"The printer told me to ask you," said he, "if you had written nothing
yet for the 'Miscellaneous.' _Spener's Journal_ had yesterday such
a beautiful 'Miscellaneous,' and told about a woman who had four
children at a birth, and a stork which had arrived and built its nest,
although it was the month of October."

Mr. Kretschmer frowned. "_Spener's Journal_ always has some wonderful
news, and amuses the Berlin people with all kinds of stupid gossip,"
grumbled he. "The rivalry of such a paper is unbearable."

"Well, how about the miscellaneous intelligence?" asked the printer's
boy.

Mr. Kretschmer stamped his foot angrily. "Go to the devil!" said he.

At this moment there was heard a loud crying and shouting; and while
the printer's boy pitched out of the door, Mr. Kretschmer hurried to
the window to find out the cause of the uproar.

A heaving, noisy crowd filled the street below, and had halted right
under the editor's window. In the midst thereof was seen the tall,
lank figure of a man, whose extraordinary appearance enchained the
attention of the multitude, and excited afresh their shouts and
derisive laughter. And, in fact, nothing could be more striking or
fantastic than this man. Notwithstanding the cool October weather,
his gigantic figure was clothed from head to foot in gray linen,
harmonizing strangely with the gray color of his skin and hair,
which latter fell in long locks from his uncovered head down on his
shoulders, and gave to the apparition the semblance of a pyramidical
ash-heap, out of which his eyes shone like two burning coals. Around