as
one--would, I believe, turn out to be a subtle and impossible compound
of May and his aunt Hildegarde.

We sometimes speculate as to what he will turn out. Perhaps the musical
genius which his father will not bring before the world in himself may
one day astonish that world in Sigmund. It is certain that his very life
seems bound up in the art, and in that house and that circle it must be
a very Caliban, or something yet lower, which could resist the
influence.

One day May, Eugen, Karl, and I, repaired to the music-room and played
together the Fourth Symphonie and some of Schumann's "Kinderscenen," but
May began to cry before it was over, and the rest of us had thoughts
that did lie too deep for tears--thoughts of that far-back afternoon of
Carnival Monday, and how we "made a sunshine in a shady place"--of all
that came before--and after.

Between me and Eugen there has never come a cloud, nor the faintest
shadow of one. Built upon days passed together in storm and sunshine,
weal and woe, good report and evil report, our union stands upon a firm
foundation of that nether rock of friendship, perfect trust, perfect
faith, love stronger than death, which makes a peace in our hearts, a
mighty influence in our lives which very truly "passeth understanding."

THE END.

THE CRIMINAL WITNESS.

In the spring of '48, I was called to Jackson to attend court, having
been engaged to defend a young man who had been accused of robbing the
mail. I had a long conference with my client, and he acknowledged to me
that on the night when the mail was robbed he had been with a party of
dissipated companions over to Topham, and that on returning, they met
the mail-carrier on horseback coming from Jackson. Some of his
companions were very drunk, and they proposed to stop the carrier and
overhaul his bag. The roads were very muddy at the time, and the coach
could not run. My client assured me that he not only had no hand in
robbing the mail, but that he tried to dissuade his companions from
doing so. But they would not listen to him. One of them slipped up
behind the carrier, and knocked him from his horse. Then they bound and
blindfolded him, and having tied him to a tree, they took his mail-bag,
and made off into a neighboring field, where they overhauled it, finding
some five hundred dollars in money in the various letters. He went with
them, but in no way did he have any hand in the crime. Those w