men carried her into the house, and when she revived and saw her
confirmation certificate hanging on the wall of the room framed under
glass, she uttered such a loud, piercing scream, that we had heard it
even at this distance; and she again relapsed into a dead faint. At
last she was restored, but David called out, 'Don't bring her to life
again, for out she shall go as soon as she can move. Oh Lord, strike me
blind! accursed be my eyes! America deprived me of my other children,
and now! now!' ... He made a rush at Martina; the neighbours, however,
held him back, and Leegart hurried away to call my husband. We waited
long before my husband came back. He brought David with him, supporting
him on his arm, for David was groping like a blind man; he had pressed
down his hat over his eyes, and kept saying, 'Herr Pastor, shut me
up--do! for I am no longer master of myself--my child, my best, my only
child. She was a crown to me, as her confirmation said, and now----Oh,
Heavenly Father, why is it Thy will thus to try me? It was not to be. I
was not to reach the grave without this severe burden. Oh, Herr Pastor,
to see a child even enjoy its food seems more pleasant than to do so
yourself. Oh! how long do we tend our little child, and care for it,
and rejoice in its health and strength, and hearing it say good and
pleasant words; and glad when it comes from school and has learnt
something useful; glad when it gathers wood, and sings and is
merry--and then comes a man, and lays waste all this happiness! My
other children live, but they are emigrants, and are no good to me; my
Martina stayed at home, she is still before my eyes, but is worse than
dead. When a child is virtuous we are doubly happy, but a wicked child
can make a father not only doubly, but a thousandfold miserable. I keep
racking my brain and I cannot, cannot find out where my fault has been,
and yet I must be to blame, and now my good name----'Here he saw me,
and almost sinking down he exclaimed with a burst of convulsive sobs,
'Frau Pastorin, you always loved her well; she has given me my death
blow--I feel it.'

"He could evidently scarcely sustain himself, we brought him into the
house, and there he remained nearly unconscious for more than an hour;
he covered his face with his hands, and large tears were seen trickling
down through his fingers.

"At last he rose, and standing erect by a strong effort, he said:

"'May God reward you, Herr Pastor. Here is my