The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-12-20

I l.
the night has door that does not shut
very tightly he comes into it in the
night, but do not fear him if you do
not think any evil thought or do any
evil act he will go out of his own &C
cord"
Berthold's heart was now far from
tranquil. He pressed his portrnanteau
of treasures close to his side as the col
lier lighted him up the narrow stairway
to his room.
He lay down, placing his portmanteau
and weapons beside him on the bed, but
he could not sleep. He remembered
what the collier had said about the
little old man, that the safeguard
against him was the absence of
all evil thoughts and acts. In this re-
spect the GOLFERS family seemed secure
but the merchant knew how great was his
own greed for gain; how it made him
hard and uncharitable, and he tried to
put away all evil thoughts and to think
of the hymn. Now the woods are all
reposing," lest the little old man should
appear.
A little past midnight he fell into a
troubled sleep, and his mind began to
wander over his schemes for gain. He
was dreaming of the good bargain he
had made, or expected to make
when he was startled by a noise
close by. He raised himself in
bed, and saw the little old man in the
moonlight, moving about the room. The
merchant at first looked upon him with
a feeling of curiosity rather than alarm
or anger, and while he did so all was
we'll. But he at last became irritable
under the disturbance, and, when the
little old man at last approached the bed,
Berthold's irritability kindled into
anger, and wicked thoughts began to ELI
his mind, and he found it hard to re-
strain his lips from wicked words.
At last, the little old man touched the
portmanteau containing the merchants
treasures. This was too much. The
merchants caution forsook him, and he
was filled with rage.
"Back! you vile robber! back, from my
baggage p he exclaimed, Selling his
pistols. The little old man started back,
as in terror. He seemed to be in an
agony of prayer. A change seemed
coming over him. He appeared con-
scious of it, and, going toward the door,
disappeared.
Berthold gazed after him and then re-
membered the GOLFERS admonition in re-
gard to the danger of evil thoughts. He
wished that he had acted differently, for
he wished to bring no evil on the family.
There was sound at the latch !; the
door opened, and an evil-looking giant,
wearing a red mantle appeared. He
laughed wildly, and said, II begin to
be free again. You have made me
.groaU :"
Berthold saw that the giant was none
other than the little old man.
The merchant leaped from his bed and
discharged his pistol. The giant van
ished, growing taller and more fearful
as he disappeared.
In the moment the collier hurried up
the stairs.
"In name of God" said he, rush
ing into the room, "what have you been
doing to our house spirit?"
House-spirit /" said Berthold, like
one in dream. "What do you mean?"
"He has just gone out of the house, :"
said the collier, "perfectly monstrous
in his size, and infamed with fury |"
But the collier saw that the merchant
did not understand him, and he entreat-
ed him to go down into the common
apartment where all of the family,
aroused by the report of the pistol, had
now met The children shrunk away
from him as he entered the room, and
the Golfers wife was in tears
"And now," said the good woman,
"we must live all those years over
again
"This may all seem strange to
you," said the collier to the merchant;
but. when my wife and I first came to
the cottage to live, we found it
haunted by terrible specter, such as I
have just seen disappear. But said to
myself, will not fear him, for if L am
a truly Christian man no power of evil
can harm me. I will overcome him with
a good life, and he shall not overcome
me. So, in the name of God, remained.
Red Mantle-for such is his name-ap-
peared to us continually, but we ceased
to fear him. [ brought up my little
oAO0 w U014GFG IuaG mourning COUIu uaFu
them while they trusted in God and
that any specter would grow less and
less who dwelt in family who had low
ing hearts and lived pure lives. SO Red
Mantle at last became my little ones
playmate. We restrained our DISPOSE
lions, we guarded our thoughts, we
loved each other. We prayed together
much, and the specter began to grow
more gentle and to shrink in size, year
| by year, until he became the dwarf you
saw When he came in the evening
to prayers. All evil disappeared
from his face, and we all loved
him as meek and harmless house
spirit, and expected that he would soon
be released from this troubled state and
vanish forever"
The next morning the merchant left
the cottage. Years passed away: he
travelled from city to city, and into coun-
tries remote from Germany, but he
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