e
an opportunity of making an acknowledgment to the friend and
instructor of his children. To the preserver of my child I shall
always remain indebted; but should you desire anything, or need
anything, do not apply to any other than

"Your friend, E. Frank."

"He! and he, too!" exclaimed Jacobi, deeply agitated. "Oh, the kind,
noble, excellent man! And I--I shall, I will become worthy of him! From
this day I am a new man!"

He pressed the letter to his breast, and looked up to the star-lighted
heaven with silent but fervent vows.

CHAPTER XII.

TIME GOES.

Life has its moments of strength and bloom; its bright moments of
inspiration, in which the human artist (the painter of earthly life)
seizes on, and utters the supremely pure, the supremely beautiful, the
divine. If, in such moments, everything in human life were executed; if
then sacrifices were made, work accomplished, victories won, there would
be but little difficulty in life. But the difficult part is to preserve,
through a long course of years, the flame which has been kindled by
inspiration! to preserve it while the storms come and go, while the
everlasting dust-rain of the moments falls and falls; to preserve it
still and uniform, amidst the uniform changing of uniform days and
nights. To do this, strength from above is required; repeated draughts
from the fountain of inspiration; both for the great and the small--for
all labourers on earth.

It was the good fortune of Ernst and Elise that they knew this; and knew
also how to avail themselves of it. On this account they succeeded more
and more in conquering their natural failings; on this account they came
nearer to each other by every little step, which in itself is so
unobservable, but which yet, at the same time, twines so firmly and
lovingly together the human heart and life, and which may be contained
in the rubric--_regard for mutual inclinations, interest for mutual
interests_.

Through this new-born intimacy of heart, this strengthening and pure
affection, Elise assumed a secure and noble standing with regard to
Jacobi. Her heart was vanquished by no weakness, even when she saw
suffering expressed in his youthful countenance; nay, she remained firm,
even when she saw that his health was giving way, and only besought her
husband to name an earlier day for his and Henrik's departure. This was
also her husband's wish. Like a good an