r to his country. And in this lies the deeply
tragic element--that innocence and guilt are so closely interwoven, and
that two considerations are battling with each other. You men may pass
judgment on Ernst; you require unconditional submission to the lawful
authorities. You are right, because you are men of the law. But, with
Antigone, I rest myself upon that higher law which is far above all
laws that states may frame!

"'It lives neither for to-day nor for yesterday, but for all time,
And none can know since when.'

"This book is to me a sacred one."

"Mother!" cried Johanna, with a voice trembling with emotion, "mother,
how can you say that, while I here have the only sacred book in my
hand?"

"In its own sense, that, too, is sacred; but it teaches me nothing of
the deep struggles between the human heart and the laws of the state."

"Mother," cried Johanna, kneeling before her; "here is the Bible. I
implore you to give up those profane books; they cannot help you.
Listen to the Word of God!"

"To me he speaks through these books," answered my wife.

"Mother, we are mourning for the lost son."

"Our son is not lost; he is a sad sacrifice."

Richard entered. Mother said to him, "Read me the story from the
Gospel."

"What do you refer to?" inquired Richard.

"Mother means the Parable of the Prodigal Son," interrupted Johanna;
and holding the Bible on high, she continued: "Here it is: Gospel of
St. Luke, fifteenth chapter, eleventh verse."

"Not you, but Richard, shall read it."

"But, mother--"

"Richard, I wish you to read it."

He had just taken the book, when Annette entered. She asked whether she
was disturbing them.

My wife said that she was not, and requested her to sit down at her
side.

In a calm and full voice Richard read:

"'And he said, A certain man had two sons:

"'And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the
portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his
living.

"'And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and
took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance
with riotous living.

"'And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land;
and he began to be in want.

"'And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he
sent him into his fields to feed swine.

"'And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine
did eat; and no man gave u