djustment which no one sees, and which but seldom discovers
itself; and this and that shift thither and hither, and the scales of
the balance become even, and then ceases all distinction between 'mine'
and 'thine,' and in the still forest rings an axe for me, and in the
silent night my spirit thinks and my pen writes for you."

The peasant passed both his hands over his temples, and his look was as
though he said to himself, "Where are you? Are you still in the world?
Is it a mortal man who speaks to you? Are you in Leipzig, in that
populous city where men jostle one another for gain and bare existence?"

Below might be heard the creaking of the saw as the wood was being
sundered: and now the near horse neighs, and Christopher is in the world
again. "It may injure the horse to stand so long in the cold; and no
money for the wood! but perhaps a sick horse to take home into the
bargain; that would be too much," he thought.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Professor," said he--he had his hat under his arm, and
was rubbing his hands--"yes, I am delighted with what I have done; and
I value the lesson, believe me, more than ten loads of wood: and never
shall I forget you to my dying day. And though I see you are not so poor
as I had imagined, still I don't regret it. Oh! no, certainly not at
all."

"Eh! did you think me so very poor, then?"

"Yes, miserably poor."

"I have always been poor, but God has never suffered me to be a single
day without necessaries. I have in the world much happiness which I have
not deserved, and much unhappi-ness I have not, which perchance I have
deserved. I have found much favor with both high and low, for which
I cannot sufficiently thank God. And now tell me, cannot I give you
something, or obtain something for you? You are a local magistrate, I
presume?"

"Why so?"

"You look like it: you might be."

Christopher had taken his hat into his hands, and was crumpling it
up now; he half closed his eyes, and with a sly, inquiring glance,
he peered at Gellert. Suddenly, however, the expression of his face
changed, and the muscles quivered, as he said: "Sir, what a man are you!
How you can dive into the recesses of one's heart! I have really pined
night and day, and been cross with the whole world, because I could not
be magistrate, and you, sir, you have actually helped to overcome that
in me. Oh! sir, as soon as I read that verse in your book, I had an
idea, and now I see still more plainly that you must