Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-03-19
THE WEAVER OF NAUMBURG
the Triun,pils Of Meekness.
CHAPTER ].

drum-sticks with a practised hand. The
boys wLislei an accompaniment, through
their fingers, or on pipes of willow bark
He took pleasure in being the leader OF
this motley band, and smilngly admon-
ished the pipers to mind and keep step
with him and his drum-no easy task to
their little legs.
"To arms The IIyssITEs are coming.
he exclaimed, jokingly, to eight rosy
children whose eager faces were pressed
close to the window-panc of small room
on the ground floor of house he was
passing \ board put up OYER the door
of the house, announced that here dwclt
the linen weaver, Andrcas Wolf, poor in
earthly goods, but rich in children, and,
We may add, in happy contcnted disposi-
ton. When Wolf heard Stems jesting
speech, he hastily laid down his shuttle,
slipped off his wcaver's bench, and rose
up behind his children, like tall poplar
among the brushwood.
"Stein Stein" he said smiling, but
in a rcproviDg tone, edo not cry wolf,
wolf; the enemy will comc of himself
soon enough"
"Pooh pooh" replied Stein; and
Stein marched on, followed by his train
of unpaid drummers and pipers in full
chorus.
Wolr. children looked longingly after
them, whist their father turned to his
wife Ursula and said, My dear, fetch
me my sword and spear; Stein is calling
the burghers together to drill"
at is all lost time and trouble" an
swered Ursula, "the weaver's shuttle suits
your hand better than the sword and the
spear Why, you can not even prevail
upon yourself to kill fowl or pigeon;
and how could you split a mans head
with your sword, or run him through
with your spear?"
"You are right, my dear Ursula said
Wolf, with an affectionaiH smile; "if all
men thought and felt as l do, there would
be neither swords nor spears, nor wars nor
battles"
81 am quite aware of that replied Ur-
sula, Sand l grieve over the time that
you are obliged to spend in drilling, in-
stead of working at your loom"
"Well, if l can not fight" answered
Wolf, "at any rate | shall fill up gap in
the ranks, and be of as much use as a
scarecrow, which, like me, does nothing,
and yet serves to keep the greedy birds
from the corn"
"Father," said Erwin, VOLTS eldest
son, boy Of about twelve years Of age,
'let me have your weapons, and attend
the drilling instead of you. Believe me,
am not afraid, even of the wild foemen.
7 would run every one of them through
with my spear"
"Oh, you dauntless hero laughed Bea-
trice, Erwin's younger sister, "you talk
of spearing the foemen, and only yester-
day you could not twist a pigeons neck!'
"Oh, no, not pigeon! That is very
different" returned Erwin. "The gentle
loving creatures that l am SO fond of, and
that will cat out of my hand. No, l
could not hurt them but, the Hussites,
oh, would cut them all to pieces if |
could. just think, if a wild jaeger were
to come in now and attach father or moth
er, would you not fight for them I"
"Yes, yes, that We would cried all
the children with one voice.
IL would draw fathers sword," said
Sicgbcrt.
81 would take the great scissors up,
said Beatrice.
"And l would stick all the pins and
needles off mothers pincushion in his
legs" cried Ulrickc.
81 would scratch him." exclaimed
Martin.
'I would shake the rod at him." lispod
little Bertha, who was just three years old.
"And l." boastcd Conrad, who was
nearly seven, "would throw fathers stool
at bim."
These warlikc demonstrations called
forth gentle "Hush, hush! - at which
the children's martial ardor cvaporated,
and WOLF took up his weapons and left
the house. The children ran to the win.
dow, and stood to watch until he was out
of sight, when they again returned to
their various occupations.
Erwin took his fathers place at the
loom, where he threw the shuttle like an
experienced workman. Some Of the
younger children cardod aud spun fax
others rccled off the yarn already spun,
carefully picking out the knots; and all
did their best to be useful But Erwin's
heart was not in his work to day. He
fidgetted restlessly on bis seat, and his
thoughts were away with his father on
the drilling ground
"Oh," he sighed, "if | were but a man,