But a home without a wife is like spring
without blossoms. So, thinking this way, I chose a widow with ten
children."

Twirling his thumbs, little brother smiled gayly as he looked at me.
"Five and ten make fifteen, I thought, and when fifteen prayers rise to
heaven, the Lord must hear. My two eldest stepsons entered military
service. We wouldn't spend all our money on the boys and then console
our poor girls with a husband. I put three sons to trades. But my girls
were my pride. They learned every kind of work. When they could cook,
wash, and spin, we sent them into good households to learn more. Two
married young. Some of the rest are seamstresses and housekeepers. One
is a secretary, and our golden-haired Miez is lady's-maid to the
Countess H----. Both these girls are betrothed. Miez is the brightest,
and she managed to learn, even at the village school. So much is written
about education nowadays," (little brother drew himself up proudly as he
added, "I take a newspaper,") "but the real education is to keep
children at work and make them unselfish. They must love their work.
Work and pray, these were my rules, and thank Heaven! all my children
are good and industrious.

"Just think, last summer my dear girls sent me a suit of fine city
clothes and money to go a journey, begging their old father to make them
a visit. Oh, how pretty they looked when they showed me round the city
in spite of my homespun, for I couldn't bring myself to wear the fine
clothes, after all. The best dressed one was our little lady's-maid, who
had a gold watch in her belt. So I said: 'Listen, child, that is not fit
for you.' But she only laughed. 'Indeed it is, little father. If my
gracious lady makes me a present, I'm not likely to be mistaken for her
on that account.'--'And girls, are you contented to be in
service?'--'Certainly, father: unless there are both masters and
servants the world would go out of its grooves. My good Countess makes
service so light, that we love and serve her. Yes, little father,' added
Miez, 'my gracious mistress chose Gustav for me, and is going to pay for
the wedding and start us in housekeeping--God bless her!' Now see what
good such a woman does. If people would but learn that it takes wits to
command as well as to obey, they would get along well enough in these
new times of equality. Thank heaven! we country folk shan't be ruined by
idleness. When I saw my thatched roof again, among the fir-trees, I felt
a