Seed-time and Harvest

eat washing, and now she would help her dear child a little with the drying. It was, as it is always, a great pleasure to see the old mother settle herself to the task, a

d played as many tricks in her old age as the youngest girl, when she is beloved f

ace might be able to know when it was mid-day, and time for their dinners; and now there stands in his place a stout, malicious-looking beast, with green breeches, smoking tobacco. Nowhere do things go on so strangely as in the world!" And with that the old woman laughed from the bottom of her heart over the landlord Herr Pomuchelskopp, who stood in his yellow nankeen coat and green plaid trowsers

"All mine! All mine!" The sunbeam which brightened the world was not noticed by him, it touched neither his face nor his heart; the sunbeam which shone for him was properly a sum in arith

er Pomuchelskopp laughed heartily; and Nanting ran into the kitchen and brought a coal, to give him a pair of moustaches, but his father would not allow this. "Nanting," said he, "let that go, it mi

uth looked as sour as if she had drank vinegar and fed on sorrel all her days. She wore in the morning at this warm season of the year, a black merino over-sack, which she had once bought in a time of mourning and still wore; and through the day, cotton garments dyed olive-green with alder-bark, and to make up for the extravagance of Pomuchelskopp's new blue dress-coat with bright buttons, she bundled up her head with old bandages and caps, out

how for one spot on his jacket two on his back, and for every one on his trousers two on the flesh they covered. Yes, she was strong against herself and against her own flesh and blood, but she could rejoice also, according to the scriptures, with moderation; and

eggary. She did another thing, which the minister had not inculcated at her betrothal,--she condemned his failings, and gave him daily of her own vinegar to drink and of her sorrel to eat. She tutored him--that is to say when they were alone--as she did her youngest child, her Philipping, and as if Pomuchelskopp still wore his green plaid trousers fastened behind; in short, she drove him just as she pleased. She did not beat him--God forbid! a

his light-minded behavior with the children, "Kopp, why do you stand

tly taking the pipe from his mouth, "we can

only our Pastor." She emphasized the "our," as if she had spoken of her

lskopp, "I can put on my brown overcoat. Philip

d to yourself. You can keep on your

thing to the Pastor's family, we owe something to ourselves. And, if Malcheh and

hat in his gratitude he desired to confer some pleasure upon his Klücking, and make her a sharer in his own satisfaction; for no one must do Pomuchelskopp the injustice to sup

d the lady shortly; "all that ov

ards Pumpelhagen, "who knows? If God spares my life, and I sell my property in Pomerania at a go

e only approach to a smile ever seen on it, "yes, just as old Strohpagel said: 'If I were ten year

wished to be rid of you! Without the thirty thousand dollars, which your father left you, I never could have bou

one, "all but the Pastor's field, which

an honest, straight-forward man; what can I do against such a pair of sly old fellows as Habermann and the Pasto

bees, their fingers sewing and their tongues chatting at the same time, and looking, amid the white linen, as fresh an

it makes one, to know for oneself how much pains it has cost! Mining, Mining, your seam is crooked! Good heavens, Louise! I believe you are looking off half the time, yet you sew right along, and get no knots in your thread. But now I must go and take up the potatoes, for my Pastor will be h

ler to be in the Frau Pastorin's se

at Rexow, Frau Nüssler said she was a cross old thing, she scolded the little girls from morning to night and made them so skittish that they did not know how to behave; she must go. Thereupon Kaufman Kurz looked up another; and one day, when nobody in Rexow dreamed of impending evil, a sort of grenadier walked in at the door, with heavy black eyebrows, and sallow complexion, and with spectacles on her nose, and announced herself as the new "

Br?sig offered his assistance, and engaged a teacher,--"A smart one," he said, "always in good spirits, and she can play you dead on the harpsichord." He was right; one evening in the winter, there arrived at Rexow a little blue-cheeked, hump-backed body, who, after the first ten min

d to inform herself how the mamselle managed the children in school-hours; she requested, therefore, to be shown a plan of their studies, and the next day Lining brought her a great sheet of paper with all the "branc

all the music she wants to, for all me, if the religi

n, "it is all as

one day, during the "Religion" hour, such a romping in the school-room that she opened the door suddenly, to see what kind of religion was going on, behold! Mamsell

Rostock "Times" with uncommon interest; and one day he laid aside the "Times," and ordered Christian to get out the "phantom." His good wife was considerably astonished, for she had no idea what he was thinking of; but as sh

ent-looking lady, and it went through the whole region like a run

tolerably contented with her, "But," said he, f

d no longer play, "Our cat has nine kittens," the only piece which she had learned from Mamselle "Hop-on-the-hill." Before long Mamselle added cramps to her nerves, and Madam Nüssler must run with sundry bottles of "drops," and both Fika and Corlin must sit up with her nights, because either one alone woul

than that the doctor had lately been a good deal out of

as with the mamselle, Corl

been stroking her over her face, and now she is asleep

ss is the woman carrying on?" and he went up-stairs with Frau Nüssler. After

then said, "Yes, that doesn

d rain to-morrow, and she said to me, in her somnambulic state, that it would rain torrents. If it rains torrents to-morrow, then take down your barometer from the

g it rained torrents, he was silent indeed, and

pilgrim's shrine, to which resorted all who were curious, or scientific, or interested in physical science; and, because Frau Nüssler would have nothing to do with it, and Jochen was incapable, Zachary Br?sig undertook the business, when the doctor was not there, and ushered troops of visitors into the mamselle's room, and explained her somnambulic condition; and before the bed, by the

e impropriety of the thing, and requested Jochen to put a stop to the nuisance, upon which Jochen replied that they might put Christian up there; but when Christian came down one day, and said the Herr Baron had sent him away, because he smelled too

idedly, "Gracious Herr Baron, will you have the kind

nsion, he laughed rather confusedly, and said he stood

money here, and none of your apporters either; Chri

it, for when Frau Nüssler wept he fell into a passion, and in great w

speech, and inquired rather haughtily wheth

r?sig, taking the baron by the arm.

the sofa and grasped the baron by the other arm: she wouldn't stay here,

"Don't let us detain you! Two birds with o

drove up to the door; the Herr Baron himself was

it," said young Jochen, as

e leather, she is tough. And you, madam," said he to Frau Nüssler, "let

had been at his sister's however, and had comforted her about the mamselle, that it was merely sickness and would pass over; but as he came home this time, the report was all over the neighborhood that young Jochen's sleepi

nquired what he knew of the story, and

ll that in our good fatherland many of my brethren in Christ have occupied themselves in healing the possessed, and casting out devils

, who could usually shake off easily the worst misfortune,

s talked about, and not even knowing how to write a letter--no, Herr Pastor, you, who have learned so much, you cannot know how one feels, but I know, and, Karl, you can understand it too. No, Herr Pastor, even though my heart should break, and I should go about alone with Jochen in this great house, like one in a dream, I will give up my little girls to go away to school, rather than have them re

üssler, looked at her observantly and said, "My dear neighbor, I will make you a proposition. Louise is a little more adv

if she had stepped out of shadow into sunshine. She stared at the Pastor with her wide-open, blue eyes; "Herr Pastor!" sh

and, until he grasped it, then pressed it warmly, and drew him to the sofa, behind the supper table, which was spread; and when Frau Nüssler and

ever; only that Lining as the eldest was perhaps half an inch taller than Mining, and Mining was a good half

e twins were in the Frau Pastorin's sewing-school, for the Frau Pastorin also meant to d

in order! Here come our new landlord with his wife and daughters, across the church-yard, right up to the house,--and, bless his heart! my Pastor has gone to Warnitz to a christening!" And she grasped unc

ceful bow, which on account of his peculiar build was rather a failure, "to wa

ted with iron, and Malchen and Salchen, in their gay silk dresses, stared at the thre

he took his dignity also upon her shoulders. She drew herself up to her full height, looking as round and full as a goose on the spit, and with every word tha

tor is not at home. Won't you sit down?" and with that she seated

now one and now another advancing opinions to which the rest could not assent, Louise went, in a friendly way, as was pr

e for it, bore too striking a resemblance to her father. But they were educated--save the mark! and had recently attended the Whitsuntide fair and Trinity ball, at Rostoc

e that their advances should be received with coolness, and Louise said w

me a little more friendly, as she said, "It is only an old one; my new

e Trinity ball. Ah, how we d

ption of a ball itself, for though the Frau Pastorin in her youth had taken pleasure like other people, and had occasionally set foot in a ball-r

e Br?sig's descriptions had given the children a confused idea of many white dresses with green and red ribbons, of violins and clarionettes, of waltzes and quadrilles, and many, many glasses of punch. And as Uncle Br?sig had described it all, he had also given an illustration, with his short

such a question; but, considering her youth and inexperience, the

d Salchen, "tha

ely attitude, as if she had lived under the shadow of St. Peter's tower in Rostock fro

a great blunder, and Louise grew red also, but it was from anger. "Why do you l

ed!" laughed Malchen

peech, being interrupted by hasty

am the owner of Gurlitz, and if the

iend, and one of our parishioners, and the field joins his

t," interrupted

one us an injury,

he little Frau

, and began to wink and blink. It was too late; the child had heard her father's name,

her? What has m

l of her father, and the young frame which up to this tim

wellings of men, and the temples of God. It seemed to her that a beautiful temple, in which she had often worshipped, had been buried und

istress--he knew what to do in such cases; but here he had no occasion for reproaches or advice, and, as he glanced about him in his confusion, and saw upon the wall the hands of Christ stretched out in blessing, it seemed to h

vigorous discipline, but this was a different matter; Malchen and Salchen had often shot fire from their ey

face! What did she say about her

followed their little friend into the next room, to cry with her; for though they did not kno

; the very words he had used years before

alchen and Salchen, come, we will go; t

and because she would always be number 1, Pomuchelskopp the 8, on account of his size and rotundity, and

ad brought Uncle Br?sig home with him. He knew by their appearance that they had been making a c

do? But," he added in su

ft us," said Frau Po

o come in again, I shall be back d

his old comrade Pomuchelskopp:

nspector, very wel

uare in his face. If Frau Pomuchelskopp wished to make him a courtesy, she m

he sharply, and the

with red eyes, and they pointed to the birch-tree arbor, with anxious looks, as if to say he must go there if he would find out what the trouble was. He went to the arbor, and there s

; the pitiless world had grasped this soft, pure heart with its hard, coarse hand, and the finger-marks could never be effaced; now it had entered upon the great, never-ending struggle, which is fought out here on earth until hearts cease to beat. It must come, yes, it must come, he knew that well enough; but he knew also that the greatest art of one who would train a human soul lies in kee

r at least in a reasonable chair, had seated himself on a table, and was working like a linen-weaver, in his excitement over Pomuchelskopp's ceremoniou

you had known forty years, and you meet him,

Br?si

Pomuchelskopp

ne worse mischief here;" and

stormed up and down the room, and made use of language for which the Frau Pastorin would have reproved him severely, had she not be

his Regina looked

and he walked in his quiet way, up and down the room, finally

hinking about hell

at?" asked

ing, Br?sig sprang t

it true that there are m

y," said

good or bad

consider the eruptions a good thing, becau

the answer. "But it is true, isn't it," he went on, "that

r, who had not the slightest i

evil would take Zamel Pomuchelskopp by the nape of his neck, and hol

"you are a heathen. How can you utter such

g back into the sofa-corner, "it w

mber that these people used the disgraceful e

I had ordered the boys to form a line with their carts. Then I stood in the marl-pit, and all was going nicely. Then, you see, there came that lubber, Christian Kohlhaas,--a real horned-beast of a creature,--there he was with his full cart coming back to the pit. 'You confounded rascal!' said I, 'what under heaven! are you going to bring the marl back again!' Do you believe, that blockhead looked me right in the face, a

"will you do me a favour? Don't

ise, and comfort her, and tell her that Samuel Pomuchelskopp

let that go. The child will get over

," said Br?sig, re

you will stay t

ut better after dinner than before. I had better go and work in the marl-pit; but Christian would do well n