work. For my part, I do not fancy these wound-up
organs, as you know." Franzl made a wry face, but the teacher went on.
"They are for children and for a people in its childhood. Even a piano
I don't think much of, because the tones are ready-made. A piece of
music played on the piano is not much better than the whistling of a
song that should be sung. The works of your clocks have tongues and
lungs, but no heart."

Franzl left the room in indignation. Thank Heaven, there are still
Knuslingers in the world, to rate things at their proper value. She
heard the two friends within singing the touching song, "Morgen muss
ich fort von hier." Lenz's voice was a pure, though not very strong
tenor, which the schoolmaster's powerful bass would have drowned had he
let out the full force of his voice. They were interrupted by Franzl
calling through the open door, "The doctor's family is coming."

The school-teacher, as master of ceremonies, advanced in front of the
house to receive them.

The doctor entered with his wife and three daughters, and said at once,
in his kindly way, which, without being in the least dictatorial, yet
admitted of no refusal, that Lenz must not waste his valuable time in
talking, but must set the clock going without delay.

It was done, and all were evidently delighted. When the first piece was
finished, Lenz was fairly overwhelmed by the praises bestowed upon
him,--such hearty praises, too, evidently not spoken merely from
politeness.

"Grandmother sends you her congratulations," said the eldest daughter;
while Bertha cried, "How many voices in one case!"

"Don't you wish you had as many?" replied her father, jokingly.

"You have a true talent for music," continued the eldest, her brown
eyes shining with honest pleasure.

"If my father had only let me have a violin to play on when I was a
boy, I really think I might have done something in the way of music,"
said Lenz.

"You have done something now," said the stout doctor, as he laid his
hand kindly on the young man's shoulder.

The schoolmaster, whose chief delight was in the construction of the
works, relieved Lenz of the trouble of explaining them to the ladies by
describing, better than the manufacturer himself could have done, how
the delicacies of crescendo and diminuendo were introduced, and what a
nice ear was required to make the tones powerful without harshness, and
to preserve the distinction between the long and the short notes. He