ch elegant
and delicate figures, such good and pleasing angelic little faces,
where there is a sweet heavenly yearning in the blue eyes and a divine
smile upon the rosy lips, as Nanni's; from them we at once see that the
old painters had not far to seek the originals of their Madonnas. Of
exactly the same type in figure, face, and character was the Erlangen
maiden whom Master Wacht had married; and Nanni was a most faithful
copy of her mother. With respect to her genuine tender womanliness and
with respect to that beneficial culture which is nothing but true tact
under all conditions of life, her mother was the exact counterpart of
what Master Wacht was with respect to his distinguishing qualities as
man. Perhaps the daughter was less serious and firm than her mother,
but on the other hand she was the perfection of maidenly sweetness; and
the only fault that could be found with her was that her womanly
tenderness of feeling and a sensitiveness which, as a consequence of
her weakened organisation, was easily provoked to a tearful and
unhealthy degree, made her too delicate and fragile for the realities
of life.

Master Wacht could not look at the dear child without emotion, and he
loved her in a way that is seldom found in the case of strong
characters like his. It is possible that he may have always spoiled her
a little; and it will soon be shown in what way her tenderness so often
received that special material and encouragement which made it often
degenerate into sickly sentimentality.

Nanni loved to dress with extreme simplicity, but in the finest stuffs
and according to cuts which rose above the limits of her station in
life. Wacht, however, let her do as she liked, since when dressed
according to her own taste the dear child looked so very pretty and
engaging.

I must now hasten to destroy an idea which perhaps might arise in
the mind of any reader who should happen to have been in Bamberg
several years ago, and so would call to mind the hideous and tasteless
head-dress with which at that time even the prettiest maidens were wont
to disfigure their faces--the flat hood fitting close to the head and
not allowing the smallest little lock of hair to be seen, a black and
not over-broad ribbon crossing close over the forehead, and meeting
behind low down on the neck in an outrageously ugly bow. This ribbon
afterwards continued to increase in width until it reached the
preposterous breadth of nearly half an ell; hen