirt and my jacket are ! " 
 
 A sharp turn in the gravel walk brought 
 them to an arbor, where sat an elderly lady 
 and two children, a boy of about ten and a 
 girl somewhat younger. The mother hastily 
 drew back her son, and was about retreating 
 into a more secluded path, when she suddenly 
 confronted the gardener. 
 
 " I thought you said the family were not at 
 home," said the woman reproachfully ; " why 
 did you tell me an untruth ? " 
 
 " I did not do so," replied the good-natured 
 man. 4< The French governess is not one of 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 273 
 
 the proprietors, and the little ones are only 
 just learning one day to be able to take care of 
 such a place. You need not fear to go on, 
 and you certainly are in no danger of re- 
 peating what they say, for I fancy none of 
 us three know much about French." 
 
 " Do you hear, Neddy ? They learn even 
 when children to forget their mother tongue, 
 that they may not understand when the poor 
 complain. 0, how I hate them all, these 
 arrogant rich people ! " 
 
 The gardener had not overheard the strange 
 woman's bitter words, but he quietly followed 
 her wherever she went ; for he did not like 
 her appearance, and had only admitted her 
 for the sake of her son. 
 
 Edward seemed as if he could never weary 
 of seeing and admiring, and would certainly 
 have put his mother's patience to a pretty 
 severe test, had he not suddenly heard the 
 loud barking of a dog, followed by a cry from 
 a child. 
 
 The garden at once lost all charm for him. 
 " That is Norman ; what can be the matter 
 with him ? " cried he, running as fast as he 
 
 18 
 
274 
 
 THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 could to the place where he had left his little 
 cart. 
 
 His mother followed him breathless ; but 
 before he could make his way through the 
 crowd that had gathered outside the gate, a 
 servant in livery seized him by the collar, and 
 angrily cried : " Wait awhile, and I will teach 
 you how to leave such snarling curs right be- 
 fore the manor-house gate ! Such a ragged 
 little scoundrel as you might cost one one's 
 place, for the blame always falls upon us after 
 all. One ought to have eyes all over, like a 
 monster I once heard of at school, — I have 
 forgotten its name ! But every drop of blood 
 that the young gentleman has lost, shall cost 
 you a good trouncing ; I promise you that, 
 you little vagabond ! " 
 
 Before the astonished boy could say a word 
 in his own justification, or even ask the reason 
 of such harsh treatment, the angry servant 
 thrust him into a summer-house, and was 
 about locking the door, when his mother ap- 
 peared, and, endeavoring to make a forcible 
 entrance, cried, half angrily and half entreat- 
 ingly: "He is my child, — let me in to my 
 child ! " 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 275 
 
 The servant gazed in amazement at the 
 muffled-up figure, and, thinking to himself, 
 Who knows what I may have caught ? Have 
 your own way then ! — let her in, turned the 
 key, and left the captives alone. 
 
 "Well, did I not tell you so?" said the 
 mother, after a short pause. " You see how 
 it always is ! One can never come near any 
 of these fine ladies and gentlemen without 
 shame and misfortune ! " 
 
 " No, mother, they cannot shame us, even if 
 Norman has been guilty of some stupid trick, 
 and has snapped at one of the children we saw 
 in the arbor. But the dog surely did not do 
 it without provocation ; some one must have 
 teased him, and that was certainly not our 
 fault. Besides, I would willingly endure a 
 few strokes to be sure that the children had 
 not been injured through us." 
 
 " It really seems as if you were not my son," 
 said the woman, thoughtfully, " for you al- 
 ways excuse those whom I hate. I tell you, 
 they are all heartless and ungrateful, these 
 great ones who should be God's stewards upon 
 earth to distribute among their more needy 
 
276 
 
 THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 brethren the riches or the knowledge intrusted 
 to their keeping. You see this mutilated 
 hand, which prevents my earning my bread 
 in any way but by this miserable traffic in 
 rags. I owe it to one of these insolent favor- 
 ites of fortune ; and when you see me thus 
 standing before you in the livery of poverty, 
 I need not tell you that I received no thanks 
 for it. It happened in this way. I served 
 as a lady's maid in a noble family, because 
 I thought that more honorable than earning 
 my bread in my native village, — you see I 
 always had an aspiring disposition. I saved 
 my mistress's life at the risk of my own. She 
 was standing by the hearth when her dress 
 took fire ; — I rushed toward her and extin- 
 guished the flames with my hands. What 
 was my reward ? A crippled hand, — nothing 
 further. I was told that I had only done 
 my duty, and that was what a servant was 
 paid for doing. A short time after, for some 
 blunder, for which my wounded hand was 
 chiefly to blame, I was discharged from the 
 service. I fell ill, and should have died, had 
 not a poor washerwoman taken pity on me 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 277 
 
 and given me a shelter. After once sending 
 me some money, my former mistress, the Count- 
 ess, made no more inquiries concerning me ; 
 and when I recovered, having lost the use of 
 my hand, I determined to seek no other ser- 
 vice, but to be an actress. For two years I 
 enacted sundry queens and lofty dames, until 
 one day my wardrobe was stolen from me, 
 and, having no money to purchase another, 
 the manager of our little troop barbarously 
 left me in a town where I had neither friend 
 nor acquaintance. After much trouble I found 
 a situation as a shop-girl ; but my new mistress, 
 who was very strict, as soon as she found out 
 I had been an actress, turned me out into the 
 streets, without a penny to buy bread or seek 
 a shelter." 
 
 " But had you no relations, mother ? " asked 
 Edward, who stood sadly leaning his head 
 against the wall. This question seemed to 
 displease the mother, for she made no answer, 
 and, looking more gloomy than ever, hastily 
 continued her narration. 
 
 " I need not detail to you how hardly I was 
 treated and driven about by the world, until 
 
278 
 
 THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 I met yoiiY father, an honest and upright man, 
 who never once gave me cause to complain of 
 him, but who was as little a favorite of fortune as 
 myself. We went down step by step, until this 
 wretched trade in rags was our sole means of 
 support. Finally, he died and left me a widow, 
 and you an orphan." 
 
 As the narrator ceased, the boy went to 
 her, stroked her mutilated hand, and tenderly 
 said : " You have indeed suffered, dear mother ; 
 but never mind, your Neddy will one day be 
 able to provide for you. I do not like that 
 ungrateful Countess ; but then she is only one 
 of the rich people, and you remember, mother, 
 what you said the other day to the policeman 
 who stopped us on the road, and insisted upon 
 seeing our pass : 6 There may be honest people 
 even among rag-pickers ; and if one of them 
 has stolen anything from you, that does not 
 make them all thieves.' Just so I think it may 
 be with the rich ; — there must be many good, 
 kind-hearted ones among them." 
 
 " Well, you will probably soon have an 
 opportunity of tasting some of their goodness 
 and kind-heartedness, for, if I do not mistake, 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 279 
 
 there is the carriage, and the family have 
 returned. I wish the earth would open and 
 swallow both you and me ! " 
 
 " If they only will not hurt Norman," sighed 
 Edward ; " I would much rather they would 
 beat me ! " 
 
 Time passed, the sun went down, lights 
 were seen moving about in the house, and 
 the nightingales had begun to sing, when a 
 step was heard approaching on the gravel 
 walk. It proved to be that of the friendly 
 gardener. 
 
 " A pretty story this ! " said he, addressing 
 himself to the boy. " Who could ever think 
 of leaving his dog all alone, when the creature 
 has such a selfish disposition that he will not 
 suffer any one to creep into his cart! I let 
 you into paradise, my lad, but now I must 
 be the angel to put you out again. The young 
 master has come off quite easily, having gotten 
 nothing but a slight scratch, and a piece torn 
 out of his velvet jacket. Your dog is still in 
 the street, so that you can take him off rag- 
 picking with you whenever you like. Franz 
 wanted to cook you up a fine supper with our 
 
280 
 
 THE LITTLE EAGMAN. 
 
 good mistress, and write your card of dismis- 
 sal on your back in red ink ; but our lady is 
 not so quick with her punishing. The matter 
 was inquired- into, and I was called up as a 
 witness. As I had watched you from begin- 
 ning to end, I was able to give a clear ac- 
 count of the whole affair, and Mounseer Franz 
 got a well-merited reproof for imprisoning two 
 innocent people, and our young master ditto, 
 for having teased a strange dog, and having 
 insisted upon creeping into the little wagon 
 when the faithful animal first warned him by 
 loudly barking, and then seizing fast the sup- 
 posed thief. Well, — now you know all, and 
 can go. But the next time you have a mind 
 to enter paradise, leave your dog a consid- 
 erable distance off, for, with all his good quali- 
 ties, I must say his manners toward strangers 
 are not remarkable for polish and elegance ! " 
 
 The good-natured " man thrust a small roll 
 into the boy's hand, gave a friendly nod, and 
 opened the door. 
 
 Edward looked first at the money, and then 
 at his mother, and finally said : " Let me 
 speak a moment with the owners of this pretty 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 281 
 
 garden, who have been so kind to us strangers. 
 I cannot keep the money, for we are not in 
 actual need of it, and our pastor said we ought 
 not otherwise to take alms. But I would like 
 to return my thanks for having been permitted 
 to see all the beautiful things in the garden, 
 and to say how sorry I am that Norman hurt 
 the young gentleman." 
 
 " Well, come then," said the gardener, 
 giving the boy a pleased look. But the mother 
 suddenly stepped between them and held 
 Edward back. 
 
 " Make an end of this," said she, roughly ; 
 " you have had your own way long enough ! 
 What do aristocratic lords and ladies care for 
 the thanks of a poor little rag-picker? He 
 would only spoil the air they breathe." 
 
 " Woman, you know not what you say," in- 
 terrupted the gardener, quite warmly. " That 
 may suit some rich people, but not this family. 
 Our master died about a year ago, but our 
 good mistress has ever since, with the aid 
 of an old steward, taken charge of everything. 
 There is not much poverty in our village, as 
 you will have seen from the neat houses and 
 
282 
 
 THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 substantial clothing of our people ; the mills 
 furnish work for all, and the pay is good, 
 Our lady requires each laborer to lay aside 
 a small sum weekly to provide for sickness 
 or old age ; this sum is invested in the factory, 
 so that they get interest besides. Also, chil- 
 dren are not permitted to work in the mill, 
 but they can gather as much wood in the forest 
 as they please, and pick as many berries during 
 the season as they can sell. As I said be- 
 fore, we have no poor among us, but we have 
 the sick and the aged, and our lady is always 
 ready to help them ; for, far from being proud, 
 she makes no secret of the fact that she is 
 not herself of noble birth." 
 
 " Can she then speak to poor people in their 
 own tongue ? " asked the woman, half mock- 
 ingly, and half touched by the gardener's ac- 
 count. 
 
 " She can speak to the heart," said the 
 gardener, " and there is neither poison nor 
 gall in her words. I see that you are vexed 
 with her keeping a French governess for her 
 children ; but children must receive an educa- 
 tion in conformity with their station in life, 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 283 
 
 and our young people's mother has them 
 taught such things, not that they may seem 
 better than others, but that they may be really 
 more useful members of society. But when 
 in the evening she teaches them their prayers, 
 or lets them repeat some pretty hymn from 
 the hymn-book, I can assure you that she al- 
 ways speaks to them in their mother tongue. 
 Our young gentleman and lady will most as- 
 suredly be brought up in the fear of the Lord 
 and the lore of their neighbor." 
 
 Edward looked at his mother, as if to say, 
 See how good the rich can be if they will ; and 
 asked aloud, " May I not go ? " 
 
 " Do what you will," replied she, hesitat- 
 ingly. 
 
 The boy did not wait for a second permis- 
 sion, but at once departed with the gardener. 
 The mother seated herself on a stone beside 
 the little cart, and, veiling her face in her 
 kerchief, was soon lost in bitter and melan- 
 choly thoughts. 
 
 A bell sounding from the factory roused 
 her from her reverie, and, lifting her head, 
 she suddenly remembered that Norman must 
 
284 
 
 THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 be hungry. Taking a few crusts from her 
 pocket, she offered them to the dog, but he 
 refused to eat. This proof that the faithful 
 creature had already been fed at the manor- 
 house touched the outcast woman more deeply 
 than even the fact that the lady of the manor 
 had dismissed her son without punishment, 
 or even a word of reproof, and had besides 
 made him a present. 
 
 Time passed, and Edward did not return. 
 The mother became uneasy, and slowly walked 
 toward the house. Glancing through one of 
 the windows, she saw a mild-looking lady, 
 seated in an arm-chair, with her hand upon 
 Edward's shoulder. On one side stood her 
 little daughter, and on the other her son, 
 with a bandage round his arm and a pretty 
 ornamented whip in his hand. 
 
 He certainly cannot be going to beat Neddy, 
 thought the suspicious woman. Just then she 
 heard the boy say to her son : "At least you 
 must take my whip. I would so like to give 
 you something, and you might use it with 
 your little cart. My horses are all of wood 
 or leather." 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 285 
 
 " But I never strike Norman," replied Ed- 
 ward, turning toward Henry with a friendly 
 glance. 
 
 " You will then take with you no remem- 
 brance of us all ? " asked the lady. 
 
 " 0, I can never, never forget all I have here 
 seen and experienced." 
 
 " If you like it here, would you have any 
 objection to stay and help the gardener or the 
 woodmen, and give up your — your wander- 
 ing life?" ' 
 
 Edward's face glowed with emotion, his 
 eyes sparkled with joy ; but after a moment's 
 thought he sadly shook his head, and re- 
 plied : "I would like nothing better ; then I 
 might learn something really useful. But 
 my mother will not stay here, and I cannot 
 leave her." 
 
 " Well, always be as honest and upright a 
 boy as you now are, and honor your mother 
 as the commandments teach you, and all will 
 go well with you. But if you should ever 
 fall into want, or conclude to embrace the 
 offer I have just made, then return ; — you 
 know where to find me. Your conduct has 
 given me great pleasure." 
 
286 
 
 THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 Just then some one was heard sobbing out- 
 side the open window. 
 
 " Great Heaven ! that is my mother ! " cried 
 Edward, making a hasty parting salutation and 
 running out of the room. The lady of the 
 house followed, and saw him tenderly em- 
 brace a poorly-clad woman, who seemed to 
 be fainting. She hastened at once to the 
 stranger's assistance, and, with Edward's aid, 
 led her to a garden seat. Her head-handker- 
 chief had fallen back over her shoulders, and 
 as the lady bent over the pale face, exposed to 
 view in the bright light streaming from the 
 window, she cried : " Eva ! Can it indeed 
 be you ? Have you come at last, at last to 
 your sister ? " 
 
 The stranger gazed round half unconsciously ; 
 then, gathering her wandering thoughts, she 
 leaned her head against the friendly lady's sup- 
 porting arm, and said in a feeble voice : " I 
 did not know that you lived here He who 
 dwelleth above hath led me against my will. 
 But did I hear aright ? Did you yourself call 
 me sister? Is not the mistress of this broad 
 manor ashamed to call a poor rag-picker 
 sister? " 
 
THE LITTLE BAGMAN. 
 
 287 
 
 " My poor, dear sister ! How much you 
 must have suffered to ask such a question ! " 
 was the reply, accompanied by a tender em- 
 brace. 
 
 " But you know that I have been guilty of 
 many errors." 
 
 " Let him who is without guilt throw the 
 first stone," replied the sister, consolingly. 
 
 " 0, then I bless the hour in which I first 
 entered this valley. Now will my poor Ed- 
 ward find a home and friends when I die ! " 
 
 "You will not die, Eva, you will begin a 
 new and happy life. But now come in ; the 
 dew is falling, and the air blows fresh from 
 the hills. You want rest, and you will find 
 within a pleasant room for you and your son, 
 whom we already hold dear. Franz shall go 
 to town for the doctor without delay." 
 
 Eva made but a feeble resistance. She felt 
 very weak, and even her defiant spirit was 
 forced to yield to the love and tenderness 
 shown her by her relative. She had come 
 at the right moment to the house of her step- 
 sister, whom she had hitherto most sedulously 
 avoided. In her youth, she had always re- 
 
288 
 
 THE LITTLE EAGMAN. 
 
 garded her with envy, because Julia not only 
 inherited a small property from her mother, 
 but after her parents' death was adopted by 
 a wealthy aunt, who proved a second mother, 
 and carefully provided for the development 
 of her adopted daughter's talents and good 
 disposition. Later in life, Julia became the 
 wife of an enterprising merchant, who acquired 
 a large property and established these facto- 
 ries. Eva had heard of her sister's good for- 
 tune, but had never inquired her place of resi- 
 dence, and even in the greatest need would 
 never have asked her assistance. In order 
 not to meet with her fortunate relative, she 
 had always avoided manufacturing villages ; 
 but God had for her son's sake this once 
 overruled her foolish resolution. 
 
 Eva was taken very ill in consequence of 
 exposure and privation, added to the excite- 
 ment caused by this unexpected meeting. She 
 rapidly recovered, however, under the careful 
 nursing which her sister bestowed upon her. 
 Then began the new and happy life she had 
 been promised. She remained in the manor- 
 house, not as a dependent relative, but as the 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 289 
 
 active superintendent of the extensive estab- 
 lishment, and here first learned to appreciate 
 the comfort of a settled, steady home life. 
 
 No one could be happier than Edward found 
 himself in his new home. He could now go 
 every day into the beautiful garden, and walk 
 about among the trees and flowers ; and when 
 he stood by the fish-pool, he no longer had 
 any cause to be ashamed of his clothing. He 
 became a most useful friend to Henry, — who 
 was often tempted to play some thoughtless 
 trick, — and the dearly loved companion and 
 playmate of the pretty little Emmy. 
 
 But he was not always walking in the garden 
 or playing with the children. He went to a 
 neighboring town every morning to school, — 
 in winter, on a charming little pony. This 
 lasted three years, and then we find him one 
 day taking a most tender leave of his mother, 
 his good aunt, and his dear Emmy. Henry 
 is to accompany him several miles on his way 
 to a large mercantile city, where he is to learn 
 thoroughly everything pertaining to the manu- 
 facturing business, and whence he is not to 
 return until after he has paid a visit to Eng- 
 
 25 
 
290 
 
 THE LITTLE KAGMAN. 
 
 land, where, according to his aunt's desire, 
 he is still further to increase his store of 
 knowledge and experience. He is then to 
 take charge of the mills, as Henry has de- 
 termined to enter the army. 
 
 Mother Eva, in her snow-white cap and dark 
 morning dress, with a great bunch of keys at 
 her side, stands beside the carriage, and with 
 motherly care packs all sorts of eatables into 
 a leather travelling-bag. From time to time 
 she tenderly presses the hand of her departing 
 darling. Norman runs impatiently hither and 
 thither, and looks first under the horses' feet, 
 and then under the carriage-wheels, to see 
 that all is in readiness for the journey. 
 
 Then, for the last time, Edward throws his 
 arms round his mother's neck, and amid his 
 tears playfully whispers : " The vehicle that 
 is to bear me away this' morning is much 
 dearer to me than that with which we one 
 day stopped before this house ; and I think, 
 dear mother, that you have overcome your 
 dislike to rich people sufficiently to remain 
 in paradise until your Neddy is able to offer 
 you a home of your own ! " 
 
THE LITTLE RAGMAN. 
 
 291 
 
 She made no reply, but lifted her eyes to 
 heaven with an expression of the most heart- 
 felt gratitude. 
 
 The horses started. " A pleasant journey ! " 
 cried the gardener, who stood beside the green 
 hedge and waved his cap. His countenance 
 did not wear its usual, cheerful expression, 
 for the young traveller had become very dear 
 to his heart, and even the choleric Franz 
 thought to himself : " How one can be mis- 
 taken in people ! three years ago I would 
 have liked nothing better than to have given 
 that youngster a good trouncing, and now I 
 would run through fire and water for him ! " 
 
 The wheels rolled over the gravel, — Nor- 
 man sprang after the carriage, loudly barking, 
 a white handkerchief was waved, and a kind 
 and earnest young face was seen bending out 
 of the window, to take a last farewell of his 
 dear ones. 
 
 " A happy journey ! " was once more heard 
 from the lips of the weeping mother. 
 
 THE END.