and the laborer breaking it went to her and gave her
half. She thanked him by the eagerness with which
she carried the gift to her mouth. The man then
looked at her more attentively, and after a moment he
laid the other half of the bread in her lap. The child
forgot her hunger and looked wonderingly after him as
he crossed the ditch. But the wife passed her hands
over her eyes as if she were weeping, then with her
apron wiped her husband's forehead, and I thought she
kissed him. Then they sat down together under the
shade of a thorn-tree, and the empty basket stood be-
side them ; but they played with the smiling baby.
Meanwhile a carriage rolled by, and they who were
within, turned away from the persons on their right
hand, and I only heard the remark of the gentleman
who was riding on the left side : 'What a stupid piece
"The Orphan" proved to be.'
"Then thought I to myself, 'They are condemned
already.'
"I went on further and saw the laborer in the field
nod at me kindly as I gave the child a small coin. I
colored with shame — how much more had he given !
"The scenery was growing more and more beautiful
as I advanced. It was spread out before me like a gar-
den of God, clothed in beauty, filled with the riches of
His glory, dropping with the blessings of His goodness,
and fragrant with the breath of His presence. There
a chain of sheltering mountains whose free tops rose
over the dark pine forests, here the rich, soft green pas-
ture where the well-fed cow lay stretched on the clover,
while the fiery horse practiced his strength in the race.
Lower down flowed the winding stream, a welcome
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