child born to me. How can I deserve such unspeakable bliss!

I was allowed to speak to Martha for a minute, and to take my
great-grandson in my arms. He opened his eyes, and Martha cried, "He
has his grandmother's eyes. When at Strasburg, Julius asked that his
name should be Erwin."

The Councillor's wife ordered her to be quiet, adding: "You can now be
perfectly happy; the conflict is over, and your husband returns full of
honors. You are blessed indeed, and we are blessed through you. Sleep
now; when you really want to sleep, you can do so."

I had to leave the room; and, after a while, the new grandmother came
to tell me that Martha was sleeping quietly.

I remained in the city. The grandfather came for a day, and told me
that he agreed with Julius, who, as he had so greatly distinguished
himself, wished to remain in the military service.

My eyes have looked upon the third generation; I was also to see the
dream of my youth realized in the establishment of the German Empire,
and my family had fairly done their share towards it. But our joys are
never unalloyed. No tree in the forest has an uninterrupted growth. A
raven comes, rests on its top, and bends and blights the tender
sapling.

Yes, a raven of misfortune came. A letter from Annette reported, in a
few hasty words, that Richard had disappeared, and that he had probably
fallen into the hands of the _franc tireurs_. There was still some hope
of his life. She had started out with Wolfgang to hunt him up.
Wolfgang, being an American citizen, could get through the lines. She
asked us to move heaven and earth to save Richard. In a postscript, she
reminded me of the wounded French officer whom she was nursing when I
searched for the Colonel. How wonderful! every good deed meets its
reward. The officer had given her a pass, from which she promised
herself the best results.

Ludwig was not for a moment alarmed by the danger into which his only
son had ventured. He had full confidence in Wolfgang's discretion, and
his words were full of assurance that he would not be found wanting.

I believe that this confidence was genuine, but I also believe that he
tried, for my sake, to mitigate the shock which the news about Richard
had given me.

It puzzled me how Richard, who did not belong to the combatants, could
be captured by the enemy; but Ludwig stopped all brooding over it by
saying: "Father, will you accompany me to the capital? I wish to see
our ambassador; h