-it may have
been the Schwarzwald--and it was the curse of the stony field that did
it.

"'Oh, my son,' mother urged me, 'we count on you to restore the
unaccountably long-lost prestige of our ancient family. In America,
behind the counters of your uncle's counting-rooms, you shall acquire
great wealth, and his Majesty the Kaiser will be pleased to re-invest
you with the coronet of a count. Then, as a noble count will you be of
some account in the exclusive circle of the four hundred of the great
city of New York. Beautiful heiresses will crave the favor of your
acquaintance, and if wise, you will lead the most desirable one on the
market, the lovely Miss Billiona Roque-a-Fellaire to the altar. His
Majesty the Kaiser will then graciously change the "no-account" words
on our family's escutcheon to the joyful motto, "Mit Geld," and lift
the blighting curse from our noble house.'"

Next I related how surprised I was when I saw the great city of New
York. However, I expected to see a large city of many houses, ever so
high and some higher yet, and therefore I was not so very much
surprised, after all. But in Illinois I first saw the wonderful forest.
Oh, the virgin forest! Never had I seen such grand, beautiful trees,
oak and hickory, ash and sycamore, maple, elm, and many more giant
trees, unknown to me, and peopled by a multitude of wild birds of the
brightest plumage. There were birds and squirrels everywhere! I
actually saw a sky-blue bird with a topknot, and another of a bright
scarlet color, and gorgeous woodpeckers who were too busy hammering to
look at me even. Oh, but they did not sing like the birds in Germany!
All were very grave and sad. They seemed to know, as everybody else
did, that I was a stranger in their land, for they gave me all sorts of
useful Information and advice, with many nods of their little heads.

"Peep, peep!" counseled the bluebird. "Thank you," I replied, "seeing
is believing." "Whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will," cried a large, spotted
bird. "That," thought I, "is a prize fighter." "Cheat, cheat!" urged a
pious-looking cardinal, who evidently mistook me for a gambler.
"Don't," roared a bullfrog, who was seated on a log and winked his eye
at me. "There is an honest man," I thought. "Shake, good sir." In
consternation and surprise, I instantly released his hand. "HOW is it
possible to be both honest and slippery at the same time! This must be
a Yankee-man," thought I. I saw real moss, green a