lways has been so--porters must be strong men, true men, and
beer-drinkers. Water would weaken us, so would brandy; there is nothing
for it but draught beer and olive oil. Look here, sir," said he, mixing
a small glassful of fine oil and beer, stirring plenty of sugar into it,
and drinking off the nauseous compound; "this is a secret of ours, and
makes an arm like this;" and he laid his on the table, and vainly
endeavored to span it. "But there is a drawback. Have you ever seen an
old porter? No; for there are none. Fifty is the greatest age they have
ever reached. My father was fifty when he died, and the one we lately
buried--Mr. Schroeter was at the funeral--was forty-nine. I have still
two years before me, however."

Anton looked at him anxiously. "But, Sturm, since you know this, why not
be more moderate?"

"Moderate!" asked Sturm; "what is moderate? It never gets into our
heads. Twenty quarts a day is not much if you know nothing of it.
However, Mr. Wohlfart, it is on this account that my dear departed did
not choose that Karl should be a porter. As for that, few men do live to
be much more than fifty, and they have all sorts of ailments that we
know nothing about. But such were my wife's wishes, and so it must be."

"And have you thought of any other calling? True, Karl is very useful in
our house, and we should all miss him much."

"There it is," interrupted the porter; "you would miss him, and so
should I. I am alone here; when I see my little lad's red cheeks, and
hear his little hammer, I feel my heart glad within me. When he goes
away, and I sit here by myself, I know not how I shall bear it." And his
features worked with strong emotion.

"But must he leave you at present?" inquired Anton; "perhaps he may
remain on for another year."

"Not he; I know him; if he once thinks of a thing at all, he thinks of
nothing else. And, besides, I have been considering the matter these
last days, and I see I have been wrong. The boy did not come into the
world merely to amuse me; he must turn to something or other; so I try
to think of what my dear departed would have liked. She had a brother,
who is my brother-in-law, you know, and who lives in the country; I
should like my boy to go to him. It is far away, but then there's
kinship."

"A good thought, Sturm; but, since you are resolved, keep your son no
longer in uncertainty."

"He shall know at once; he is only in the garden." And he went and
called him in ste