beloved daughter, had thrown her. The owner of the house, a
weaver's widow, who had formerly been a servant to her, and who had
been indebted to her liberality for her comfortable establishment,
stood at the head of her bed with a phial and spoon in her hand, and
with a countenance expressive of the tenderest sympathy. Before the bed
sat Oswald and the weeping Faith.

'Compose yourself, my daughter,' said the matron. 'I shall surely
recover from this illness. Alas, one may suffer much before the thread
of life will break! I feel much better to-day than I did yesterday, and
I hope not to be the cause of anxiety much longer.'

'God grant it!' sobbed Faith, sinking upon her knees before the bed,
and covering her dear mother's hand with her kisses and tears.

At that moment Jonas, the widow's son, entered the cottage with his hat
and traveling staff, gave them a melancholy and silent greeting, and
began to unpack his bundle.

'So soon returned from Schweidnitz?' asked Oswald. 'What is the state
of affairs there?'

'Still very bad, sir,' answered Jonas. 'The soldiers abuse and oppress
the people in a manner that might soften a heart of stone; and you may
consider it fortunate that you are here.'

'Did you succeed in speaking to my brother-in-law, my good friend?'
anxiously asked Faith.

'I saw him last evening, and told and gave him all. He keeps about with
difficulty, to save his household from entire ruin. He gave me this
letter and this bag of gold for you, and sends kind greetings to you
all.'

Oswald took the letter, broke the seal and read:

'The persecution still rages, and I thank heaven that you are for the
present in a place of safety. Immediately after the funeral of my dear
Katharine, the clergymen were all compelled to leave the city. In the
course of the night my house underwent a strict search, and even the
vault in which you were so long concealed did not escape. The captain
has already nearly recovered, and left his bed to-day for the first
time, to wait upon the colonel. The latter, as I understand, gave him a
very unpleasant reception. They afterwards conferred together for two
hours, with closed doors. What was there agreed upon God only knows;
but when the captain returned, I was standing in front of my shop, and
he greeted me in a manner so terribly courteous that it made me
shudder. I have just heard that a squadron of dragoons have orders to
be ready for a movement to-morrow morning at da