Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-05-22
FRIEDEL.


forest began TO widen its bed, was situated a
mill, called the field mill Day and night its
wheel revolyed as If it would never stop, and
Its monotonous chatter increased the feeling
OF solitude. If the lovely boy playing quietly
before the door of the dwelling house had not
attracted tho attention of tho visitor, one
could well have believed the field mill was
served by an invisible being
The miller came out of the house, and,
STOPPING over the boy, passed his hand
through his flaxen ringlets
snow, Friedel," he said, "where is your
motherf
The child, scarcely years old, raised his
laughing eyes to his father and cried:
''Wly, there, therel in the garden" And
with that he pointed off across the yard,
which was bordered with stables.
"Run and get her; | wish to speak with
her, said the miller, and taking the boy up
he pressed kiss on his brow and then let
him spring away.
The miller Gerard, with an old servant, at
tended to the mill, which he inherited from
his father. For years faithful wife had
shared his joys and sorrows with him; for not
always had they seen good times. When bad
harvests occurred, or hail storm destroyed
the fields of the industrious peasants, there
was but little work and small profit Then
for many days the field mill stood STILL and
the miller went through his possessions with
care ladened heart
In one such hard time Goo gave them a
son, who, at his baptism, received the name
of Gottfried. With him happiness and con-
tentment came back TO the field mill And
as the miller was a true hearted, honorable
man, his customers remained loyalty with
him, and after the hard times, as before,
brought their grain to the mill As sunshine
followed rain, so good times followed bad
Friedel grew visibly. An amusing boy, he
sweetened many hours for his parents He
also knew how to appear well with old Nero,
the Watchdog. He never leased any animal,
and he was very sorry when the cat played a
long time with mouse or rat before she
killed her prey-which was her nature, you
know. The bright flowers in the garden were
his dearest companions; from them no wound
nosegays and wreaths with which he orna-
mented the windows and pictures.
Thus the little son entered his sixth year, and
the time drew near when they must take him
TO school. Friedel rejoiced greatly at that,
for, from the talk of his good mother, school
must be wonderland In which one saw and
learned thousand new things. The way
thither was long; the village with which tho
field mill belonged lay a leaguo--an hours
time-distant, and although Friedel had been
over the road few times, the land and peo-
Pile Of his native surroundings were quite
strange 10 him.
Now the great day was come. The wagon
stood ready before the door, and within, in
the little room, they drew on the boys over
coat; for just at first, winter again babe
farewell to humanity, whirled about yet
many times, and shrieked with anger because
Ii must go Mt last.
"Come, comei the horses never stand"
called the father to the loiterer Out of the
door stepped the mother and her little son
and got into the wagon. The father took his
place upon the front seat and away they
went, In the early morning
That was a day full of events. First Friedel
was led, with many other children, into a
great room in which n crowd Of people SAT.
Then gentleman, dressed in dark clothes,
with q long, flowing robe and white ruff,
had come in, had greeted every child in a
very friendly manner, and had spoken much
of tho dear God and their parents; also say
ing that the place where the little children
would now come in daily was n very sacred
place. where one was really sensible Of the
omnipresence of God; therefore they must, by
great industry and constant attention, al
ways cause God and their teacher to rejoice
But the greatest pleasure had arisen when
another worthy gentleman had, all at
once, brought in great basket which was
heaped full of paper comets of sugar, and
Al, bn l,al 60
Friedel. Truly that was delightful place
the SCHOOL,
Tho good impression which the school made
on Friedel that first day was never effaced.
The miller's child was tho darling Of the
teacher and the pupils In graspng and re-
tanning ideas, Friedel was the best scholar.
And he would, moreover, always have caught
the best ideas in all branches Of study, had
not an inclination TO inattentiou in his own
work been to him undoubtedly unlawful.
"What pity the old village chorister
had often said to Friedel's father, that the
yonth has so much leyity."
Whipping had done no good and, more
over, the teacher and his parents were not
friendly to that.
at will subside even yeti the miller often
said; seriousness comes with years"
That was not the case with Friedel. The
older he grew, the gayer and more wanton
ne appeared. He sang and leapcd about all
the day, wrcstled with his comrades at school,
climbed the highest trees, waded through
swamps and brooks where they were the
deepest, aud had rash plans of thousand
kinds in his head. Nevertheless, he was a
good feeling youth, who performed his tasks
punctually. They passed 50 easily through
his hand that he used only short time for
those over which many another pupil worked
long hours Friedel would always learn only
new things; for the old he knew 10y heart.
"He is a double allowance the master
often said; 'he is n vocatiyel" That was his
lesorite name for the pupil who very often
vexsd him, and oven that could not ex.
press IL.
A single stupid trick became momentous
for the frivolous boy and his anxious father.
A little pond emptied its water into the
brook that supplied the field mill, This pond
was the property OF INV steward, vNo bal
.n0Jo therein place Tor breeding fish One
evening Friedel stood on the slucc through
which the water flowed of, and poked with a
stick in the grating of the gate, which was
stopped up with grass and earth.
"That would make q fno waterfall, II only
Il we4,ld let out more, - thought the boy. A
plug held the Sluicc gate at sufficient height
above the mirror like surface OF the pond
''One can certainly pnt that somewhat
lower said Fricdei, pulling az the plug,
and drawing il, at last, FROM the hole
But the gate WIS too heavy Tor tie boy
the rod which joined the lower board with
the upper strong edge fell out Of the trem-
bling hand. the gate sank down, and a great
water food ru,hel throGgh the now opcncd
outlet Although tine boy al first sprang back