d bullets strike just anybody at random, and
make no difference between big and little. I will tell you when it is
safe for you to go; stay here till I come back.'

As Roller turned to go, he felt his leg suddenly clasped in Dollie's
little arms. 'Oh, do stay here with us, dear father!' sobbed the
child. 'Something might happen to you like what happened to poor
Hofmann there. And then mother and I couldn't live any longer--indeed
we couldn't; we should be quite sure to die.'

But Roller gently loosened the little maiden's hold, saying kindly as
he did so; 'Dollie must be quiet and good, and God will take care of
father. We do not know whether we are safer in here or out under the
clear sky; but the great God, our heavenly Father, can take care of us
wherever we are. Whether I am at work in the deep mine, or in front of
the Swedish guns, or sitting quietly at home with you and dear mother,
death might come to me if it was God's will, and it will never come
until it is His will. Dollie must try to remember this, and think that
her dear father is doing his duty.'

When he was gone, Dollie said sadly: 'The hateful war! Why ever do the
stupid soldiers make it? I am sure they would all rather sit by their
stoves at home, or else stop in bed, than come to Freiberg and make us
all so unhappy.'

Conrad thought for a minute or two, and then said: 'Yes, war is a very
funny thing; the people who begin it never have any of the trouble.
And then it soon gets so big they don't know what to do, because they
can't stop it. My mistress says this war was begun because of
religion, and they've been fighting for twenty-three years, longer than
I can remember. I daresay they want to drive religion out of the world
altogether, for I don't think anybody can ever expect to make people
good by firing off cannons at them. Our schoolmaster says it's like
cutting a man's head off to cure him of the toothache. But oh, Dollie,
I sometimes feel so sad you can't think. You have a good father to
love you and take care of you, and be very sorry when anything hurts
you; but nothing in the world would make my stepfather happier than for
some one to go and tell him I was dead. I always have to hide like a
wicked thief when he comes, and I'm sure it is a great deal worse for
poor mother than it is for me. Nobody but God knows how father uses
her, and I daren't go and protect her.'

'Listen!' said Dollie anxiously. 'Hofmann is coming to