nvalid.

"I don't consider his case a serious one as yet," said he; "his feet are
swollen, indeed, but that might soon be cured. However, his sedentary
inactive life is so bad for a frame like his, and his diet is so
unwholesome, that I am sorry to say the sudden development of some
serious complaint is only too likely."

Anton immediately wrote off this opinion to Karl, and added, "Under
these circumstances, your father's own impression that he shall not
survive his fiftieth birth-day makes me very uneasy. It would be well
that you should be with him at that time."

Several days had now elapsed since Anton had written this letter, and,
meanwhile, he had paid a daily visit to Sturm, who did not appear to
change for the worse, but yet remained firm in his resolve of not
outliving his birth-day. One morning a servant came to Anton's room, and
announced that Sturm the porter urgently wished to see him.

"Is he worse?" inquired Anton, in dismay; "I will go to him
immediately."

"He is at the door in a cart," said the servant.

Anton hurried out. A carrier's cart was standing there, with great
barrel-hoops bent over the wicker-work, and covered by a white sheet,
from which--a corner of it being turned back--the head of Father Sturm,
ensconced in a colossal fur cap, appeared. He wore an anxious face, and,
as soon as he saw Anton, held out a sheet of paper. "Read this, Mr.
Wohlfart; I have had such a letter from my poor Karl! I must go to him
at once. To the estate beyond Rosmin," he added to the driver, a burly
carrier who stood by the vehicle.

Anton looked at the letter. It was written in the forester's clumsy
characters, and the contents amazed him. "My dear father, I can not come
to you, for a scythe-man has cut off the remainder of my hand, on which
account I beg you, as soon as you get this, to set out to your poor son.
You must take a large conveyance and drive to Rosmin. There you must
stop at the Red Deer. A carriage and a servant from the estate will be
waiting for you. The servant does not understand a word of German, but
he is a good fellow, and will know you when he sees you. You must buy
yourself a fur for the journey, and fur boots which must come above your
knees, and be lined with leather. If you can't find any large enough for
your great legs, godfather Kuerschner must, during the night, sew a skin
over your feet. Greet Mr. Wohlfart from me. Your faithful Karl."

Anton held the letter in his hand, n