streets and finally came to a gateway that he
remembered to have seen several times. It was a low, smooth arch,
where it always smelled like ashes. Here, as a truant, he had taken
that leap! He was with Franz Halleman, who had dared him to cut sacred
studies and jump from the top of this arch. Walter did it just because
little Franz had questioned his courage.

To this escapade he was indebted for his great familiarity with the
prophet Habakkuk, whose prophecies he had to copy twelve times as
a penalty. Further, the sprain that he got in his big toe on that
occasion gave him a good barometer in that organ, which always warned
him of approaching rain.

In a certain sense Habakkuk is to be regarded as marking a transition
in Walter's life, viz. from nursery rhymes to books which deal with big
people. For some time he had felt his admiration for "brave Heinriche"
to be growing; and he was disgusted with the paper peaches that are
distributed as the reward of diligence in the beautiful stories. Of
any other peaches he had no knowledge, as the real article was never
seen in the houses he visited.

Nothing was more natural than that he should most ardently long to
talk with the older schoolboys about the wonders of the real world,
where people ride in coaches, devastate cities, marry princesses,
and stay up in the evening till after 10 o'clock--even if it isn't a
birthday. And then at the table one helps one's self, and may select
just whatever one wants to eat. So think children.

Every boy has his heroic age, and humanity, as a whole, has worn the
little coat with the big collar.

But how far can this comparison be carried? Where does the
identity stop? Will the human race become mature? and more than
mature?--old? Feeble and childish?

How old are we now? Are we boys, youths, men? Or are we
already----? No, that would be too unpleasant to think of.

Let us suppose that we are just in the exuberance of youth! We are
then no longer children exactly, and still we may hope something of
the future.

Yes, of the future,--when this stifling school atmosphere has been
blown away. When we shall take pleasure in the short jacket of the boy
that comes after us; when people will be at liberty to be born without
any legal permit, and will not be reviled for it; when humanity will
speak one language; when metaphysics and religion have been forgotten,
and knowledge of nature takes the place of noble birth. When we shall
have b