It was far on in the afternoon when they passed through a beautiful
wood. The Tyrol abounds in fir forests, beeches, and chestnuts. We may
fancy our little friends, then, enjoying themselves under the shade of
the trees. Many hours having passed since their mid-day meal, the loaf
of bread was produced, and Toni cut a slice for each with his
pocket-knife, spreading it with honey. This proved very grateful to the
hungry children, who had tasted nothing since their dinner with the good
schoolmaster. Toni and Hans, tired enough by this time, were glad after
their meal to stretch themselves on the grass and go to sleep, but
Nanny, who had been spared all fatigue, ran about playing with the dog,
going here and there, and looking with wondering pleasure at the trees
and wild flowers, all of which were so new to her, and talking to the
little birds that hopped from bough to bough twittering their pretty
songs. The light was playing between the trees, flecking the turf
beneath with shadows, and illuminating the trunks of the old firs with a
ruddy glow. The little girl skipped about in great delight, getting as
she went along a lap full of flowers, which she amused herself by
forming into bouquets and wreaths. In stooping down, her eyes fell upon
some wood strawberries, which were quite ripe and growing in great
numbers. "Oh, what a nice surprise for my brothers!" she said, and set
to work gathering as many as she could. Three large leaves were spread
on the top of a small rock which served as a table, and when the boys
awoke, they were called to partake of the feast. A merry little party
they were. And now, having finished their repast by taking a drink of
milk from the old woman's bottle, no more time must be lost, Nanny was
told to take her seat, and, the dog being laid at her feet, they again
set out.
The sun was sinking lower and lower in the bright sky, till at length it
vanished below the horizon. And now the next question was, where they
should sleep? Should they go on to the next village, and beg a night's
lodging? For money they had none wherewith to pay for one.
"No, no," cried little Nanny, quite in love with the pretty green wood:
"let us make this our home for the night; the stars will be our lamps,
the moss and flowers our pillow, and the little birds will sing us
asleep." She clapped her hands with joy at the thought.
The boys were not unwilling to agree to this proposal, and having drawn
the cart under a large oak-tree, they all knelt down upon the grass, and
Toni prayed aloud. "Our Father in heaven, we thank Thee for having
brought us in safety so far; we thank Thee for giving us food when we
were hungry. We are sure Thou wilt be with us in the darkness, and Thou
wilt hold Thine hand over us, and not let any wild beast or snake come
near to hurt us. Please cover Nanny, that the night dew may not give
her cold: do, good God, for Thou knowest she is not strong, and we would
like to take her quite well to grandfather. Hear us for Jesus' sake.
Amen."
They rose from their knees, and oh! how full of delight Nanny was! for
around on every side, both on the ground and flying about among the
bushes, were numbers of the most brilliant sparks; I am sure if she had
tried she could not have counted them.
"Toni! Hans! look," she exclaimed. "Are these stars? But stars, I am
sure, never live in the grass. What can they be?"
"They are glow-worms and fireflies," said Toni, and explained to her how
that by day they looked brown and ugly, and it was only in the darkness
they were so bright.
We see Nanny was not without reason in likening these fireflies to
stars. She entreated her brothers to catch some of them, that she might
hold them in her hand; and they soon collected several, and put them in
her hair, so that she looked as if crowned with a wreath of stars.
It was now night, and, under the dim light of a half-moon, the children,
weary with the previous day's exertion, lay down to rest. Nanny's
starry crown soon disappeared; nightingales struck up their thrilling
notes, crickets chirped, soft airs whispered among the trees, little
birds, with their heads under their wings, roosted in the boughs
overhead, and the children soon fell fast asleep, safe under their
Heavenly Father's protection.
It was bright daylight ere the little ones opened their eyes. They soon
recollected themselves, for at first they looked about, wondering where
they were, and having risen and breakfasted on bread and honey, with a
drink of milk, were not long in setting off again on their travels.
So far we have followed them. They had escaped without discovery, their
daily wants had been supplied, and they trusted to be before long happy
with their grandfather.
We shall not, however, be surprised to hear that, while they had been
peacefully pursuing their way, there had been no small stir in their
uncle's house. When he found the children missing, he was almost beside
himself with rage. What now would become of all his fine dreams for the
future? They had already helped to fill his purse with gold, and he
looked forward greedily to more gains in time to come. Find them he
must. Inquiries were made in every direction, advertisements put in the
public papers, bills pasted on the walls, police put on the search.
What would he not do to get them back again? He himself drove out to
the country; fortunately, however, or rather God so ordered it, he took
the opposite direction to that which the children had taken.
Three days had passed, and the boys were beginning to be very weary and
footsore.
In the evening they were wondering what to do, and where to go for the
night, when they saw a large number of gentlemen and servants on
horseback coming towards them. It was a hunting party returning home.
"Hallo! hallo!" cried one of them; "here's some fine game. Why, these
must be the runaway children about whom there has been such a hue and
cry in Vienna. Hold! stop! you are caught," he continued, addressing
himself to the terrified little ones. "Come away with us, and to-morrow
we will send you home."
Nanny clasped her hands, and bursting into a flood of tears, exclaimed,
"Please, sir, oh, please not to send us back to uncle!" and Hans,
trembling in every limb, begged them to have pity.
Toni was the only one of the three who remained calm, saying in a
cheerful voice to his sister, "Do not be frightened, Nanny; the good God
knows all."
By this time the rest of the party had come up, and among them a tall,
elderly man with white hair, who smiled kindly on the children, and
directed one of his servants to take them to the castle. They were
accordingly lifted on to a truck that was conveying the game, the result
of the day's sport; their own little cart was slung on behind; and so
they arrived at a beautiful house standing in a large park. Nanny and
Hans, sobbing bitterly, with their little arms round one another, were
seated on a roebuck. Toni, sitting opposite, looked so smiling, trying
in his own quiet way to comfort them, that they at length began to look
brighter and dried their tears.
When they arrived the castle was brilliantly lighted. The children were
lifted down and led into a large hall, where a number of ladies were
assembled, waiting to receive the party, who had been away since early
morning.
As you may imagine, great was the astonishment when the little ones were
brought in, and many questions were put to them; but it was not till the
arrival of the gentlemen that they understood what it all meant.
When they were at length joined by the lord of the castle, he went up to
the children, and, looking kindly at them, endeavoured to gain their
confidence. He began by gently inquiring the cause of their leaving
their uncle's house. "Was he unkind to you?" he asked.
"Not exactly, sir," quickly replied the little girl; "but I danced till
I could dance no longer. I felt as if I was going to die."
"It is all true, sir," said Hans. "Toni and I were afraid we should
lose our little sister."
"I am sure it was God's will we should try and save her," interrupted
Toni.
"It was _God's will_? How did you know that, little one?"
"Why, sir, it must have been God who put a thought into my mind that I
ought to get her away. When uncle would make her dance, dance till she
fell down and did not know anything, and looked so pale, I thought she
was dead. Then I know He must have helped us to make the little cart,
and to keep it hidden so that uncle did not see it; and He has led us
the right way, and given us food to eat when we were hungry."
"Who taught you all that, my boy?"
"Nobody, sir," answered Toni; "only father and mother used to talk about
God ordering everything, and told us to remember, and that perhaps some
day we should see it for ourselves."
"Who were your parents?" asked the gentleman, much interested.
"I can hardly tell you; but they were God's children, for they called
Him Father."
"But what was your father? That was what I meant. What did he do?"
"Well, sir, in the morning he came and woke us and gave us a kiss, and
when we were dressed, he read to us out of the big book; after breakfast
he went out to teach music, I think, and when he came home he taught us
to read and write: that was what he did."
"Did your father not leave you anything?"
"Leave us anything?" said the boy thoughtfully. "I heard him say once
to mother when he was ill, `If we die we shall have nothing to leave
them, but God will be their friend.'"
"Was it your father's wish that you should live with your uncle?"
"I never heard him say so; but he was talking to mother one day, and he
said grandfather was a good old man, and could teach us to be good, and
then he went on, `My brother is a wild fellow, but the Lord will be with
them and will do for them what is best.'"
"And do you think you will be able to reach your grandfather's home
after all?"
"Yes, sir, indeed I do."
"But we must send you back to your uncle--at least, so the police say--
and what then?"
"No one can send us back unless it is God's will we should go: father
said He is stronger than men."
"But how will God hinder it?"
"That I cannot tell. He has promised to help those who call upon Him,
and what He promises He is sure to do; mother taught us that."
All who were standing round the children were touched by the simple
faith of this young boy, and the gentleman was silent for a moment,
while a tear came into his eye. Then he said, "The Saviour's words come
home to me with fresh force, `Except ye become as little children, ye
shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.'"
The children were then put under the housekeeper's charge, who gave them
a good supper, of which they were much in need. The pretty and
comfortable beds were not less welcome, where they slept soundly till
long after the sun had risen.
At this house our little friends remained till matters were arranged
with their uncle. Letters were dispatched telling him they had been
found. He was very unwilling to give them up; but at last all obstacles
were removed, and their grandfather's address having been procured, they
were in due time sent to him under charge of a faithful servant.
No doubt the old man gave them a hearty welcome. We can tell you little
farther about them, but we know they helped to cheer his old age. They
did what they could to lighten his cares; Nanny learnt to play skilfully
on the harp, so that in course of time, when her grandfather's eyesight
failed, she was able to fill his place. When the young people were out
at any time on errands or work, and their grandfather was left alone,
the trusty Pomeranian they had named "Caesar" remained in the house as
his companion; and when the old man became feeble, and had to rest often
in bed, the faithful creature slept at his feet, keeping kindly watch
over his aged master.
Nor must I forget to add that twice every year, at Christmas and Easter,
one of the servants was sent from the castle (though it was a long way
distant) with a large basket of provisions. With what delight, you may
imagine, the hamper was opened and the contents, one by one, taken out!
In autumn, too, when the fruit was ripe, some grapes and peaches
occasionally found their way to the humble cottage-home.
I think I cannot better conclude this story than by telling you that
when the good old man was dying, Nanny was found with her harp at his
bedside, playing one of the Tyrolese hymns about "the glories of
Heaven." The old man listened in rapture, with his hands clasped, till
he entered its Golden Gates.--_Translated from the German_.
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The End.