Seed-time and Harvest

as a lease-hold estate, and lay on the river Peene, between Anclam and Demmin, and the man, who sat in the cool shade of the arbor, was the lease-holder,--that is to

tter specimen of what labor could make of a man than she had carved from this block. "Labor," said his hones

h he has gathered with labor and pains, piece by piece, go wandering out into the world. 'Tis a hard thing for a farmer to leave the cattle, which he has fed and cared for, through want and trouble, to other hands that know nothing

ad he worked and toiled, and done what human strength could do that they might come together, that he might make room for t

himself,--but love gives courage, cheerful courage, to sustain one through everything. Oh, it would have gone well, quite well, if misfortunes had not come upon them, if his dear little wife had not risen before the daylight and ere the de

ere seemed a gloomy wall before his eyes, which narrowed around him, and pressed him in, until he must needs call upon the Lord to deliver him out of his distresses. And over him in the ashen twigs sang the finches, and their g

s been fragrant? Had he not under the ash-trees dreamed of their cool shade for his old age? And who was it that had brought

no longer, and the flowers had lost their fragrance, and the blessed sun shone for him no more; and if the poor heart keeps on beating it reaches out, beyond birds and fl

a little maiden running to him, and laid a marigold blossom on his lap, and the two hands unfolded themselves and clasped the child,--it was his child,--and he rose up from th

prop had loosened, and the tree was sagging downwards. He reached up and bound it fast, without thin

es,--the old accustomed handiwork,--and he does them, he helps himself in so doing, for they call him back from the d

of his future, they could not conceal one little patch of blue sky,--that, was the little girl whom he bore on his arm, and whose baby hand played with his hair. He had th

nocked down to the highest bidder; piece by piece his household gear had come into the house, with trouble and anxiety; piece by piece it went out to the world, amid jokes and laughter. This sideboard had been his old mother's, this chest of drawers his wife had brought with her, that

bailiff Niemann,

it," said he, and turned away, and went toward the

a courteous and friendly manner, and he turned to t

ry, then-- A chest of drawers! Two thalers, four shillings! Six shillings! Two thalers eight shi

tailor," wa

say, "You are pretty well off, but we have something to do to look after your interests." The owner of these eyes was the owner also of the estate of which Habermann had held the lease; he rode close up to the cluster of men, and, as he saw his unhappy tenant standing among them, the possibility occurred to him that he might fail of receiving his full rent, and the crafty eyes, which understood so well how to look after their

truck, by voice and words together, as if a knife had been plunged into his heart; now he stood still and looked silently before him, letting all go over hi

that?" asked old Farmer Drenkhahn, from Liepen

t Stolper the smith, "who lets his peo

d tailor Brandt, of Jarmen, "and by all t

to his people that they all have nice dress-coats to work in

who had heard these remarks with unabashed thick-headedness

hould be ashamed of yourself! The poor man has given up everything that he had a right

d only yesterday, and lies on her last couch, and there he is with his

to himself; those who came with him had ridden aside. "Did I know that?" said he peevishly, and rode out of

ermann. "Herr Habermann, you

ing again to his senses. "Yes, I was going to ask you to put up to auction

ly, the people have no money, and if you wish to dis

for that, and I

er the goods at auction," and th

you are so lonely here, in your misfortunes; come home with me, you and

d will; but I cannot go, I ha

uneral of your good wife. When do you bury her? We

as would be proper, and by this time I have learne

spector Wienk, and clapped him on the shoulder, "do not yi

e? But I cannot stay here; a man avoids the place where he has once made shipwreck. I must go to some house at a distance, and begin again at the beginning. I must work for my bread again, and stretch my feet under a stranger's table. And now good-bye to you all

ing-room. It was all cleaned out, his bed and all the furniture which had been left to him; nothing remained but four bare walls. Only in a dark corner stood an old chest, and on it sat a young woman, the wife of a day

mann, "go home now;

r, let m

shall stay h

ake the little

er, she will

reckoned the money on the window-seat. "That pays the cabinet-maker for the coffin; that for the cross at the grave; that for the funeral. Stina shall have this, and with the rest I can go to my sister." The evenin

the note of the quail, and the land-rail uttered its rain-call, and softly fell the first drops on the dusty ground, and his heart rose in thanks for the gift of sweetest savor known to the husbandman, the earth-vapor in which hover all blessings

if she would stroke it. He raised the child higher so that she could reach, and the little girl stroked and kissed the cold, dead cheek

lap, and wept bitterly. The little one began to weep also, and cried herself quietly to sleep. He laid her softly against his breas

. The coffin was lowered into the grave. A silent Pater Noster,--a handful of earth,--and the image of her who had for years refreshed and comforted him, rejoiced and enlivened, was concealed from his eyes, an

ey had rendered him, and then said "Good-bye" to them, gave to the bailiff the money for the coffin,

t, the young laborer's wife stood with a child o

fe in her last sickness,--here, Stina," and

hard times make some little return? Ah, Herr, I have one favor to ask; leave the child here with me! I will cherish it as if

u will have to separate from the poor little thing, sooner o

Yes, Herr, she shall be cared for like a princess, and we are healthy, an

e child with me upon an uncertainty; but I have left so much here, this last thing I cannot give up. No, no! I ca

" said the laborer, "let me at least go wi

is little daughter, and ever again kissing her, nor that both these honest souls, as he went on his way, should stand lo

e shall never again

d she, and both went sadly