ng Thing

izebeth had not changed her mind. Just now she was standing in the kitchen-door,

ght that a boy in velvet would utter the names in a strange house mor

ought to talk so in the parsonage; I have never done it and I am sorry

e really was going to carry out his promise, then the lady of the house might find out how she had schoolmastered him and that might draw upon her some unpleasantness, for she knew how tenderly the former treated the bo

else, if I may," said Erick, and

y well and said encouragingly: "Yes,

Lizebeth' like the others, or whether

ed his shoulder protectingly, and his curly hair, and said: "You just call me ''Lizebeth', and if you want to ask anything, then come into the kitchen, and I will tell you every

you ever so much, 'Lizebeth!" he c

nyone come now and show me three finer little boys in the whole world than our three are." With this c

his feet when he had to appear before the judicial tribunal, for he expected to receive the well-earned punishment from the strong hand of the Mayor. But the latter only pinched his ear a little and said: "Churi, Churi! this time you get off better than you deserve,

enge on Erick, and when he met him, he shook his fist at him and said: "You wait! I will get you sometime." But so far he

had offered his help, was fast approaching. But the lady hardly let him finish his sentence for excitement, and answered at once: "How can you even think of such a thing! In the first place; we must wait for the answer from Denmark, before we do anyt

One thing is sure, dear wife, if the little fellow was not so guileless and had not such an exceptionally good disposition, y

all hearts, so that one cannot help treating him with peculiar love. No talk of sending Er

an answer from Denmark, for it would be in vain. The

ented that another respite had

that new winter wraps had to be made for all the children, and before one could think of sending Erick away, summer clothing had to be prepared for him; his good velvet suit looked, indeed, sti

he was heartily glad for the good excuse; for he, like all the rest, had learne

thought in her heart: "Who know

o give out most delightful fragrance, and to turn red. That was a glorious time for all children round about. The children of the parsonage, too, undertook daily strawberry-expeditions and every evening belat

then the whole company in joyous mood left the parsonage, Sally and Erick ahead, Ritz and Edi following. All were armed with baskets, for to-day, so they had decided, Mother was to receive a great quantity of strawberries instead of their eating all on the spot as usually hap

he swung himself down a rock where he had espied on the lowest end a spot that shone bright red in the sun, as if covered with rubies. Were they berries or flower

ups here and there, or lying on the ground, eating the berries which they picked. Erick could not find the red spot w

, here are berries such

ri, the latter unexpectedly gave him such a severe push that Erick rolled dow

h a severe push that Erick rolled do

ng round, for his conscience bit him and drove him along, and he dared not look anyone in the face for fear that someone could read there what he had done. The other Middle Lotters had not paid attention to what was going on

running with Ritz, and all three called together for Erick, but in vain. The sun had long since set, and it was beginning to grow dark. All children, even the Middle Lotters, went past the

ttle timidly. But he arrived safely down below and ran hither and thither, calling with a loud voice

hrough the stillness. Edi began to feel a little uncomfortable; he climbed as quickly as possible up the rock

have first come back to her; and she was not going a step away from where he had left her, until Erick came, for if he wer

it," declared Edi. "Come,

t find the road again." At this conjecture which, only now after she had uttered it, Sally saw plainly, she

e returning children of the neighborhood, where the parsonage children were. She received the same answer from all: the three were still below by the Woodbach, and were waiting for Erick, who had gone alon

t anyone make sense of that!" But the mother drew Edi a

e rock and how Sally now was sitting alone below near t

eight neighbors and brought them together with a good deal of noise, all armed with staves and lanterns, as 'Lizebeth had ordered. Also several women hastened up, they too wanted to help in the seeking. Now the pastor had come out and join

er fear. At last the house-door was opened and in came the father, holding the weeping Sally by the hand, for he had not been able to comfort her. They had at that time not been able to get a tra

the lost Erick and bring him home again, could Sally at last be quieted. She fell then into a deep sleep, and slept so soundly that she did not wake

ut of church, before which the people of Upper Wood and Lower Wood, from Middle Lo

large book on his knees, was reading. Ritz was very busy with breaking off the guns

ously: "if war breaks out again, then the whole company can stay at h

with the unexpressed hope that the guns, by the time he should open the box again, might be somehow mended. But now he became restless and ask

once to her mother, to hear about Erick, whether he had come home and how, where and when, or whether news had come. But before the mother had time to tell her child gently that

l gentleman"-"A gentleman who walks very

al," Edi brought out fin

see nothing but old Carthaginians walking a

trance of the house was an open traveling coach, to which were harnessed two bay horses which pawed the ground impatiently, and sh

him to the pastor's study, so that the table can be set here, for I must go out again to the little boy. The g

e mistress. "Then he does not

r's study below, with the words: "Colonel von Vestentrop, o

e fairy tale, and the man looked so stately and so commanding, that everyone who beheld him must be inspired with respect. But at the same time there was something winning in

urprised man to recover himself. He quickly took the offered easy chair, drew the pastor down on another, looked straight into his eyes and said: "Dear S

stor increased and was

we would have exchanged many letters uselessly and yet would never have come to an understanding. Behind all this is a clever fellow, who wants to trick you and me for the sake of gain. So I have let everything rest until I could combine the present explanation with a journey

nce, how they had searched so far in vain, but how everything was being done

calculated wrongly this time. He, no doubt, hoped that I, at such a distance, would credulously accept everything that he wanted, and would do what he wished. Now he has found out that I myself w

nd that from the boy himself, without himself knowing it, had come the suggestions about the country and the name of the grandfather,-all explanation of the pastor did no good, the sturdy g

ow could the man o

ch my estate lies. People talked much about the young musician, and of his artistic skill. He was engaged to teach on all our neighboring estates. I did the same. I had him come to my house every day and had no suspicion of misfortune. After a few months, my daughter, who was hardly eighteen years old, told me that she wanted to marry that man. I answered her that that never would happen; she should never again speak of such a thing. She did not say another word, nor did she complain-that was not her way.

nown that I would give him my name, and the remembrance would be wiped away. But this boy, who has disappeared again at the right time, has been substituted by the music-teacher, who no doubt lives somewhere in this neighbor

our daughter's character. After she had done you the great wrong, she might have decided not to send the boy to you before he in some way could make good the mother'

t had the experience I have had. You know no distrust, I can see

why her husband did not call her. Sally, from the same expectation and greater impatience, followed her every step. When now the mother had seen from the garden, that the strange gentleman had risen, she could bear it no longer; she must know what was going on. When she stepped on the threshold at the moment when th

possible? But at what a moment! But you will stay with us, Colonel, for your dear

olitely, but somewhat stiffly, "I shall start at once. You are un

on that followed. Now she restrained herself no longer. Tears poured from her eyes, and with the greatest agita

ed, and wanted to pat Sally's cheeks, but she withdrew quickly, for she first wanted to know

edulity. Her husband had whispered a few words to

Learn to know the treasure which you are about to give up so lightly. If you could know what sunshine you want to withhold from your house, you could never be happy again. Do not think, sir, that I would give the

to good hands," said the colonel, giving his hand to the pastor

tside, and like an arrow the slender Edi shot straight into the tall colonel, who had been standing directly behind the closed door; and at once after Edi, Ritz rushed into Edi, and the tall gentleman received the second push, and in his ears rang confused screamings of mixed words: "They are coming-they come-Mari

had arrived, backwards, over the threshold of the study, together with the whole of the pastor's family, old and young; and at last the fighting Sally pressed in. She had taken Erick by the hand and did not want t

the human ball and into the study, was there sufficient calm so that one could understand the other, for the scho

e black velvet jacket on the water! "Oh, dear God!" she then cried out with unutterable horror, and never stopped crying until, under her desperate rubbing with skirt and apron, Erick opened his eyes and looked with surprise at Marianne. Now she quickly took the large market-basket in which she intended to put the many small baskets, when they were filled; threw the latter all in a heap, put the dripping Erick in it, and carried him, as quickly as she could, toward her small cottage, far beyond Oakwood, in which she lived together with her cousin. Here she at once undressed the wet boy, wound him closely in a large blanket so that nothing was to be seen of him besides a tuft of yellow, curly hair, put him in bed with the heavy cover far above his head, for, "getting him warm is the principal thing for the little boy," she k

ianne, his friend in Oakwood, and on his way there had fallen into the Woodbach by accident, Marianne thought, fo

low's cheeks began to glow like the reddest strawberries, then she feared no longer that he would catch cold, and she also felt sure that 'Lizebeth would not come and th

her Sunday best, and so the morning had almost passed before they both had started on their way, quite contented and without any suspicion of the enormous fear and excitement which had been in the parsonage and had spread over the

the reports, following with his eyes the lively gestures which the excited Erick was making in the zeal of telling his story. Now the reports w

l placed him right before him. "So, just lo

y into those of the strange gentleman, an

l more directly. "After whom wer

glance. It seemed as if the eyes of the stranger attracted and con

ck must have been seized by the attraction of kinship, for without the least shyness, he threw both arms around the old gentleman's ne

leman's neck and rejoicingly exclaimed:

y boy?" But the grandf

disappeared, and he said quite sadly: "Oh, Grandfather, I was not to come to you now, and not for a long time. Only when I had become an honorable man, was I t

r has sent you to me. She meant it well with the 'honorable man', in this I recognize my child; and you do not disobey

o, how one becomes one, for the

k him for it. And now we start, this

d that his mother had painted for him in the bright coloring of her childhood's remembrances, again and again, the distant, beautiful estate, the handsome horses, the pond with the barge, the large house with the winter-garden,-everything he was now to see, and live there with this grandfather,

d him, laughing. "Come, I hope you can sta

"three writing-books, three school-books, the pen-box and the be

gentleman looked at his grandson, rather surprised, and s

utiful velvet cloak, with the broad lace, and said: 'That is good, that comes from Grandfather, you can wear that a long time.' And then she cut everything apart and sewed everything together again, and so there came out w

ught of the time and what happy days they were when he had hung around his beloved child

o Erick. "What has become of your foster

. But when the colonel, holding Erick by the hand, came out of the study, she at once made an open path for them through the assembled people, to bring them upstairs to the quiet reception room, where at last the family and their guest could be among themselves. Here the beaming grandfather went first to the lady of the house, and then to the master and then again to t

kiss on it, and now the colonel tenderly stroked her h

ished herself in opposition against such quick separation. The grandfather of her Erick ought to spend at least one night beneat

dly in the coach, and thus drive to the inn, where both must tell to the guests present, who had changed their consultation place from the church to the inn, what they knew of the strange gentleman. And so it came about that

to the grandfather of the happenings of the last and all former days, and Erick had to throw in a questio

still alive, Grandfather

"But you shall have one just like your mother's, my boy.

he barge and scraped the pebble-walks

he joy of seeing my daughter's son whom I am bringing home will alm

r as they ought to. But the lady had foreseen such a request, and had not let Marianne go home. And so she was called into the room and the colonel quickly took a chair and placed it in front of him. Marianne had to sit down there and tell everything that she knew of his daughter, and what she herself had heard and seen. Marianne was very glad to do that, and she s

for he himself had never owned anything. An enormous joy rose up in his heart and with bright eyes he ste

gether from astonishment and fright, and cried: "Dear God, I have not earned that, this is riches!" And

er work as you used to, and therefore you had to give up the little house and go to your

t kept on pressing the colonel's hand and then Erick's, and all were glad with Marianne that she could move again into the cottage and keep it for always. When at last they must separate for the night, the colonel pres

eart, she said: "My dear Erick, never forget your mother's song! It has already brought you once from the

at, she put both hands to her face and began to sob. Then Erick ran to his grandfather and

arsonage of all its children, all at once. But come, perhaps we can make some arrangement. What does the mother think

ar as long as we live! Will you give me you

s asking much, my boy," said the grandfather smiling. "If now you, bot

id Erick, "are we, Sally? Just you

"If it suits Mamma, then we both will promise, that i

it, and now the two hands

l and the parson's wife behind my back, and I have nothing to do wit

ein Erick strongly supported him, adding: "And you know, Edi, when you are in Denmark, then you can go on ships, and study there all about them. That will be a

aper, but she had put her apron to her eyes and had begun to sob aloud behind it, and now she was holding Erick and said: "I think the Sir

year when the storks return. Therefore,

he white handkerchiefs wave, and he waved his in answer, until the carriage, down below at the foot of the hill, turned around the corner

twenty years in chains. Churi saw this picture always before him and for fear, he could no longer eat nor sleep; and he dared look at no one. And when the report came that Erick had turned up again, then his fear increased. For now, so he thought, it would surely come out that he had done the deed; and now he was sure that the police would come to get him. But when on Sunday, the story went round like light

d be punished for what he did not mean to do, and so Erick had only said that he had received a push when looking for berries, and had

Middle Lot had to place themselves in a long line along the street, and when now the carriage

ime to stand quietly. At this moment one of the boys shot out of the line and onto the carriage step. It was Churi. He bent to Erick's ear and whispered: "I will never again hurt you as l

us odors. It was an enormous bunch of fire-red and yellow flowers, which Kaetheli held out to him, who with one foot on the step was balancing over the colon

shall certainly come to see you, a year fro

own, and the

ld see better. "Look, there is Marianne's little house. Do you see the small window? There Mother always s

e little window and he frown

her sing last, my

heaviest

t and set'

n shame a

lest me

'st me u

t me heav

nnot be

y scorn a

od luck and possessions which she had lost. The dear God sent that to her, and we will thank Him for it, my boy. That, too, can make me happy again, else the sight of that little window

nd lovingly in his, and so they