efused the pleasure of
escorting her home. "It's only around the corner," said Leah, "and this
is such a small town, that the streets are perfectly safe at night
without masculine protection." But the old man would not be denied. He
seized his little hat with the blue ribbon, patted his daughter on the
back, and shook hands with his son-in-law somewhat formally. They need
not wait up for him, he said. He could not retire so early, and would
stroll about in search of adventure.

When they found themselves in the street and about twenty paces from
the house, the singular man suddenly stopped short and said to his
companion:

"You've probably perceived, Frau Doctorin, that I have something on my
mind. Do you know the real object of my coming here? It was not, as my
daughter thinks, on account of the two black haired boys, though I love
the little fellows well enough to eat them, but because of a dream. You
see, a short time ago, I came home rather late from one of our
meetings, where there had been some very good speeches, and fretted
before I fell asleep, because I was always obliged to hold my tongue,
since, as my friend the assessor says, I've taken rather a passive than
an active part in education. 'Well,' I thought, 'every one has not the
gift of being a great orator, and he who makes comfortable boots for
people does his share toward healthful progress.' Just then I fell
asleep, and just imagine what I dreamed. I was standing out of doors on
the parade ground, and suddenly I saw something dark coming toward me,
moving in regular rank and file, and making a great deal of dust; but
the columns were very low, not more than two feet above the ground. As
it drew nearer, what did I see? Nothing but boots and shoes, regularly
divided into regiments, like an army, according to the various styles;
jackboots, dancing shoes, slippers, spatter-dashes, in short everything
that has ever been manufactured in a shoe-maker's shop, and in fact, as
I instantly recognized by the shape and workmanship, in my own. Now I
knew at once, without being told by any one, that these were the boots
and shoes which had passed through my hands since the time I was
apprenticed; the collected work, so to speak, of my life. 'Now,' a
voice seemed to say, 'you can see what you've accomplished in this
world, and whether you've any right to imagine you've been of any
special aid to progress.' I tell you, Frau Doctorin, it was horrible to
see how the litt