hand; may I die an evil
death if I harm my Martina----'here he was interrupted by his tears,
which flowed afresh at this name--'if my Martina suffers through me
either by word or deed. God has punished me through her; I must,
indeed, be a miserable sinner. I was too proud of my children, and more
especially of her, and she is now wretched enough; I will sin against
fatherly love no more.'

"My husband wished to go home with him, but he firmly declined this.

"'I must learn to pass along the street alone with this stain of shame.
I have been too proud. My head is bowed down till the hour when I
descend into the grave. A thousand thanks, Herr Pastor. May God reward
you!'

"The man whose gait had been hitherto so proud and erect, now crept
home a miserable object. When he was gone my husband related to me the
frightful scene he had witnessed. Those present, however, told me
afterwards that my husband had shown the most unexampled patience and
gentleness towards David, who was in a state of raging fury, exclaiming
frantically: 'I am like Job. Oh God! strike me dumb, in order that I
may no longer curse myself and the whole world--but there is no
justice, none in heaven, and none on earth.'

"My husband at length succeeded in pacifying him, but when David was at
last gone, I never saw my husband so worn out and exhausted as on that
occasion.

"Leegart kept her promise, and was godmother to little Joseph; and his
father, Adam Roettmann, was also present at his baptism.

"Adam had a fine life of it at home, for daring to go to the village,
and from that time he was watched, and imprisoned like a malefactor,
the old Roettmaennin having complaisant spies every where in her pay, for
she does not grudge money for her own purposes.

"Schilder-David had always been a regular church goer, but after the
unwished for birth of his grandson he was two months without going to
church; when he heard the bells ringing for divine service, he never
failed to lament afresh over his dishonour, which prevented him being
able to go to church; but when no one was looking, he liked to carry
his grandchild about the room. The boy seemed to have won all his love;
he had the child constantly in his arms, and watched over him like a
mother. On Sundays and holidays he was to be seen for hours beside the
garden hedge yonder; grandfather and grandson passing into the fields,
and standing watching the waterfall; indeed the old man gave up smoking
to