Page:The New Monthly Magazine - Volume 099.djvu/85

Rh church struck one, and the watchman sang in a full bass voice simple words:

Frants heard the pious song, and a change seemed to come over his spirit; he raised his saddened eye to the magnificent heavens above, gazed at the calm stars which studded the deep blue vault, clasped his hands, and joined in the watchman's concluding words:

A small phial with the medicine was just then handed out to him through the little sliding window; he paid his last coin for it, and full of hope that his burden would be lightened, hastened to his home.

"Did you hear what the watchman was singing, Johanna?" asked Frants, when he entered the little green parlour, where the young mother was watching by her child.

"Hush, hush!" she whispered; "he has fallen into an easy and quiet deep. God will have pity upon us—our child will do well now."

"Why, Johanna, you look as happy as if an angel from Heaven had been with you telling you blessed truths."

"Yes, blessed truths have been communicated to me from Heaven!" replied Johanna, pointing to an old Bible which lay open upon the table. "Look! this is my good uncle's Bible, that I have not seen since he died; and, God forgive me! I have thought too little lately about any Bible. I found this one to-night far back on the highest shelf of the alcove, and its holy words have given me strength and comfort. Read this passage, Frants, about patting our whole trust in the Lord, whatever evils may befal us."

Frants read the portion pointed out to him, and then began to turn over the leaves of the well-worn, silver-clasped book. He found a number of pieces of paper here and there, but as he saw at a glance that they were only accounts and receipts, he did not care to examine them; but has attention was suddenly caught by a paper which appeared to be part of a journal kept by the old man the last year of his life. He looked through it eagerly, and Johanna observed with surprise that his countenance was darkening. At length he started up, and exclaimed:

"It is horrible—horrible, Johanna! Some one must have sought to take your uncle's life. See, here it is in his own handwriting—listen!" And he read aloud:

"God grant that my enemy's wicked plot may not succeed!—Why did I let my gold get into such iniquitous hands, and place my life at the mercy of one more ferocious than a wild beast? He has cunningly plundered me of my wealth—he has bound my tongue by an oath—and now he seeks to take my life in secret. But my money will not prosper in his unworthy hands; and accursed be the house over whose threshold his foot passes. There are human beings who can ruin others in all worldly matters; but mortal man has no power over the spirit when death sets it free."