"You may dink vat you please and say vat you please, Miss Schoslin.
Men dink different off dese dinks vrom vomans. I haf a vay off saying
Gott pless beoples ven I feels goot dowards 'em, put I means 'em
no harm. Vat you American beoples somedimes say--dank my schtars?
Dat will do shust so vell for me. It vas dis vay: der schild vas
seek; you und your moder gome, und you make gauses und dere are der
evvects. I perlieve in gause und evvect, und you vas a very goot
gause."
"We certainly should be very poor neighbors had we not come and
done all we could, and with your permission mother and I will help
your wife to-day so she can get some rest."
"I dank you vrom mine heart. You make me dink off der heafenly
podies--you make order put no noise. I vill do for you vatefer you
vish und pe honest."
Mildred now believed that she had gained the key to the old German's
character, and such a hold upon his feelings that he would eventually
permit her to become his companion in his star-gazing on the roof.
Denied so much of the beauty she craved on the earth, she believed
that she could find in an intelligent study of the skies a pleasure
that would prove an antidote for the depressing circumstances of
her lot. She had often longed with intense curiosity to look through
his telescope, and to penetrate some of the bright mysteries that
glittered above her with such tantalizing suggestion. She was
adroit, however, and determined that the invitation should come
unsolicited from him, so that his suspicions and cynical nature
could give no sinister interpretation to her kindness.
The physician evidently shared in Mr. Ulph's estimate of the mother
of the child, for he explained to Mildred how the remedies he left
should be used. She and Mrs. Jocelyn acted as nurse most of the
day, and the patient improved steadily. After her return from the
chapel in the afternoon, Mildred found the old German smoking his
pipe in quite a placid mood, and she skilfully led him to talk on
his favorite theme. He soon became so interested and so confidential
that he unlocked a small, closet-like room and showed her his
treasures--the telescope and other instruments, Argelander's maps,
and many books written by the most eminent authorities.
"I haf gone mitout mine dinner many und many der day to puy dese.
Mine pody schtays in dis hole in dis old house, put mit dese vat I
gather since ven I vas young, I go to heafen every night. Hah, hah,
hah! dot Engleesh voman on der virst vloor dink she know a petter
vay off going to heafen; und she dalk her reeleegious schargou to
me, ven she know notting at all put vat der briests dell her. If
dey dell her de moon von pig green scheese she swar it ish so; put
dese dings dell der druf, und der great laws vork on for efer no
matter vat voolish beoples perlieve. It vas all law und vorce, und
it vould be von pig muddle in der heafens if it vas all vat der
briests say."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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