Children's stories, German -- Translations into English; Christian life -- Juvenile fiction; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction
During this heart-rending scene the farmer's family had been much
affected. At last they prevailed upon Mary to lie down and rest, hoping
that sleep would ease her grief. During the following day nothing would
induce her to leave her father's body. Before the coffin lid was nailed
down, Mary took one more look at her father. "Alas," said she, "it is
the last time that I shall ever look upon your dear face! How beautiful
it was when you smiled, and it shone with the glory into which you were
so shortly to enter. Farewell, farewell, my father," said she, sobbing
aloud, "may your body rest peacefully in the earth now, while angels of
God are, as I hope, bearing your soul to eternal rest."
When the funeral took place, Mary, dressed in mourning which one of the
girls of the village had kindly given her, followed close to the body
of her father. She was as pale as death, and every one pitied the poor
girl who now was without a relative in the world. As Mary's father was
a stranger at Erlenbrunn, they dug a grave for him in a corner of the
cemetery beside the wall. Two large pine trees shaded the humble grave.
The minister who had attended James during his illness spoke of James's
patience and of the resignation with which he had borne all his
misfortunes, and the good example he had set for those who knew him.
With tender words he consoled Mary, who was overwhelmed with grief. In
the name of her father, the minister thanked the farmer and his wife
for all their kindness to Mary and her father. He begged of them to be
father and mother to her who had no longer any parents.
CHAPTER XII.
CHANGES AT PINE FARM.
After her father's death, Mary was no longer the bright happy girl she
had been before. Even her favourite flowers seemed to have lost all
their beauty, and the pine trees near the farm looked as though they
were clothed in mourning. From time to time she attended the church at
Erlenbrunn; and when here she never failed to visit her father's grave.
On every opportunity she went to this sacred spot to weep for her
departed parent, and she never left the grave without having made fresh
resolutions to ignore the pleasures of the world, and to live only to
God. As time went on her grief gradually moderated, but she soon had
new trials to undergo.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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