Year: 1876

time and passed his examination, he
packed his knapsack and sang the jour
neyman's song:


While am young I'll wander, from place 10 place


Ill roam,


And everywhere build houses, until come back


hOmei


And youth will give me courage, and my true love


won't forget:


Hurrah then for workman's e life III be master


yet!


And he carried his idea into effect When
he had come home and become a master,
he built one house after another in the
town. He built whole str eet; and when
the street was finished and beca an
ornament to the place, the houses built a
house for him In return, that was to be
his own. But how can houses build a
housef If you ask them they will not
answer you, but people will understand
what is meant by the expression, and say,
" Certainly, IL was the street that built the
house for him." 1t was little, and the
floor was covered with clay; but when he
danced with his bride upon this clay floor,
It seemed TO become polished oak; and
from every stone in the wall sprung forth
a flower, and the room was gay, as If with
costliest paper-hanger's work 1t was a
pretty house, and in il lived a happy
pair. The flag of the guild fluttered be-
fore the house, and the journeymen and
apprentices shouted burrah! Yes, he GER
tainly was something! And at last he
died; and that was something, too.


Now came the architect, the third broth
er, who had been at first carpenters ap-
prentice, had worn cap, and served as
an errand-boy, but had afterward gone to
the academy, and risen to become an
architect, and to be called "honored sir ="
Yes, if the houses of the street had built
house for the brother who had become a
bricklayer the street now received the
name from its architect and the hand
soonest house in it became his property.
That was something, and he was some
thing; and he had a long title before and
after his name. His children were called
genteel children, and when he died his
widow was a widow of rank" and that
is something l-and his name always re-
mained at the corner of the street, an
lived on in the mouth of everyone as til,
streets name-and that was somethingl


Now came the genius of the family, the
fourth brother, who wanted to invent
something new and original, and an ad-
ditional story on the top of it for himself.
But the top story tumbled down, and he
came tumbling down with it, and broke
his neck. Nevertheless he had splendid
funeral, with guild flags and music ;
poems in the papers, and flowers strewn
on the paving stones in the streets; and
three funeral orations were held over him,
each one longer than the last, which
would have reJOiced him greatly, for he
always liked it when people talked about
him; monument also was erected over
his grave. 1t was only one story high,
but still it was something.


Now he was dead, like the other three
brothers, but the last, the one who was a
critic, outlived them all; and that was
quite right, for by this means he got the
last word, and it was of great Importance
to him to have the last word. The people
always said he had a good head of his
OVID. AT last his hour came, and he died,
and came to the gates Of Paradise. There
souls always enter two and two, and he
came up with another soul that wanted to
get into Paradise, too; and who should
this be but old Dame Margaret, from the
house upon the sea-wall!


al suppose this is done for the sake of
contrast, that | and this wretched soul
should arrive here at exactly the same
timep' said the critic. "Pray, who are
you, my good woman? 2" he asked. "Do
you want TO get in here, too?"


And the old woman courtesied as well
as she could; she thought it must be st.
Peter himself talking to her.


I'm poor old woman of a very hum
BILE family" she replied "pm old
Margaret that lived in the house on the
sea-wall"


Well, and what have you done? what
have you accomplished down there?"


81 have really accomplished nothing at
all in the world; nothing that can plead
to have the doors here opened to me. 1t
would be real mercy to allow me to slip
in through the gate"


" In what manner did you leave the
world!" asked he, just for the sake of
saying something; for it was wearisome
work standing there and saying nothing.


Why, really don't know how l LETT
it. | was sick and miserable during my
last year, and could not well bear creep.
ing out of bed and going out suddenly
into the frost and cold 1t was hard
winter, but / have got out of it all now.
For few days the weather was quite
calm, but very cold, as your honor must
very well know. The sea was covered
with ice as far as one could look. ALI the
peoPle from the town walked out upon the
ice, and / think they said there was
dance there, and skating. There was
beautiful music and great feast there,
too; the sound came into my poor little
room, where lay i'll. And it was toward
the evening; the moon had risen beaut-
fully, but ii was not yet in its full splen-
dor; / looked from my bed out over the
wide sea, and far off, just where the sea
and sky join, a strange white cloud came
up. lay looking at the cloud, and Isaw
a little black spot in the middle of it, that
laFOpr and larnar. aud fl1nn I knnvg
what il meant, for / am old and eXpe-
rienced, though the token is not often
seen. knew it, and a shuddering came
upon me. Twice in my life have | seen
the same thing; and knew there would
be an awful tempest and spring Hood,
which would Overwhelm the poor people
who were now drinking and dancing and
rejoicing-young and old, the whole city
had issued forth; who was to warn them
if no one cav what was coming yOnder
or knew, as did, what il meant? was
dreadfully alarmed, and felt more lively
than l had done for a long time. | crept
out of bed and got to the window, but
could not crawl further, was so exhaust
ed. But ! managed to open the window
/ saw the people outside running and
jumping about on the ice; could see the
beautiful flags that waved in the wind.
heard the boys shouting "hurrah !"
and the servant men and maids
singing There were all kinds
of merriment going on. But the
white cloud with the black spot! / cried
out as loud as could, but no one heard
me; was too far from the people. Soon
the storm would burst, and the ice would
break, and all who are upon it would be
lost without remedy. They could not hear
me, and / could not come out to them.
Oh! if could only bring them ashorel
Then kind Heaven inspired me with the
thought of setting fire TO my bed, and
rather to let the house burn down, than
that all those people perish so miserably.
succeeded in lighting up beacon for
them. The red flames blazed up on high,
and escaped out of the door, but fell
down exhausted on the threshold, and
could get no further The flames rushed
out toward me, tiickoring through the
window, and rose high above the root,
All the people on the ice yonder beheld il,
and ran as fast as they could, 10 give aid
TO poor old woman who, they thought,
was being burned 10 death. Not one re-


IL l..