ught them
honestly. Of course I paid only for their hides. They are not much more
than skin and bone anyway, but in a week I shall feed four new horses
into their skins. When they taste the fodder from our mountain forests,
they will think, 'What a fine country Germany is; there they feed
horses on sweet herbs.'"

Rothfuss also brought the great news that our German troops had pushed
Bourbaki and his men to the wall; just as might have been done in a
tavern fight.

We did not quite understand what he really meant. Then Joseph brought
the newspaper. Alsace was free; and his joy over the victory was
enhanced by the certainty that his timber in the Hagenau forest was now
all safe.

We read about the three days' battle before Belfort; and as long as
valor and endurance are remembered, history will have a glorious page
to unfold there.

My daughter Johanna came down to enjoy a few days' rest with us. In
spite of the great hardships she had undergone, she had become
stronger, and looked more cheerful. She wanted to deliver her good news
in person. Her daughter had become engaged to a man who had lost his
right arm. Christiane had nursed him faithfully, and fallen in love
with him, and Johanna is right in saying, "She will always love him the
more because of her having to take care of him; she is just the wife
for an invalid."

On the very next day, we had a triumphal entry in our village. Carl was
well again, but carried his left arm in a sling. Rothfuss harnessed his
four "Bourbakis" (they were lean as yet, but lively) and drove Carl and
his mother, four-in-hand. Down at the saw-mill, Marie mounted beside
Carl and rode along into the village.

Rothfuss stopped before the house of the meadow-farmer. Nobody was to
be seen there, but all cried, "Hurrah for the meadow-farmer!"

"You must say the old farmer," commanded Rothfuss, "because Carl is now
the young meadow farmer. Come out, old fellow; Napoleon had to
abdicate, too. Give up your flail to Carl, the conqueror."

At last the door opened. The old meadow farmer came out and welcomed
Carl. It seemed as if the cheering would never end. Carl becomes the
meadow farmer! After this everything is possible.

"Have you any news of my faithful nurse, the Captain's wife?" asked
Carl, when he entered our room; and the old woman, who had not heard a
word, also asked, "How is the worthy lady?"

Just then, as it happened, a letter arrived from her.