istening
with satisfaction to the young man's conversation; the pleasure he
experienced in looking at the handsome youth who had formerly been
under his care, and more especially his ingenuous nature and good
sentiments, produced in his heart the fondness of a father in the
highest sense. "You must marry some one who can sing with you," said he
to Edward; "it would be a pity to have a wife who could not make melody
along with you."

They continued to converse on various subjects, and Edward remarked,
that many young men formed an entirely false idea of the life of a
farmer, and therefore were ruined, both in mind and body. Being the son
of a councillor in a high position, he had himself suffered
considerably from the consequences of false representations, till he
learned from experience the necessity of taking a personal interest in
agriculture: he was now steward on the property of a nobleman, but had
just given up his situation, with a view to rent a farm, or to purchase
a small property.

In the midst of this conversation, they heard some persons knocking off
the snow from their shoes, at the house door. Three men were standing
below, who presently came up: they were the churchwardens.

"Edward, come into the next room," said his sister, adding, "This is my
brother, and this is Schilder-David, Herzbauer, and Wagner.

"Glad to see you, sir," said Schilder-David, shaking hands with Edward,
"but we beg you will stay where you are, Frau Pastorin; we should like
you and your brother too to hear what we have to say."

"Sit down," said the Pastor.

"Many thanks, but it is not necessary," said Schilder-David, who was
evidently spokesman. "Herr Pastor, we wish to say in few words what we
have heard in the village; who first brought the report, we don't know;
but you have often, Herr Pastor, impressed on us the propriety, on
hearing anything of a man that you would rather not believe, to go
straight to him, and to put the question direct to himself; so, no
offence, Herr Pastor, but is it true that you wish to leave us?"

"Yes."

For a time there was perfect stillness in the room, and at last
Schilder-David began again.

"Well: now I believe it, Herr Pastor. Before you came we had a Pastor
who disliked us, and whom we equally disliked--can anything be more
dreadful? How can Christian love, faith, and piety flourish, when he
who preaches the word of God, and he who hears it, have no mutually
kind feeling? It would be