aled in the bed. In vain he said that he was innocent, in vain he
called God to witness--he must needs die. On the day when he was
beheaded, two women, weeping and wailing, and dressed in deep mourning,
ran beside the felon's car to the place of execution. One was his dear
mother, the other his loving sister. In vain they screamed that he was
innocent, that he ought not to die, and, even if he were guilty they
forgave him the mourning dresses they wore, though they were the
sufferers and had lost everything. It was useless, he must needs die.
When he sat down in front of me in the chair of death, and took off his
clothes, even then he turned to me and said: 'Woe is me that I must die,
for I am innocent.' I bound up his eyes. But my hand shook as I aimed
the blow at him, and the blood that spurted on to my hand burnt like
fire. Oh, my child! that blood was innocent. A year ago I executed a
notorious highwayman, and as I was ascending the ladder with him, he
turned and laughed in my face: 'Ha, ha!' cried he, 'it was in this very
place that you beheaded a fine young fellow whom they accused of having
murdered his father; it was I who killed that father of his and hid the
knife in his bed, and now hang me up and look sharp about it.' Oh, my
child, thou fair angel, beseech God that _He_ will let me forget those
words!"

"Go to sleep, go to sleep, my good father. God is good, God is wrath
with no man. Why dost thou weep? Thou art not a bad man, surely, else
thou wouldst not love me. Look now! Last summer two children went from
the village into the woods to pluck flowers, there Heaven's warfare
overtook them, and when they sought a refuge beneath a tree to avoid the
rain, the lightning struck both of them dead. Yet the lightning is God's
own weapon, and both the children were innocent. God knows wherefore He
gives life and death, we do not. Go to sleep, my good father! God is
everywhere near us, and turns away from nobody who lifts up his eyes
towards Him. Look, I see Him everywhere. He watches over me when I
sleep, He holds me by the hand when I walk in the darkness; I see Him if
I look up at the sky, I see Him when I cast down my eyes. He abandons
nobody. Kiss me and go to sleep!"

The big muscular man slowly struggled to his knees. He pressed the fair
child to his bosom and raised his hard rough face. He looked up, his
lips quivered, he seemed to be praying, and his tears flowed apace. Then
he stood up, and the little girl