CHAPTER III.
NINE YEARS LATER.
A sunshiny Easter morning shone over hill and valley. A crowd ofholiday-making people poured out of the little church at Tannenegg, andscattered in every direction. A long row of blooming lads and lassies camein close ranks, moving slowly towards the parsonage. They were thenewly-confirmed young people of the parish, who had that day partaken ofthe Communion for the first time. They were going to the house of theirpastor, to express their gratitude for his careful and tender teaching andguidance, before they went out into the world. Among these were Dietrichand Veronica. Gertrude stood at a little distance from the church, andwatched the procession as it passed by. Her eyes were filled with tears ofpleasurable emotion, as she noticed that her dark-eyed Veronica wasconspicuous among all the maidens for the tasteful neatness of hercostume, and for the sweetness and grace of her bearing. The glance whichVeronica cast upon the mother in passing was full of love and gratitude;and seemed to repeat the words that the faithful girl had spoken in themorning, as she left her to go to the church. "I cannot thank you enough,as long as I live, for what you have done for me, mother." A yet brighterexpression of happiness crossed Gertrude's countenance when the young mencame in procession after the girls, as her eyes fell on the well-formedlad, a head taller than his companions, who nodded at her, and greeted herwith merry laughing looks, kissing his hand again and again, and yet onceagain. That was her tall handsome Dietrich. His mother's heart leaped inher breast at the sight of his fresh young life, so full of hope andpromise. Gertrude waited till the visit to the pastor was over, and theyoung people had separated on their various paths. Then she in her turnentered the parsonage. She wished herself to speak her thanks to this trueand long tried adviser and friend, for all that he had done for herchildren.
"You are a fortunate mother," said the aged pastor, after he had listenedto Gertrude's expressions of gratitude. "Those are two uncommon childrenthat the good God has confided to your care, and I feel the greatestinterest in them. The lad has a clear head, and a winning grace that drawseveryone to him. Veronica is serious and conscientious; she has a calmsteady nature and can be depended upon for fidelity to duty, such as it israre to find. The children will be your stay and comfort in your old age.May you keep them in the paths of virtue."
"With God's help;" said Gertrude, and she left the parsonage with tears ofhappiness in her eyes. As she passed the garden of her neighbor Judith,the latter called out over the low hedge,
"They have just gone by, all four of them. It always seems to me strangethat while all babies in the cradle look just alike, so that you can'ttell them apart, they grow up to be such very different men and women."
"No, no, these four were never alike," replied Gertrude, "but I agree thatthey grow more and more unlike every day."
"Yes, that they do. And of you three near neighbors, you certainly havedrawn the best lot in children," said Judith with enthusiasm, "two likeyour two are not to be found in a long day's journey. Veronica will fullyrepay you for what you have done for her."
"I have been repaid long ago by the child's attachment to me. She hasnever given me anything but satisfaction ever since her mother died. If Ihave any anxiety about Veronica it is lest she over-work herself. There issomething feverish in her love of work; she can never do enough. No matterhow late I go into her room at night, she is always finishing off somepiece of work; and no matter how early I get up in the morning, she hasalready begun something new. If I had not positively forbidden it, shewould keep at it even on a Sunday. It is a real source of anxiety to me,lest she should over-work and break down."
"Oh, I don't think you need be afraid of that, Gertrude; work never yethurt any one, least of all the young folks. Let her work away. But I don'tsee the need of her scowling so all the time. She looks for all the worldas if she were fighting and struggling against enemies and difficultiesof all sorts. I like better Dietrich's laughing eyes; they are so full offun. When he goes down the street singing--
'Gladly and merrily Live to-day cheerily, Black care and sorrow Leave till to-morrow,'
it goes right to my heart, and I could sing too for very joy. No one canhelp loving him."
Gertrude listened with sunshine in her face to these words of praise, buta little cloud of anxiety shadowed her eyes as she said,
"Yes, God be praised, he is a good boy and means well, but I do wish thathe had a little of Veronica's firmness of purpose. It is very pleasant tohave every one like him, but too great popularity is not always a goodthing. And those two companions that are always hanging about him, are notsuch as I myself would choose for his friends."
"If they could all be put to some steady work it would be the best thingfor them," said Judith. "Idleness is the mother of mischief. Blasi is notan ill-meaning fellow, but he is lazy, greatly to his own injury. LongJost is the worst of the two; a sly-boots, and a rare one too. It is to behoped that he will break his own leg, when he's trying to trip some oneelse up with it."
"No, no, Judith, on this holy Easter day, we will not have such unkindhopes as that. I hope and believe that the good God holds the children inhis protecting hand. We have given them to him; that is my comfort andsupport Good-bye, Judith; come often to see us; we are always glad of yourcompany."
On the evening of this sunny Easter day, while rosy clouds moved slowlyacross the clear sky, and the golden glow faded in the far west behind thewooded heights, Gertrude came back from a long walk in the fields andwoods. On one side of her strode Dietrich, talking rapidly and earnestly:the fresh joy of youth was written in every movement of his little figure,and laughed from the depths of his clear eyes. On the other side Veronicawalked, listening in silence. Her noble features, above which her blackhair fell in shining waves, had a serious, thoughtful expression, butevery now and then, when Dietrich let fall some particularly aptexpression, a look would cross her face that irradiated it like a sunbeamcrossing a shadowed plain. Mother Gertrude looked now proudly at herradiant son, now approvingly at her stately daughter, and again she liftedgrateful glances towards the glowing heavens where she saw promise ofanother brilliant day to come. Far and wide, in all Tannenegg, was not tobe found that day, such another happy mother as Gertrude.
When they reached the crossways where the footpath led up by the tavern ofthe Rehbock, Dietrich turned into it, and his mother was about to followhim, but Veronica drew her back, saying anxiously,
"Don't go that way, mother dear; it is not much farther by the otherroad."
Dietrich laughed aloud.
"Now there it is again. Do you know, mother, that I can never get Veronicato go past the Rehbock. She would rather go ten minutes farther round, andshe will not say why either. To-day, Veronica, I am determined that youshall go this way or tell us why not."
"No; to-day we will not quarrel, Dietrich, please;" said the girlentreatingly, but with a tone that showed no signs of yielding her point,"let us sing a song as we go; mother loves to hear us sing."
As she spoke, she walked steadily along the road, and the others followed,
"Well then," said the lad, "let's sing 'Gladly and merrily'"--and he beganto sing the familiar tune.
"To-night I should rather sing the Fisher-boat," said Veronica, andwithout demur the good-natured boy dropped his song, and joined his cleartones with Veronica's steady voice, the two harmonizing perfectly as theysang:
"A tiny boat, a fisher-boat, Tossed lightly on the silver sea; Around the rocks, in air, afloat The white gulls circle lazily. A tiny boat, a fisher-boat-- The fisher draws his slender line; He half in dream-land seems to float. Saying, 'to-morrow will be fine.'"
Softly singing, in the soft falling shadows of evening, the happy triodrew towards their home, and disappeared within the cottage door.