"Little Else, I have thought of a plan which may, I think, bring us a
few guldens--until the process of transmuting lead into silver is
completed."
"Of course," I said, "after that we shall want nothing, but be able to
give to those who do want. And oh, Fritz! how well we shall understand
how to help people who are poor. Do you think that is why God lets us be
so poor ourselves so long, and never seems to hear our prayers?"
"It would be pleasant to think so, Else," said Fritz, gravely; "but it
is very difficult to understand how to please God, or how to make our
prayers reach him at all--at least when we are so often feeling and
doing wrong."
It cheered me to see that Fritz does not despair of the great invention
succeeding one day. He did not tell me what his own plan is.
Does Fritz, then, also feel so sinful and so perplexed how to please
God? Perhaps a great many people feel the same. It is very strange. If
it had only pleased God to make it a little plainer. I wonder if that
book Eva lost would tell us anything!
After that evening the barrier between me and Fritz was of course quite
gone, and we seemed closer than ever. We had delightful twilight talks
in our lumber-room, and I love him more than ever. So that Aunt Agnes
would, I suppose, think me more of an idolater than before. But it is
very strange that idolatry should seem to do me so much good. I seem to
love all the world better for loving Fritz, and to find everything
easier to bear, by having him to unburden everything on, so that I had
never fewer little sins to confess than during the two weeks Fritz was
at home. If God had only made loving brothers and sisters and the people
at home the way to please him, instead of not loving them too much, or
leaving them all to bury one's self in a cold convent, like Aunt Agnes!
Little Eva actually persuaded Fritz to begin teaching her the Latin
grammar! I suppose she wishes to be like her beloved St. Catherine, who
was so learned. And she says all the holy books, the prayers and the
hymns, are in Latin, so that she thinks it must be a language God
particularly loves. She asked me a few days since if they speak Latin in
heaven.
Of course I could not tell. I told her I believed the Bible was
originally written in two other languages, the languages of the Greeks
and the Jews, and that I had heard some one say Adam and Eve spoke the
Jews' language in paradise, which I suppose God taught them.
But I have been thinking over it since, and I should not wonder if Eva
is right.
Because, unless Latin is the language of the saints and holy angels in
heaven, why should God wish the priests to speak it everywhere, and the
people to say the Ave and Paternoster in it? We should understand it all
so much better in German; but of course if Latin is the language of the
blessed saints and angels, that is a reason for it. If we do not always
understand, THEY do, which is a great comfort. Only I think it is a very
good plan of little Eva's to try and learn Latin; and when I have more
time to be religious, perhaps I may try also.