Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. I.djvu/145

Rh appertaining thereto. In one work of twelve volumes (!) he had drawn up the history of every old house in the town, and of the families and trades occupying them. To this belonged portraits in the old-fashioned costumes, copied from those still existing in the churches and chapels of the place. Some of these were executed by good artists, and were really excellent. Amongst a collection of ancient documents, he possessed one which also had reference to the immigration of the Swedes.

Whilst M. K. himself lived with the greatest economy, he was still able to employ and remunerate several artists, who designed and painted pictures for him from the past, and even the present life, of his native town.

M. K. accompanied us home, and whilst on our way thither, he related to us some portions of his own life, which I wish I had space to repeat,—they are so pervaded by a spirit of noble pride, of faithful labor, and warm-heartedness. His earliest, bitter sufferings, as a child, when, his father being cruelly maltreated by the French soldiers, his mother had nothing for the wounded man but soup made of bread boiled in water with a piece of tallow-candle, and the son felt that he would rather die than complain; of his gradually struggling upward by making gunpowder; the payment of his debts; his purchasing of books; his earliest delineation of old houses; his courtship, marriage, and domestic felicity; all these described so livingly, so evidently from the heart's faithful memory, were quite delicious! His good wife had now been dead some years. M. K. showed us her picture,