said Fessel to his beloved
wife; 'and in the quiet enjoyment of domestic happiness, we can have no
wish to be restlessly driving about upon the open seas.'

'Ah, may God grant that the troubles of the times reach us not in our
safe haven and rend our bark from its fast anchorage,' cried the
true-hearted Katharine with timid foreboding.

At this moment the light in one of the boats began to hiss and sputter,
and after flashing for an instant was extinguished, amid exclamations
of sad surprise from the children.

'What does that forbode?--to whom does that boat belong?' asked
Katharine, smilingly.

'That is not decided,' eagerly cried Ulrich; 'and the whole oracle is
invalid.'

'Elizabeth filled the boat with water by her awkwardness, when she
started it,' announced Martin, who had been investigating the causes of
the accident.

'Every event in life must have had its cause,' said Fessel with more
earnestness than the trifling accident merited. 'If this portends the
extinguishment of the light of life in either of us, I pray God in
mercy to grant that mine may be the first to expire.'

'Say not so,' tenderly replied Katharine. 'Our children would lose in
you their only stay. Their mother would be more lightly missed, and the
strong man would better bear the sad bereavement than weak and helpless
woman.'

'Why this earnest and deep-meaning conversation on new year's evening?'
said madam Rosen, half angry. 'Come, children; go on more briskly with
your play and give us something pleasanter to think about.'

'Who comes next?' asked Elizabeth.

'Honor to whom honor is due,' laughed Hedwig. 'Cousin Faith must swim
now.'

'But she must herself decide with whom,' said Fessel. 'I have not been
at Sagan for some years, and know not who has made himself most
agreeable to her.'

'Indeed, I know not whom to name to you,' said the maiden with a low
tone and hesitating manner, blushing deeply for the untruth which thus
escaped her lips.

'Then we will take master Dorn for the occasion,' cried the
obstreperous Martin, whose natural boldness was increased by the wine
he had tasted; 'he is constantly giving Faith such friendly glances!'

'It shall be so,' shouted Ulrich; 'and they shall have the handsomest
tapers. Choose your own colors; here are red, and green, and white, and
variegated.'

'Red for Faith and green for me,' quickly cried Dorn, silencing the
maiden by a gentle pressure of her hand under the table, as sh