Year: 1869

But instead of keeping the news secret
the members OF the common council made
haste TO tell il at home. and now all the
village except Black Marann knew it.
Every one observed her curiously: they
feared to betray themselves, they did not
speak 10 her, and scarcely acknowledged
her greeting. 1t required all the peculiar
character of Black Marann not 10 be dis
turbcd at this treatment. When any one
talked With her and would touch upon
Johns death, ii was only alluded to as q
conjecture. and with the design to reas-
sure Ler, as had long been The habit, and
Marann believed it now just as little as
she had formerally, for the eeftiscate Of
death was never mentioned.


1t would indeed have been better for
Amrei had she never known it; hut there
was peculiar temptation in coming as
near as possible 10 what was prohibited,
and therefore every one who spoke with
Amrei of the sad event warned her TO cay
nothing about it to Black Marann, and de,
sired to know If the mother had not fore>
bodings, no suspicion Of 1t, whether IT did
NOT haunt the house. Amrei was always
filed with fear and terpidatisn. She alone
was in contact with Marann, and row had
secret which she was obliged to conceal
from her. The people, also, from whom
Black MaraDn had rented room, could
not stand her presence any longer, and
they displayed their sympathy in the frs;
instance by giving her notice to quit. But
how strangely events are linked together
in life: Even this circumstance caused
Amrei pain and joy. for her old home
opened to her again; Black Marann went
to live there, and Amrei, who at first went
through 1T with trembling, and wiren she
made the fire and went to brig the water
always thought tls@s her father and moth
er mast certainly come, by degrees be-
come home. She spun day ard night un.
sn she had saved enough to retnrchase
from the charcoal burner the cuckoo-clock
which had belonged to her parents. Now
she had piece of her own furniture back
again. Bnt the cuckoo had Jared badly
while among strangers: he had lost half Of
the oeler half stuck in his throat; he
could low only cry "cuck-", and as often
IS he did II, Amrei at first involuntarily
added the rest Amrei moreover COM
planned tlratahc clock only struck half rs
soud ,snd was altogether no longer a. beau-
tlful as in her early childhood. On which
MaraRn remarkcdR II.


81 think hat n one experiences h later
life what bud once made him happy
as q child, II has only the half
ncte of your cuckoo-clock. If could
only teach you this my child! But =
thing ike ikls you cant make q gin Of.
1t has cost much to learn it;vish snothing,
desire nothing of the past, 1t is but toll
and tears. And you, too, will have the
>ame. Attach yourself to nothing, to no
being. and to no thing. then you are
Free"


Msrann's speeches were wild and at the


-


same time Preserved, and they come cut
only in the twilight, like the game in the
forest.


1t was difficult for Amrei to accustom
herself to her.


Black Maranp could not bear the CRY of
the cuckoo, and removed the striking
weight. SO that the pendulum only beat to
and fro. but the hour was no longer struck.
She had an apathy 70 the cuckoo on the
clock, even its ticking disturbed her, and.
at last 1t was no longer wound up. For
Marann said she had q clock In her head
all the time, and it was wonderful how it
conceded with the real one. She could
at any minute tell what the time wss, al>
though II was matter Of indifference to
her. There was strange vigilance in
this expectant woman. and as she was al,
ways listening tos The sseps Of her SON, SO