Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1862-02-18
The Savings Bank Book,
FROM THE GERMAN.

may be no miracles nowadays but still,
many time, when one has fallen into
deep abyss hand lifts one out which has
power beyond any human hand; and
when one comes to think about ii, it seems
TO one like a miracle. 1t makes me feel
dizzy when reflect what might have been
my fate if the Holy Spirit, which influences
some good men, had not seized hold upon
me, and if there had not been a something
within me upon which it could take hold"
Yes, neighbor Weaver the jacquard
machines in your factory are very wonder
fully constructed, and can not understand
how the fabric and exquisite design are
produced by them at the same time but
the grand machinery Of the world, in which
a human life is only one single thread, is
still more wonderfully constructed, and
still more mysteriously devised and still
more difficult to understand and when one
draws out single human thread of life,
one perceives in it-iust as did, not long
ago, in an actual spider thread, examined
through microscope-that it is a seven
fold thread twisted together. Now, will tell
you how have been twisted together, and
how l was in danger of getting into a
dreadful knot or of being snapped in two.
You know that | was an orphan, and
grew up, without belonging to any one in
the world. | was young, lively fellow,
when | went as iourneyman to the guild
master in School lane. My master, as
you know, was n quite well to. do man.
He said very little, but what he did say
was very weighty, and commanded atten-
ton.
When he paid me my first weeks wages
he said: Peter, alf of it is enough for
you; the rest of it l shall keep and put to-
gether, week by week, till there is sufficient
to place in the savings bank And so it
was; for when the master said any thing
should he, nobody had the courage to con-
tradict him.
So my master went with me to the saw
ings bank, and my name was entered into
q large ledger, and l received a little
book-in which again was splendidly writ
ten my name, and upon the opposite page
my first deposit it was seven dollars the
dollar here spoken of is worth As. DID,
bound in beautiful marble paper, smooth
to the touch, firmly and compactly put to-
gether, so that it was perfect delight to
me. beyond what l can describe. There
was sort Of childish Joy in my heart to
know that possessed something; and there
is, after all, no pleasarter feeling than
when we can say for the first time, "Thou
hast really something thou canst call thine
own-there is a something belonging to
thee that people can not see, and yet which
thou hast thyself acquired.
Never spent l such a happy spring as
that Of 1916, which was also good wine
year When looked around me and saw
how beautifully every thing sprouted
blossomed, and grew, l constantly thought
TO myself, "And also have a little field,
though nobody may see it, and there it is
budding, and blossOming, and growing, and
that is my savings bank book"
| was so happy in myself that left off
smoking. l was becoming quite miserly,
and never rested nor was satisfied till
had another amount of savings put in;
and accordingly, on the day before st.
Jamess day. carried in q round sum, and
the finance councillor, Menninger, who man
aged the savings banks, out of poor human
kindness, congratulated me, and entered
the new deposit in the words
'sIhis day five dollars received"
But, straDg 10 say, when [ read over
this second entry, my JOY was not nearly
as great as on the first occasion.
at goes on so slowly" was my secret
thought; lit will be such a very long time
Iefore l can save any great amount"
But l repealed this thought, and was
very soon as cheerful and contented as
ever.
When, in the day time, or more especially
in an evening, | passed by the building in
which was the savings bank, said, almost
aloud TO myself, "Yes; up there lies my
money; but it lies idle neither by day nor
night; it is gaining interest. That is right;
it is doing something for me, and before
long | will help it-I will send in fresh re-
cruits.'
III had but continued to say that alone to
myself But said it before long to an ac-
quaintnnce Of mine, young man from the
Pfalz, or Palatinate, who had come to be
with us. He shrugged his shoulders and
laughed derisively at my childish satisfac-
ton.
"What can you do with that beggarly
sum p said ne. 1t is rich people alone who
can get on in this world they eat and
drink, and sleep, and in the mean time their
money increases, so that they can say,
'Good morning, holiday time As long as
a man can not say so, he is poor wretch"
did not trouble myself very much about
his words; | was not poor / knew, neither
was a wretch but do as one will, remarks
like these produce their effect | permitted
myself to be over-persuaded to smoke a
little, and then to allow myself small in
dulgences. | wished again to enjoy my
youth, and this desire may 60 so far as to
lead man into great extremes. Besides
which, was not happy, and | would often
take my savings bank book out of my
trGnk and please myself with thinking that
ali which was written down there was safe,
and could not run through my fingers.
There was printed table OF interest within
the cover Of my little book, and l liked to
reckon up how much my wealth would pro-
duce; and, after very careful calculation
that is, as careful rs my excitement would
allow-I found that for the whole sum of my
deposit | should receive more than half a
dollar yearly. Yes, there it stood, all as
clear as possLle but as | had not paid in
my money at regular times, nor yet at the
beginning of a month, l was puzzled to
make out the interest for odd weeks and
days. My fellow journeyman, however
was clever accountant, and very ready
with his pen, and he told me to fraction
exactly what | could demand, and sang
about my wealth in parody on the "Hun
ter of Kurpfalz" threw my little book al
TO the ceiling and exclaimed, "There fliei
the whole wealth of Peter Werner, the grea
capitalist
My book fell down upon my face and j
seemed to me as if an affront had been Of
fered to it, felt as if | ought to ask it
pardon, as 1 wiped it carefully and hid i