Some wiseacres predicted that the teacher's zeal would not be of long duration. We take the liberty to think otherwise.
Spring came, and the bells repaired to Rome to tell the story of the village: they had fewer sins than usual to report of the past winter.
After Easter came the wedding-day, which had been fixed on the anniversary of the teacher's arrival in the village. On the evening before, Hedwig went to the old teacher and asked him to do his best in the prelude next day. He smiled, and said, "Yes: you shall like it."
Next day they went to church, preceded by the musicians. Hedwig dressed like her playmate Agnes, the teacher decorated with a nosegay, like his playmate Thaddie, Buchmaier, Johnnie, and the Jewish teacher behind them. When all had assembled, the old teacher began the prelude. Every one smiled; for the old joker had interwoven the air of the Lauterbacher very skilfully into his piece. Soon after, the glee-club struck up the chant,--
"Holy is the Lord!"
and the nuptial tie was fastened with joyous earnestness, Blessings attend it!
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 1]: Bartholomew's Sebastian's.
[Footnote 2]: Not a lord of the manor, according to the English acceptation of the term, but a sort of village mayor, elected by the farmers out of their own number. Very little of the feudal tenure remains in the Black Forest, the peasants being almost everywhere lords of the soil.
[Footnote 3]: A ring of hard wood or stone fixed to the end of the spindle, to weigh it down and improve its turning.