myself several times for only giving one penny
to the poor-collection when I had several pence in my pocket. My father
would give me more the next time to make up my deficiency, and this was
a great delight to me. It is now one of the pleasantest memories of my
university-life that I used to give pieces of money to the poor."

His domestic life was very beautiful. He did not remain alone in his
study, where most literary men love to be. But wherever his children
were playing, or his wife knitting or spinning, he was most happy to
pursue his studies and write his books. He gives the following picture:
"We had the children continually about us, when they were not under the
care of their teachers. Then we would have them read, or in turn sing a
Psalm or a hymn, or learn some passage from a good book. We sang with
them, and asked them questions in what they had been studying. They knew
Gellert's songs by rote. There was nothing but peace and contentment in
our circle. The servants never saw or heard anything unpleasant. Every
little disturbance was hushed at once; and all the family felt the power
of my wife in our household arrangements; and our reciprocal love was
apparent to every one. I put all the money matters into her hands; she
paid the debts and received the revenue. Thus passed on twenty years of
beautiful uniformity; and parents and children felt that we were dearer
to each other than was all the world besides. We all met faithfully our
duties to each other. But little had then been written on domestic
training, yet we created our ideas from the pure fountain of religion;
and though we were deprived of much of the glitter of human life, we
enjoyed its necessities and its beauty."

When such ties unite a family we are not surprised at the spirit with
which death is met by a carefully nurtured child. The account is from
Semler's own pen. His daughter, then twenty-one years of age, was on her
death-bed, hastening to join her mother, who but shortly before had been
borne from the threshold. "About nine o'clock," wrote the bereaved
father, "I again pronounced the benediction upon her. With a breaking
heart I lay down to sleep a little. She sent for me, and addressed me
thus: 'Pardon me, my dear father, I am so needy; and do help me to die
with that faith and determination which your Christian daughter should
possess.' My heart took courage, and I spoke to her of the glories of
the heavenly world which would soon break