Connecticut western news., 1880-03-10
A German Story.


 
 In a small German town there lived, 8 great many years ago, two people who were of the humblest class. They could just manage to get living, and theil only son was brought up in the most frugal manner. He, however, had { great deal of ambition, and constantly declared that when he was a man there should be more than black bread and goats milk on the table, and that they should have a comfortable house like that of the doctor which stood on the hill beyond, or even like that of the burgomaster, which was far handsomer.
 To this the old man-old even then, for the couple had married very late in ife-would reply: eea
 "Ah! some people are born with golden spoons in their mouths and some to wear wooden shoes. Luck is not in our family" s.-
 Then he would add things that made his wife shake her head and beg him not to let the child hear such words, for he had of late taken it into his head to be very great infidel, to believe in nothing, and to be very fierce in his denial of the existence of anything 8 greater than himself. As for hope oi any future existence, that, he used to say, was for women and fools. , However, at this time he, was an honest man, who worked hard and cheated nobody. No one knew whether he really meant what he said. Certainly, he had hard life. and was too ignorant and too hopeless to escape from it !; but as the boy grew he showed energy. He worked all day, but at night he went to the schoolmaster and learned to read, write and cipher. He managed to become clever in great many things. At last, when he was seventeen, he took his knapsack on his shoulder, and said to his parents:
 "I am going away to seek my fortune. When I make it shall bring it back to you. I shall never forget you, and l only go away that we may not live like dogs forever. God helping me, I will return rich man."
 "Amen," said the mother !; but the father cried: "God Bahl the old cant r *-
 Those were his last words to his son.
 The boy walked away, for he could not afford to ride. He had many weary miles before him; but 6 letter came to them ct last, and he told them that he had found work. After that at intervals he wrote, and still hopefully; but he had not picked up his fortune from the stones of the streets, and the old people were poorer than ever.
 At last the boy wrote them that he was about to sail to distant country, and that he hoped to become rich there. Then no more letters came. Years rolled on without tidings. The mother hoped on for long time the father despaired from the first.
 Either he is like most young men and has forgotten all about us, he said, {" or he is dead" And the mother came to think as he did, after while.
 Their hair grew white; their poor living made them break down before their time, and at last the old man slipped on the ice and injured his knee. This made it impossible for him to work as he had worked before, and mis- fortunes, instead of softening, hardened him. The neighbors who came to see him were shocked ct his horrible speeches, and finally the unhappy pair were left to themselves.
 One day they had had only ssmall piece of black bread to eat for the whole day. The goat no longer gave milk. It was cold, and there was but scanty handful of fuel in the house, and, when night came, no candle. As they sat crouching miserably over the flame at nightfaI, the old man cursing his fate, the woman crying, there came a knock I the door. -.as 4 .lrt
 The old woman answered it with a come in," and the old man uttered a curse upon prying neighbors but when the door opened they saw standing within it @ bearded man whom they did not know.
 Friends" said this stranger, |" I am Q traveller, and have come from long distance. Can you give me supper and shelter for the night 2"
 "We do not keep an inn l" cried the old man.
 "Nor does any one hereabouts," said the traveller. "Au ask is something to eat and bed of any sort. I am tired .out. I can go no farther ;" and he walked in.
 People shall not take my house by storm in this way P said the old man. s z Indeed, eir. " cried the Eouan,
 k