Seed-time and Harvest

by it, and by their seclusion, especially Franz von Rambow. Fritz Triddelsitz had his aunt, the Frau Pastorin, close by, and a little farther off, his dear mother at Rahnstadt a

ad of learning his Latin at school, had fed upon romances, and had been a regular customer at the circulating library, so that he was quite well informed about such matters, and as his father had advised him to study human na

me came, they were invited there to spend Christmas eve. The young Herr accepted,--Fritz had gone home to Rahnstadt for the holidays--and as they drove up in the slei

e! Herr von Rambow, if you will have the ki

ule raps, and had scarcely time to give Herr von Rambow a hasty courtesy. But the Pastor made up for her neglect; he shook the young man's hand, and said that he was heartily glad that he had

longer! Sit perfectly still! The bell will ring directly." And once she whisked through the room, wi

bermann and Herr von Rambow by the hand, she led them up to the table. "This is your dish, and this is yours, and Louise and my Pastor have already found theirs!" then turning around, she cried, "Now all come in!" for the Pastor's man, George, and the two maids, Rika and Dürten, were all standing at the door, waiting for their Christmas boxes,--"now all come in! Where t

o equivocate, not in words, to be sure, but by shaking her head, and no

nothing about it, and Louise grasped her own fathe

e due to others; he stroked her soft hair, and his eyes grew moist, as he took her hand a

and looked at her Pastor, like a child when it has set up a new doll in the sofa-corner, and as she turned round she saw a package lying on her dish, which her Pastor had secretly placed there. Hastily she untied the string, and took off the wrappings, chattering all the while. What could it be? How strangely it felt! Somebody was surely playing a joke on her,--and at last, there was a beautiful

assed before him; kind friends and relatives brought him their greetings, but the two faces which hung in his room, under the wreath of immortelles, were missing. He felt that he did not belong here, but

t a ticket with a number, referring to another ticket up-stairs, and when she had got this, it referred her to another down in the cellar, and that to another, and another,--and if the Frau Pastorin wanted the pretty embroidered collar designed for her, she must chase it all over the house, to find it, at last, close by, in her husband's boot-leg. Another "Yule rap!" All, that was a

nd gathered up the wrapping paper and string. Then the door opened once more, a clear bell-like voice cried "Yule rap!" and, as the package was examined, it was

a,--Bertha a saddle-cover, and as yet he had no horse,--and Fidelia a cigar-case, and in fact he never smoked at all. But what of that? Whether one can use them or not, it is all one; not the gift, but the giver, and the good-will is the important thing at C

aying, "Frau Pastorin

n we wil

said the Pastor,

ll bring in so much

p early to-morrow morning, a

all the little people in the village, and they stood there rubbing their noses, and opening their eyes wider and wide

company pressed forward, for the Pastor and his wife had stood godparents to at least half the village children. One boy, who wanted to deceive, pushed forward with the others, that was Jochen Ruhrdanz,

tion, received every one a hymn-book, and the others received writing-books and slates and primers and catechisms, according as they needed them,

nger-nuts, and, Herr von Rambow, will you take the apple-basket? And now, each

ght, to receive his Christmas gift. The little girls had their aprons, but the boys had brought anything they could lay hands on; one had a platter, anoth

a mischievous rogue of a boy. "Herr von Rambow, that boy is to hav

au Past

the great apple-tree by the wall, k

Frau Pas

ut stopped again when she came to Jochen Ruhrdanz. "Didn't I see you, last week, fighting wi

astorin, but

, he gets no

rin, but we made

may give him

with their Christmas boxes, saying only, "Good evening!" for

wooden-shoemakers, out of the village, and also some, who were no longer capable of any work. With these the Pastor spoke a few friendly, Christian wor

s said "Good night!" and, as Habermann came out, he went up silently to the horses, and took off

heavens God had lighted up his great Christmas tree with a thousand shining lamps, and the world lay stretched out beneath like a Ch

f Pomuchelskopp's house; "They are keeping Christmas there, too," sa

began to quarrel about a sugar doll, and when Pomuchelskopp said that his favorite, Philipping, should have it, Nanting was angry, and threw a toy-box at Philipping, which unfortunately hit the great looking-glass, and broke it into a thousand pieces. Then their mother took the government into her hands, and got the strap out of the cupboard,

as eve, and when he asked himself the reason, the joyous face of Louise Habermann appeared before

at Jochen himself inside the coat. He could not get out,--Oh, no!--he had been from home an hour and a half already; but he had been at the parsonage, and they were all coming to spend St.

had turned the horses' heads, a murmur came out of the seven capes, which sounded like, "Good-bye, brother-in-law!

and wrote him that, as his vacation would be over, he could come to

e stood Jochen in the door, in his new black dress-coat and trousers, a Christmas present from his wife,

n, "and do the 'honneurs,' that Karl's young n

aged in conversation with the young Herr von Rambow, the Frau Pastorin asked the little girls about their Christmas presents. Jochen sat silently in his old corner by the stove, and Br?sig

, with light, feathery clouds floating in the sunshine. Only, near the stove, it looked as if a thunder-shower was coming up, for there sat Jochen, smoking as if for a wager. His wife had taken away the "Fleigen

n the heavens, nor yet from the earth beneath,--

man outside with a cart, who had brought a travelling trunk

see, Pastor, my brother-in-law is so inconsiderate, he has let the boy c

rin," said Habermann, laughing a l

, when he first came to Pumpelhagen;

if a beast is balky as when the rascal takes to

the window, and asked the man who had driven the cart

nothing to the horse, the horse will do

Pastorin seated herself again o

r, whenever I set eyes on the boy

omething of the sor

row by name, who went round half the year in yellow top-boots, and the pleasure of seeing him, together with the lively, agricultural conversation, had been a little too much for Fritz. Gust Prebberow had given him all sorts of useful advice, how to manage "the old man," as he called Habermann, and to pull the wool over his eyes, and had told incidents from his own experience in the management of farm-boys; and, after discussing these branches of agriculture, they came to the subject of horses. Fritz related his adventures with the old chestnut, who was naturally

pot full of water, and ride gently along just as usual, till you come to the place where he balks, and then give it to him with the spurs in th

ft hand, the riding-whip under his left arm, and in his right hand a great jar full of water. He could not ride fast, without s

's mud-puddle, all of a sudden stood still. Now was the time. A stroke of the whip behind, spurs in his ribs, and crash! the pot between his ears. "Uff!" grunted Chestnut, shaking his head, in token that he would not st

observed old Chestnut's quiet behaviour, and saw Fritz safely landed upon the soft and somewhat cold "bed of honor," which the rain and dew of heaven an

d, it won't hurt him. What business has

ide like a plough-boy, black and muddy

rom the open window. "Don't come in here like that! Fortunat

e three little girls, and looked at their Christmas gifts, laughing himself half dead as the little twins finally dragged forward a great foot-sack, which Uncle Br?sig had given them, "that the little rogues might keep their toes warm, and not get the cursed Podagra." Franz had never in his life enjoyed opportunities of intercourse with little girls youn

f as Franz was doing. Jochen said nothing to be sure, but he laughed continually; if Br?sig merely opened his mouth, Jochen stretched his from ear to ear, and when the punch was brought in, and Lining,

e should employ a higher style of conversation. Accordingly he took up the r?le which he had played at the Rahnstadt ball, when he had danced with the burgomeister's daughter, aged twenty-seven, and addressed Louise as "Fr?

ight and left. And as this caused a great tittering and giggling among the little folks, he naturally talked louder and louder, in order to be heard, till at last the whole company were looking at him in silence. Jochen, who sat next him, had turned round and stared at him, as if to see h

were too hot for her, and as Fritz finally attempted to give a visible illustration of the schottische, how the gentleman embraced the lady, she could no longer contain herself. She sprang up and cried, "All keep still! As his aunt, I am the nearest to him! Fritz, come here directly!" And as he slowly rose, and very coolly and politely walked round to her, she took ho

so easy, and ought not to have been expected. After fashionable talk, reasonable ta

ith a jolt now and then, when Br?sig drove against a stone, Fritz sat and grumbled to himself, feeding his anger with punch, which served as oil

eing himself "cock of the walk," and as he perceived that Franz seemed most taken with Louise Habermann, he vowed secretly that that sho

and girls looked in at the door, to see how Just would manage his business, and they laughed, and pushed and pulled one another back and forth. Then congratulations began, and all wished each other "Happy New Year!" and after all was quiet again, the Herr Pastor made a little speech, which began quite playfully but ended seriously, how with every year one came a step nearer to the grave, and one must comfort oneself by this, that wi

d the y