THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

The Gold Repeater.

 

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF BERTHOLD AUERBACH,

 

was in my fif-
teenth year. I
was apprentic-
ed to my uncle,
and wished for
nothing in the
world so much
as a good, use-
ful watch, that
would keep time
well ;—such a
one as the other apprentices had. The
first real token of manliness, thought I,
is the being able to tell one’s self what
o'clock it is. Ay, and I am still of opin-
ion that, in the period when the serious
business of life begins, every one should
be carefully taught to take a good ac-
count of time; for time is the most
precious possession, when properly hus-
banded and employed. A watch in
one’s pocket does much to promote
habits of punctuality and a careful use
of time.

Christmas was approaching. I was
already old enough to know that our
Saviour does not, in the literal sense of
the words, come flying through the air,
bringing all kinds of presents; but that
this idea signifies the feeling of love and
kindness, the good spirit in the hearts
of kindred and friends, silently and se-
cretly studying to render one another
happy. With what a blissful feeling
does each one go about, endeavoring to
discover the wishes of the rest, scarce
able to keep his secret, and full of joy
at. the thought of contributing to an-

 

other’s pleasure! Where such love ex- |

ists, we may with truth say that Christ
visits that house.

I longed for nothing more eagerly
than the present of a watch at Christ-
mas; but I never dropped a hint of my
wish, nor did I say a word of it to my
merry little sister Minna. Yet whenever
anything was said about a watch, I in-
voluntarily trembled with a kind of anx-
iety ; and if by chance any one asked,
“ What’s o’clock ?” I grew quite angry.
This must have betrayed me, for listen
to what happened.

One day at noon, on entering the sit-
ting-room, I heard my father calling to
my mother,—“ Quick, wife! put away
Adam’s gold repeater.” Then he hastily
wrapped something up in a piece of pa-
per, and hid it. My mother looked
sad, but I made as if I had seen and
heard nothing, and was blithe and cheer-
ful. From that time I walked proudly
through the streets, thinking to myself,
“Surely every one must see in my looks
what a golden future is before me!”
The only thing that troubled me was,
that people wear their watches in their
pockets, hidden, instead of carrying them
openly in the face of the world, and
(so easily does vanity delude a man!) I
reasoned myself into the belief that it
would be much more philanthropic to
wear one’s watch openly, for then the
poor people could also see exactly the
hour and minute.

Every one who can afford to have a
watch, and can take care of it, has one
of his own concealed in his pocket, which
he regulates and sets, from time to time,