THE OLD CHURCH BELL, 13

closely at me: suddenly he smiled all over his face; and I had
never seen that expression before on any face that looked at me.
‘Why, whatever is that?’ he said. ‘That’s one of our own
country coins, a good honest shilling from my home, and they ’ve
bored a hole through him, and they call him false. Now, this is
a curious circumstance. I must keep him and take him home
with me.’ :

“A glow of joy thrilled through me when I heard myself called
a good honest shilling ; and now I was to be taken home, where
each and every one would know me, and be sure that I was real
silver and properly coined. I could have thrown out sparks for
very gladness ; but, after all, it’s not in my nature to throw out
sparks, for that’s the property of steel, not of silver.

“TI was wrapped up in clean white paper, so that I should not .
be confounded with the other coins, and spent; and on festive

‘ occasions, when fellow-countrymen met together, I was shown
about, and they spoke very well of me: they said I was interest-
ing—and it is wonderful how interesting one can be without
saying a single word.

“And at last I got home again. All my troubles were ended,
joy came back to me, for I was of good silver, and had the right
stamp, and I had no more disagreeables to endure, though a hole
had been bored through me, as through a false coin ; but that
does not matter if one is not really false. One must wait for the
end, and one will be righted at last—that’s my belief,” said the
Shilling.

—

THE OLD CHURCH BELL.

  

GIN the German land of Wurtemberg, where the acacias

| bloom by the high road, and the apple trees and pear trees
= bend in autumn under their burden of ripe fruit, lies the
little town of Marbach, Although this place can only be ranked
among the smaller towns, it is charmingly situated on the
Neckar stream, that flows on and on, hurrying past villages and
old castles and green vineyards, to pour its waters into the proud
Rhine.

It was late in autumn. The leaves still clung to the grape-
vine, but they were already tinged with red. Rainy gusts swept
over the country, and the cold autumn winds increased in violence
and roughness. It was no pleasant time for poor folk.

The days became shorter and gloomier; and if it was dark
out in the open air, in the little old-fashioned houses it was
' darker still. One of these houses was built with its gable end
towards the street, and stood there, with its small narrow win-
dows, humble and poor enoush in appearance; the family was