but the
fact that the new teacher went to see Johnnie's Hedwig.

Our friend, who had been so fond of seclusion, now found it impossible
to spend fifteen minutes by himself after school-hours, in his house or
out of it. Of all the books in his library, not one seemed to chime
in with his frame of mind: and when he undertook to write into his
note-book his lucubrations appeared so bare and profitless that he
crossed them out immediately.

In the fields he never could collect his thoughts sufficiently to make
sketches: he talked with every one he met. The people were friendly;
for his open soul beamed out of his eyes. Frequently he would stand by
them as they worked, in dreamy silence: he was reluctant to leave them
and return to the solitary dignity which a little earlier he had
thought indispensable.

Once he saw Hedwig cutting grain in the field, and hastened toward her.
But he did not long remain there: it was insufferable to find himself
the only idler among so many hard workers; and yet he was entirely
unskilled in field-work, and knew what a sorry figure he should have
made had he attempted it. Hedwig had gained in his eyes by having been
seen at work. "Hosts and manna should be baked from the ears that she
has cut," he said to himself, in turning away.

He was often absent-minded when conversing with her grandmother, and it
was only when the old lady spoke of her parents and grandparents that
she riveted his attention. It was delightful to climb up this family
tree into the dim regions of the past. Her grandfather had fought in
the wars of Prince Eugene against the Turks: and she had many of his
soldier's stories by heart. At times also, without repining, she would
predict that next winter she would meet all her ancestors again. It was
easy to divert her mind from such reflections. He loved to make her
talk of Hedwig's childhood, of the early loss of her mother, and of how
she was distressed to find that her doll could not shut its eyes at
night, and pasted paper over them. When the old woman spoke in this
strain, her eyes and those of the listener beamed in the same
brightness, like two neighbor-billows lit up by one moonbeam.

Hedwig is not mentioned in his note-book. The following passage,
however, may have been suggested by the reminiscences of her aged
relative:--

"We are prone to think that with a catechism of pure reason promulgated
among the people it would be easy to convert them; but at every ste