ures to get it himself.

Eric and Roland received the salutation of many coming out of church.
Eric introduced his mother to the School-director, the Forester, his
wife and sister-in-law, who all accompanied the friends into the town.
The walk along the public highway was pleasant; there is nothing, on
the whole, like this pleasant mood with which a large number of persons
of various condition and character return from church.

"Wasn't the Doctor's wife at church?" asked the Mother.

They told her that she never went on Sunday morning, but staid at home
to comfort the country people who came early on Sunday; she often gave
them simple household remedies, and arranged the order in which they
should be admitted to the Doctor on his return.

Eric now heard, for the first time, that they called the Doctor's wife
Frau Petra. She had something of St. Peter's office, the keeping of the
door into the heavenly kingdom of healing.

They entered the Doctor's house. The cleanliness of the entry floor and
steps was notable as usual, and on the walls good pictures were
hanging, no one of which seemed to owe its position to chance. Green
climbing-plants were standing upon pier-tables, and sending out their
tendrils in all directions. In the sitting-room the work-table was
placed under the window, before which was a street-mirror; and on the
table itself stood a camelia in full bloom. They heard the Doctor's
wife saying in the next room,--

"Yes, good Nanny, you are talking the whole time about religion and
conformity to the will of God, and now you are clear down in the depths
of despair, and out of patience, and unwilling to take kindly advice.
My husband can give medicine, but you must give yourself love and
patience. And you, Anna, you give your child too much to eat and then
you have to keep coming for help. One can't get understanding at the
apothecary's. And you, Peter, you go home and apply a bandage wet with
warm vinegar."

Nothing further was heard. Apparently the servant had come in and
announced the arrival of the visitors.

The door opened, and the Doctor's wife entered. She gave a hearty
greeting to the Mother, and ordered the servant to bring a bottle of
wine and three glasses. In spite of the Mother's refusal, the gentlemen
must drink.

When the Professorin lauded the beneficent influence of the Doctor's
wife, the latter at once accepted the praise saying,--

"One can learn something in more than forty years