e very glad that the Heidelberg clergyman came among you?"
said Erastus opening a conversation.

"Glad?" replied the old woman, "it was he who saved us."

"Yes indeed, when one compares Petersthal with your village, one must
admire the man."

"If you had only witnessed, how he performed the miracle on the
Kreuzwiese, you would speak in quite another way."

"What sort of miracle, mother?"

"You do not know it," said the old woman quickly. "Then you know
nothing. You ought to have seen how the man addressed the people all
day long but in vain. Those that were healthy packed up, and wanted to
escape by footpaths that were not guarded. Wicked ruffians plundered
the farm-yards and treated the defenceless owners with every cruelty,
the sick lay abandoned in their rooms, in the streets, in the open
fields. Then the strange clergyman threatened those who wished to leave
with all the punishments of heaven, should they abandon their parish to
its fate.--Immediately the first miracle took place. The ring-leader of
those about to depart, attempted to reach a footpath by climbing the
stone-quarry behind the Sperlingshof, by which one can reach the road
to Leiningen, without being stopped. As he reached the top, he
stumbled, fell backwards into the quarry and broke his neck. You should
then have seen the parson, pointing to the place and calling out to the
people with flaming eyes. 'I tell you, that each of you, that attempts
this path, will end in this manner,' and he began to call on God, to
destroy all those, who wished to leave their brethren to destruction,
and to help those who helped their brethren. By the quarry the holy
cross still stands, which the Kurfuerst ever wanted to break down as
being an idolatrous image. The parish however opposed this, as it stood
there long before the monastery, and is an old relic. Finally the Holy
Virgin and the Disciple were broken off and taken away, but the blessed
Saviour was allowed to remain on his Cross. The strange clergyman now
turned towards Him, and you should only have heard him, how he
addressed Him, it was enough to soften the heart of a stone. The tears
streamed down our cheeks. Then he called out as if entranced: 'Thou
willest it Lord! Give a sign that thou willest it!' and he stretched
both his hands towards the Saviour, as if he wished to embrace him, and
called out exultingly. 'See, see, He wills it.' Then it seemed to us
that we were dreaming. The stone image raised hea