o surrounded him, and among his
neighbors he was regarded as peculiar and eccentric. His broad acres
evinced a degree of cultivation which proved that their owner was
well versed in the science of agriculture; the large crops that were
annually gathered added materially to the wealth of their proprietor,
and the general appearance of thrift about the farm denoted that
Henry Schulte was possessed of a considerable amount of the world's
goods.

But while every care was taken of the fruitful fields, and every
attention paid to the proper management of his lands, the cottage in
which he lived, stood in marked contrast to its surroundings. A low,
one-story structure, with thatched roof, and with its broken windows
filled here and there with articles of old clothing, proclaimed the
fact that its occupant was not possessed of that liberal nature which
the general appearance of the farm indicated.

There was an air of squalor and poverty about the cottage, which told
unmistakably of the absence of feminine care, and of the lack of
woman's ministrations--and this was true.

For many years Henry Schulte had lived alone, with only his hired man
for company; and together they would perform the necessary domestic
duties, and provide for their own wants in the most economical manner
possible.

Many stories were told among the villagers about Henry Schulte, for,
like most all other localities, gossip and scandal were prevailing
topics of conversation.

It is a great mistake to suppose that in the country, people may live
alone and undisturbed, and that anyone can hope to escape the prying
eyes or the listening ears of the village gossip, male or female.
Such things are only possible in large cities, where men take no
interest in each other's affairs, and where one man may meet another
daily for years without ever thinking of inquiring who he is or what
he does, and where you pass a human being without a greeting or even
a look. In the country, however, where everybody knows everybody,
each one is compelled to account to all the others for what he does,
and no one can ever be satisfied with his own judgment.

Notwithstanding the charm which exists in this communion of work and
rest in word and deed, the custom has very serious drawbacks, and any
person having good or bad reasons of his own for disposing of his
time in a manner different from what is customary, has to contend
against the gossip, the jibes and the mockery of all.