One has one kind of gift, another possesses another, Each one employs them, and each in turn in his separate fashion Good and happy becomes.My Hermann shall not be upbraided, For I know that he well deserves the wealth he'll inherit;He'll be an excellent landlord, a pattern to burghers and peasants, And, as I clearly foresee, by no means the last in the Council.
But with your blame and reproaches, you daily dishearten him sadly, As you have done just now, and make the poor fellow unhappy."Then she left the apartment, and after her son hasten'd quickly, Hoping somewhere to find him, and with her words of affection Gladden his heart, for he, the excellent son, well deserved it.
Smilingly, when she had closed the door, continued the father "What a wonderful race of people are women and children.
All of them fain would do whatever pleases their fancy, And we're only alow'd to praise them and flatter them freely.
Once for all there's truth in the ancient proverb which tells us:
He who moves not forward, goes backward! a capital saying!"Speaking with much circumspection, the druggist made answer as follows "What you say, good neighbour, is certainly true, and my plan is Always to think of improvement, provided tho' new, 'tis not costly.
But what avails it in truth, unless one has plenty of money, Active and fussy to he, improving both inside and outside?
Sadly confined are the means of a burgher; e'en when he knows it, Little that's good he is able to do, his purse is too narrow, And the sum wanted too great; and so he is always prevented.
I have had plenty of schemes! but then I was terribly frighten'd At the expense, especially during a time of such danger.
Long had my house smiled upon me, decked out in modish exterior, Long had my windows with large panes of glass resplendently glitterd.
Who can compete with a merchant, however, who, rolling in riches, Also knows the manner in which what is best can be purchased?
Only look at the house up yonder, the new one: how handsome Looks the stucco of those white scrolls on the green-colour'd panels!
Large are the plates of the windows--how shining and brilliant the panes are, Quite eclipsing the rest of the houses that stand in the market!
Yet at the time of the fire, our two were by far the most handsome, Mine at the sign of the Angel, and yours at the old Golden Lion.
Then my garden was famous throughout the whole country, and strangers Used to stop as they pass'd and peep through my red-colourd palings At my beggars of stone, and at my dwarfs, which were painted, He to whom I gave coffee inside my beautiful grotto, Which, alas! is now cover'd with dust and tumbling to pieces, Used to rejoice in the colour'd glimmering light of the mussels, Ranged in natural order around it, and connoisseurs even Used with dazzled eyes to gaze at the spars and the coral.
Then, in the drawing-room, people look'd with delight on the painting, Where the prim ladies and gentlemen walked in the garden demurely, And with pointed fingers presented the flowers, and held them.
Ah, if only such things were now to be seen! Little care INow to go out; for everything needs to be alter'd and tasteful, As it is call'd; and white are the benches of wood and the palings;All things are simple and plain; and neither carving not gilding Now are employ'd, and foreign timber is now all the fashion.
I should be only too pleased to possess some novelty also, So as to march with the times, and my household furniture alter.
But we all are afraid to make the least alteration, For who is able to pay the present charges of workmen?
Lately a fancy possess'd me, the angel Michael, whose figure Hangs up over my shop, to treat to a new coat of gilding, And the terrible Dragon, who round his feet is entwining;But I have left him all brown; as he is; for the cost quite alarm'd me."
IV.EUTERPE.
MOTHER AND SON.
THUS the men discoursed together; and meanwhile the mother Went in search of her son,--at first in front of the dwelling On the bench of stone, for he was accustom'd to sit there.
When she found him not there, she went to look in the stable, Thinking perchance he was feeding his splendid horses, the stallions Which he had bought when foals, and which he entrusted to no one.
But the servant inform'd her that he had gone to the garden.
Then she nimbly strode across the long double courtyard, Left the stables behind, and the barns all made of good timber, Enter'd the garden which stretch'd far away to the walls of the borough, Walk'd across it, rejoicing to see how all things were growing, Carefully straighten'd the props, on which the apple-tree's branches, Heavily loaded, reposed, and the weighty boughs of the pear-tree, Took a few caterpillars from off the strong-sprouting cabbage;For a bustling woman is never idle one moment.
In this manner she came to the end of the long-reaching garden, Where was the arbour all cover'd with woodbine: she found not her son there, Nor was he to be seen in any part of the garden.
But she found on the latch the door which out of the arbour Through the wall of the town had been made by special permission During their ancestor's time, the worthy old burgomaster.
So she easily stepp'd across the dry ditch at the spot where On the highway abutted their well-inclosed excellent vineyard.
Rising steeply upwards, its face tow'rd the sun turn'd directly.
Up the hill she proceeded, rejoicing, as farther she mounted, At the size of the grapes, which scarcely were hid by the foliage.
Shady and well-cover'd in, the middle walk at the top was, Which was ascended by steps of rough flat pieces constructed.
And within it were hanging fine chasselas and muscatels also, And a reddish-blue grape, of quite an exceptional bigness, All with carefulness planted, to give to their guests after dinner.
But with separate stems the rest of the vineyard was planted, Smaller grapes producing, from which the finest wine made is.
So she constantly mounted, enjoying in prospect the autumn.
