ny of mourners followed another b

in his early days. He married the quiet and orderly Gertrude, who worked with him at his trade, and helped support the frugal ho

how much work she might have to do in the shop, everything in her own province of housekeeping was as well and carefully ordered as if Gertrude had no other business t

d man. Now she must make her way alone; she had no one to help her, no one belonging to her except her two children, and for them she

gazed up at the shining heavens and said to herself, "He who has sent this trouble will send me strengt

could carry on the remunerative business that her husband had been engaged in, until little Dietrich should be old enough to assume the direction of it, and pursue it as his father had done bef

silently by herself in a dark corner of the room. When Gertrude found her thus grieving, sh

t my m

had only gone on before, that she might get strong and well again. And gradually this second mother grew to take the place of her own, and no ga

louder and more demonstrative manner. He often th

ngs to me and t

ong straight line across her face. But she did not speak. And Gertrude would p

trich. I belong to you both

nless they shared everything together and wherever one went, the other must go too. They went regularl

sexton's boy, who was as broad as he was long, and from whose round face two pale eyes peere

ard snow-ball between Veronica's shoulders, with the mortifying result to the aggressive boy, of being pelted in the face with handfuls of wet snow, until he was almost stifled, and cried out for mercy. Dieterli was not afraid of either of them; for though smaller and thinner than either, he was also much more lithe, and could glide about like a lizard before, behind and all

she crossed over between daylight and dark, and entered the room where Veronica was, with her favorite plaything in her hand, moving it back and forth as she sat in the window in the waning light. She could read very nicely now for two years had passed since she had lost her own mother, and had become Gertrude's child. Many a time had she read over the motto which shone out so myste

come in, and came running in from the kitchen to see what was

ith, what i

t no one else ever thought of asking;" said Cousin J

he rose with the golden verse in th

do,

nica

nds ready, f

knows to gra

ould say-fortune is whate

rse, then," said

in Judith," she said presently, "

en us to work with, and if we use them diligently and do our work well, as it ought

ronica. She did not lay her rose out of her hand for a long time, that evening, notwiths

ring some time, and spo

y their evening prayers. This was the closing act of every day; and it was so fixed and regular a habit, that