rth, which soon with magnetic power drew
all his thoughts towards it. At the sight of the wonderful flowers of
Paradise, such as the earth never produces, he could think of nothing
but the violets, and crocuses, and tulips which curled up in spring-time
out of the black earth of his father's garden. The golden fruits on the
trees reminded him of the gilded ones of the Christmas-tree, and seemed
to him even brighter; and although the Paradise of heaven, with its
eternal clearness, was a thousand times more beautiful than the
changing air below, yet the little heart felt a dim yearning for the
beloved earth, the griefs of which he had not yet learned to measure;
and, amidst all this angelic beauty, he only felt an uncontrollable
longing for the plain, human countenance of his mother. Then there came
an end to his enjoyment. He began to cry, and, finally, to roar lustily.
The other little angels gathered astonished around him, staring at the
strange playmate who had dewdrops in his eyes and made such awful faces.
Such a thing did not generally occur in heaven, where all were good and
quiet. But just then St. James came along and, on seeing the crying
angel, he spoke pleasantly to him, and finally took him up in his arms
in order to comfort him. But a great surprise lay in store for the
Saint; for it would have been easier for him to convert a thousand
heathens than to quiet the little unruly fellow, who commenced kicking
and wriggling, and made such a terrible outcry that the angels fluttered
away in consternation. There stood the Saint with the child in his arms,
and did not know what to do! At last he concluded to show the strange
being to the Lord Himself, and went with the little one before His
throne. Then the Lord Almighty smiled, and all the angels around His
throne smiled, when they saw St. James, who certainly did not seem very
well adapted for nursing children, and in whose arms little Hans,
regardless of all surroundings, continued to roar unmercifully. But the
merciful Lord opined that the greatest squallers often turned out the
best men, and He ordered an angel to carry the little one back to dear
earth.

And this was done. With mighty strokes of his pinions the heavenly
messenger floated back to earth, which came nearer and nearer with its
mountains, lakes, and rivers, and with the old, lifeworn town, and from
out the town rose up the gabled roof of the parents' home with a cap of
snow upon it.

The boy in