Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-08-18
n a summer morning in the
year 1850 stout-hearted old
Candidatus Iinsenbarth,
p,l,,,1n,not,r nntnpnI thn

IL rttllcr latc Ill IKE 10 set IOrtn LOT
tune hunting, but the old tutor had
lost his place in his native village,
and, no other employment Offering
there, had resolutcly started for the
Prussian capital, confident that bread
and butter could he readily earned
in the prosperity that the wonderful
now King Frederick had created for
his people. A porter wheeled his bag
gage along on n barrow-an enormous
trunk, two bundles or books ana Il
feather bed, tied into an unwicldy
bundle will. rope, while Linscnbarth
walked beside him, belaced and be-
rullled and moping his kindly wrinklcd
face with large bandnnna handkcr-
chief-thc very ancestor Of all red
bandanna handkerchicfs, perhaps.
Presently the travellers reached the
custom house, where the porter
wheeled his load up to the door and
the tutor began fumbling through his
pockets. a red-faced officer came out
and lazily rolled the feather bed into
the footpath, piled the books atop of
it, and thumpcd the trunk with his
big rcd fist.
"lImmcl! What may be III there,
now" he specialized gruhly. what
an ark! Herr Noah himself had not
so big one. Open and we will have
n look inside"
The old tutor produced ponderous
key and the officer unlocked the trunk
and began his inspection. Dishes,
clothing, linen and motley collection
Of articles were removed and piled
onto the feather bed, all the things
being PASSED without comment until
at the very bottom Il bag of coins was
reached. The officer opened this and
took out a handful Of large silver
pieces, the old tutor looking ON proud
ly. This was the nucleus about which
his prospective fortune was to gather.
"ll'm-batzcn," growlcd the officer,
throwln.; the coins into the bag con-
temptuously. "Do you not know, old
fellow. that in Berlin this kind of
money is contraband?'
Linsenbarth's happy smile flickercd
out instantly. "Contraband" he
asked anXiously; "contraband? Why,
they are good silver thalcrs-over four
hundred of them"
well, they are not current In Ber-
lin," returned the officer. ut is not
money, that is-it is half copper. Our
young King Frederick allows no such
potlids among his good silver. We
will keep it until you send 1t back
over the border"
"Why, 1t is all I have" protested
Linscnbarth; "the saving Of my whole
life! How am l to live without IT."
THAT is your lookout. You should
have known the law. We will seal
up the bag for you, but If it is not
taken away in n week you must pay
storage on it. We can't keep such
plumber about for nothing"
The hope and sunshine were gone
from the old schoolmaster's world
He stood with his hands hanging
weakly at his sides, n man clearly at
his wits end. The customs officer
lifted the sack to his shoulder and car
ricd it inside, while the porter began
iNlOtluliS lhS Ddllo". L Ic tIuIlSitC-
ton was as good as ended, in his opin-
ion. Lnscnbarth was aimlcssly pro-
ccedins to help him when the landlord
of an inn across the way came over
and accostcd him. He had a prodig
ious spread OF white apron and had
watched the entire incident from his
doorway.
81 am the proprietor of the "Whitc
Swan" he explained. "Are you in
search of lodging?"
Linscnbarth turned listlessly. "Alas,"
'he said, II intended lodging with you,
but have no money now. They
have seized all my hard-carncd thalcrs
and have not silver piece to pay
this porter"
"Wcll, even So" said the innkecpcr,
chcerily; "cvcn so, that is not so bad.
You are an honcst-loking man and will
find means to pay your way in our
busy Berlin, never doubt. You are
lcarncd?'
"Ah, yes" said the tutor, brighten
ing somewhat; II am vcrsed in polem-
les, IIebracs, thetics, exogetics, her.
mcnutics, Latin, math--"
"See, now" exclaimed the fat inn
keeper; 'sec, now, how we'll l have
guessed. Say nothing about paying.
Why that fine feather bed is alone
worth fortnight's Keep"
He dismissed the porter with coin
from the depths of his ample apron
and led the way to his inn. Over q
hot dinner the landlord and the school
master discussed the latter's misfor-
tune, and the fat host assured him
that 1t was n very light matter, one
that could easily be set right
The following morning they went
to the palace of the kings ministers
and the landlord laid the case before
| him. To his surprise his official re-
fused to take any hand in the matter
even threatening Linscnbarth with i'm.
prisonment for disregarding the law.
| The landlord was astounded. Back
to the inn he went in awful silence,
! threw his hat and stick down violently
and lit the pipe. Full half an hour
he smoked without word. Then
| rising, he suddenly brought his fist
down upon the table with a trcinen.
| dous crash.
"Whcn the custom house hounds
and the kings own ministers will dc
nothing it is time to go to the king
himself" he growled, shaking his fai
fist under poor Linsenbarth's nose
"The king is just and listens to every
one. Go to the king tomorrow
| Lfnsenbnrth found abundant use fol
his big handkerchief next morning ms
he ploddcd through the sixteen miles
of sandy road that lay between Berlin
and Potsdam, the kings home. From
time to time he stopped to rest In the
shade, and the noon hour had long
passed before he sighted the palace
shining through the trees. Entering
the great park, he saw some officers
in uniform strolling about the terrace
Hat in hand. he approached ant