Year: 1875

good-humoredly, as he drew the fearful lad
closer to the fire. "Its among the best of
faults, and one you'll get over. Why, bless
me, was small, too, at your age."


1t was impossible to resist the comcality of
Peters consolation, considering his remark
ably dimjnutive size. Fritz, with his cheek
still smarting, smiled up into my laughing
face. Even Behrs grim muscles relaxed;
and Heiner's lips, even though one was sore,
broke into a smile.


''And then, ye see," concluded Peter, with
unmoyed gravity, 81 shot up all at once.''


OF course we laughed out then; and de-
clare it was almost merrily that we paid tor
the split ale, and started once more on our
walk.


On we went again in our Old order, except
that kept the boys beside me now. In the
waning light between the day and the dark,
we were startled as we plodded along by
loud ''HurrahP' from Peter, who in advance
had made dead stop before large red man
sion, light and warm and healthy looking,
the very place to give us hope. Heiner char
acteristically forebore to exhibit any excite
ment or anticipation; but il was he himself
who opened the lawn gate, and watched us
in one at time, as if to make quite sure of
us; and l noticed that Behr, though he NUT
tered that it wasn't worth while going out of
your way on chance, was the first to enter.
l.
ing him to play his best: and he-simply an
swering me by bright smile-whispered to
his little brother to "dry his eyes, for now it
would be all right"


What blaze of light there was in many
windowst 1t almost gave us warmth to look
at its reflection on the pictured walls, though
we were standing in the snow.


We played tune after tune, only pausing a
few seconds between; for there was a group
of children's faces at one window, and in one
of the lower rooms there was a cluster of
idle figures. Still no one appeared at the door,
or answered little Karl's mute appeal with his
hat.


'One piece more only" said.


"Spring, Spring." dictated Behr, who looks
upon that little melody as the favorite ma
tional air of England.


delayed little, unconsciously laying my
hand on the head of little Fritz-I suppose
because 1 was thinking how brave the child
Hooked, and what a contrast his cold little
face was to the glowing ones at the window.
Perhaps he thought from my gesture that
had addressed him too. ''Please, Leader"
he whispered, " let it be 'Des Deutschen Vat
erland."


turned hastily enough from the proposal.
The beautiful air, with its thousand dear as
sociations, always made the homeless, father
less lads cry, made even Peter silent, and put
Behr out of temper if he had not been out be-
fore. At such a time as this I knew it would
unman us all so 1 chose a simple English air
in which there was refrain to be sung, for
thought the clear sweet voice of little Fritz
might move the listeners. No response still,
and then we sent Karischen to the door,
while we all stood waiting. Surely his pretty
DELICATE face, pinched by cold and hunger,
would win some pity. The child was soon
back. The servant who came to him had
thrown out penny, and then shut the door
hurriedly against the wind. Behr muttered
grufiy that ''he had told us so," but that in
telligence did not make the disappointment
very much less keen to any of us. Heiner,
shaking the snow from his feet with lugubri-
GUS contempt, gave vent to amild lamenta-
tion over the too-badness Of fittings in general
but Peter, after bowling pleasantly to the light
ed windows, raised his trombone, and struck
in to a gay little trinklied, marching down the
white lawn the while with airy defiance.


"Come along, boys" l called, holding out
my hand, and hoping, must own, that Fritz
would take it, because he was my favorite
''come along" And at that moment Behr
gave the gate huge bang to express his feel
ngs.


As he went on and on, and the snow feel
again, our spirits fell with it, and the gloom
iness deepened too. So that when at last we
reached solitary house lying back from the
road, we hardly thought of stopping, for there
wasn't grain of hope among us.
''We may as well try, suppose. 1t is just
one more chance,'' said, passing into the
garden. But they all made stubborn halt
ac the gate before they would follow me; all
except Peter, who came on whistling ''Hope
told fattering Tale"


The snow fell from the shrubs as we brush
ed past them, and when we stood to play, we
felt it over our boots.


Through one of the lower windows of the
house before us we saw a little girl sitting
alone in the freight; and when we had play
ed one tune, the house-door was opened, and
the pretty child, looking as warm and bright
as if it was midsummer day, ran from the
house straight up to Fritz, and put asixpence
into his hand, passing Karlschen's, which was
held out by force of habit to receive it. We
all noticed this, little surprised and a little
amused too. She gave it with smile straight
into the lads face, then raced back daintily
over the snow and few minutes afterward
we saw her again, sitting upon the rug alone
the freight. Hardly once did the wistful
eyes of little Fritz wander from her as she sat
there so still, in the glow of warmth and
light.


When that tune was finished intended to
turn but at that moment, in a sudden unex-
pected manner, Peters Trombone broke into
lively rendering of tie "Last Rose of Sum-
mer," and we all scrambled in as quick as we
could, and as correctly as we might. Heiner,
who no doubt felt he had been taken at
disadvantage, closed his lips in silence on his
reed. With my coronet at my mouth turned
to Peter for solution of his haste, and then
l saw it all explained. At little gate among
the shrubs-so near that we could plainly see
them even in the glloom-two people stood
quite still listening to us; young girl on one
side The path, her dress warm and bright
against the snowy leaves, bunch of glisten-
ing holly in her hand, and pair of lustrous
eyes fixed upon us. Beside her gentleman
stood against the little gate, gazing steadfast-
ly into her face, with look that made me
feel pretty sure that, just before this, he had
told her certain story, and had been answer
ed in words which foated back to him
upon the music he heard, just as perhaps his
story foated back to her.


Presently, in our pause, they came forward
together, and the genteman-I fancied he
didn't belong to the house, and that she did
put two halt-crowns into my hand. The
young lady stood and spoke to us for little
bit about the cold and the music, then gave
us smile and "Good night" and passed
on and the smile made her face just like the
face of the little girl who had given her six
pence to Fritz. We were very badly off just
then, SO don't say that the smile was worth
as much to us as the five shllings, but I
think it was received quite as gratefully.


"Another time," whispered as the two
walked on to the house.


Spring, gentle Spring'r' cried Behr,
quite exctedly.


At the same moment Fritz whispered
eagerly, "'Des Deutschen Vaterland,' please,
Leader. P'raps they love it,"


''Start on,' put in Peter, in tone of un-
questionable authority "Du, du, legst mir
I'M Herzen." And remembering the tender
episode of Marguerite, we acknow lodged
Peters right 10 dictate in this instance.


ga pleasant change in our days expert
ence," observed Behr, as we put up our in
struments; and he closed the snowy gate
quite gently. Il hope to see this house again
some day."


Quite cheerfully now we hurried on to the
first inn we found. Two or three miles the
walk must have been; but we thought moth
ing of it, choosing our supper as we went, and
getting more and more extravagant and
impossible in our notions, until we were
pulled up at the third or fourth course of
Peters banquet.


When, few hours later on, looked in
upon the tired lads, in their dot of bed, 1
found Fritz still wide awake.


"I'm thinking of the little lady who ran
out to me in the snowy garden," he SAID,
looking up into my face with big bright eyes.