Seite:Marsh Hallig 1856.djvu/187

187

POETRY AND PROSE.

"but it would have been quite different with him, who,
in the dangers of the tempest could have said in the
words of the song,
     "Who, fighting or falling,
          Doubts not of success,
      Hath gained a sure triumph,
          Hath won the bride's yes.

      "She leads to the altar,
          She guideth him home ;
      His faith is now seeing,
          His rest-day hath come."

  "I will not argue with you my good pastor," an-
swered Oswald ; "I admit, as I said before, that you
are perfectly right. I respect your opinions and you,
on account of them. I should rely on your integrity
and truth, with more confidence than on my own. But,
I must remain what I am and as I am; unless, as I
have half promised, I should become converted to your
way of thinking when I am gray-headed, in order that
I may fold my winding-sheet decently about me. Cer-
tainly my dear sir," added Oswald, when he observed
that the pastor turned away displeased from him as he
was making the last remark, "I don't mean to jest,
though it may sound so ; it is mere empty words, to
which you must attach no more meaning than belongs
to them. But we are so wide apart, and take such dif-
ferent views, that no agreement between us is possible.
You stand firm on Zion, and I am steering my little
bark through every flowery brook that will float me !"
  "The empty words do not disturb me," replied Hold,
"but that there should have been an hour in your life,