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on his mind and on that of his wife. They then made a journey to Frankfort, and in autumn returned to their children. For two years God granted them rest after their sorrow, but at Easter came a new affliction, their daughter Angelica, aged sixteen, suddenly sickened and died. Already were they well practised in the prayer, "Thy will be done," and they grew not weary in the work which God had laid upon them; and fresh strength was just now indeed needful. The owner of the house which hitherto Falk had used for his refuge, suddenly gave him notice to quit. Falk sought vainly in Weimar for a house for himself and his flock of children. Then the report was spread in the town that Falk was going to move to Luther's Lane. There stood the large old house of the former Count of Orlamunde, uninhabited, deserted, dilapidated; as no other refuge offered itself, it seemed like a ray of light and hope to his soul. "I will go," he thought, "to Luther's Lane, and will myself with my children build a new house in room of the old one." It was done, the house was bought, 5000 thalers must be paid for it within a certain time; but he had not a farthing. Then the building too must be done. "Trust in God, trust in God, my friends," cried Falk, "and in God's name, with collected thoughts and with a cheerful hand, put all your strength to the work which is pleasing to God, and we shall have everything, often more than we require." So he went hopefully to work. He sent printed circulars which gave information about the work

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through Germany and Holland, and many gifts flowed in from Christian hearts; Falk gave more than 3000 thalers of his own property. And while he and his many helpers were thus seeking for the means, the busy hands of the pupils were working at the new building. The old house was pulled down and the foundation-stone of a new one laid in 1823. May no fire consume thee! May no waters overwhelm thee! May the ducal house of Weimar increase thee! And may the fatherland honour thee!" Such was the blessing which Falk sealed with his own seal, placed under the foundation-stone. And now the new house began to rise, according to his regulations, "A house shall be built here in Luther's Lane, where every tile on the roof, every lock in the doors, every chair and table in the rooms, shall be the product of the industry of Falk's sons." And his blessing over the house was, "As long as this house receives poor children within its walls, the blessing of God will rest upon it and its inhabitants; but from the moment when it shall mercilessly close its doors against poor children, the blessing shall depart from it." When the house was completed, an inscription on a black marble tablet was placed on it—" After the battles of Jena, Lutzen, and Leipzig, the friends of those in need erected, by the hands of two hundred rescued boys, this house, as an eternal altar of thanksgiving to the Lord."

Now Falk was able to have his pupils in much larger numbers near him, and with greater earnestness

than ever, did he care for the salvation of their souls, and for their growth in knowledge. He experienced much joy in his pupils. Many an honest tradesman, many a good schoolmaster, and many a pious pastor had to thank him for the love which rescued them from poverty and neglect, and raised and educated them to become worthy and useful members of society. We may here, in his own words, give an illustration of Falk's charity, and of his kindness in receiving those poor children who came to him. He relates:

"It was during the famine in 1816, on a dull November day, it was raining, snowing, blowing as if the heavens would fall, when a poor boy with a pale face, on two crutches, his wounded hands and feet wrapped up in rags, entered our prayer room, where we were then assembled, and stood in the midst of the children.

"Dear sir,' he began, in a voice often choked by long and continual weeping, 'will you not help and assist me in my great trouble? This is now the third year that I have been wandering about the country on my crutches. I come from the Schwarzburg district. My parents have twelve children, and scarcely bread enough for one! To my great misfortune, I trod upon a rotten oak plank when I was carrying a heavy bundle of salt near Arnstadt. The plank broke, and I fell into a swamp, in which I should probably have perished, had not my cries been heard by some waggoners from Arnstadt, who came and

dragged me out. It was late in autumn then. The cold and damp probably did me harm, for soon after my legs were covered with terrible sores, which daily became worse, and when my parents saw they could do nothing for me, they sent me to beg with a pair of crutches and a stick. Thus for three years I have got my bread wandering through the whole of the Thuringian country. Because the rain is always pouring down upon me, it seemed that my wounds would never heal. In Grafenhein, too, there are fierce dogs who cannot bear beggar boys; they attacked me and bit me till I bled. This often happened to me in villages. I fear, because I am so small and weak, that some day the big farmers' dogs or the hounds in the Thuringian forest will tear me in pieces. Oh, dear sir, I entreat you, for the love of Christ, have compassion upon me, grant me a little rest! Place me in a workshop; I will be a tailor, or anything else you like!' Thus ended Ludwig Minner's words. I reflected for a moment, but then I turned comforted to my children, and I said to them, with joyful confidence, these words: 'Dear children, we are now in great want and penury, and in this famine are probably about to endure a still greater visitation. Although a pound of bread now costs as much as a pound of meat used to do, and I, humanly speaking, scarcely know whence I can procure bread for you in future, to say nothing of the other necessaries of life, yet the all merciful God knows I would not on that account send one of you away to suffer the misery on the high

roads, about which you have just heard this Ludwig Minner tell us. Look! the waters of tribulation have risen very high, and the storms have almost passed over our heads; but I believe that because this trouble has come from the Lord, that help out of it will not this time fail, from Him who has made the heaven and earth. We pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." How then could the eternal Father, who clothes the lilies in the field, and does not forget the birds of the air, forget so many poor children in Thuringen, who are so earnestly commended to His protection and care? Not only, dear children, will I not send away any one of you in these hard times, but in God's name I will increase your number by this Ludwig Minner, who is a stranger to our parts, being from Schwarzburg. But I tell you, and I will remind you of these my words at the proper time, that blessing and prosperity will flow to our home from our reception of this Ludwig Minner; and God, who has not sent him to us to-day in vain, through snow and rain across the Thuringian forest, will also provide bread, not for him only, but for all of us.'

"And so it really turned out. A merciful Samaritan, a poor country tailor, received for the payment of a small sum, Ludwig Minner into his workshop. His wounds were all healed. By next midsummer he was able to walk without crutches. And just at that very time it happened that the Grand Ducal family of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt made the institution a present of 500 thalers, with the truly humane admonition,

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