h a cry, his
mother used to say it would kill her to hear the like again. The two
friends fell into each other's arms. Pilgrim soon recovered his good
spirits, and laughed about his luck being better at home than anywhere
else; for there he found at least a well-spread table. Certainly he
could nowhere have found a warmer welcome than from the parents and son
at the Morgenhalde. Old Lenz wanted to take him into his house; but
Pilgrim resolutely declined. He was always jealous of his independence.
He fitted up a nice workshop at Don Bastian's, very near us. At first
he took pains to introduce new patterns of clock-cases; but he could
not succeed in changing essentially the shape of our Black Forest
clocks,--the square with a pointed arch. Not disheartened by finding
his novelties unacceptable, he cheerfully fell back on making the
old-fashioned cases, for which he gets plenty of orders. He has some
skill in coloring; but his drawing is faulty. You must know that
different countries have different tastes in clock-cases. France likes
the case well covered with bright colors; North Germany, Scandinavia,
and England prefer simpler outlines, architectural ornamentation, like
gables or columns,--at most, nothing more florid than a garland.
Shepherds and shepherdesses are for the Vorarlberg. No clocks can be
sent to the East with human figures on the dial-plate; lately Roman
numerals have been allowed, but formerly none but Turkish. America
likes no painting, but requires carving more or less elaborate.
American clocks, as they are called, have the weights raised by pulleys
on one side. Hungary and Russia fancy fruit-pieces and landscapes.
Ornaments of the best taste are not always preferred; on the contrary,
a finical style is often most popular. If you can improve the
appearance of our clocks, you will be doing Pilgrim a service. Perhaps
you can give him a fresh start in life; though he hardly needs it, for
he possesses the rare art of being happy without being prosperous."

"I should like to make his acquaintance."

"You shall call upon him with me to-morrow. Only come bright and early,
so that we can take a walk over the hills. I will show you some fine
views, and nice people beside."

After bidding the engineer a hearty good night the doctor and his
family re-entered the house.

The moon shone clear in the heavens; the flowers sent out their
fragrance into the night, with none to enjoy it, and the stars looked
down up