strange: "Dost thou not know me?" Then one realizes that man is nearer
to man than brother to brother, father to son, or friend to friend.
How an old, holy saying rings through our souls, that strangers are
nearest to us. Why must we pass them in silence? We know not, but
must resign ourselves to it. When two trains are rushing by upon the
iron rails and thou seest a well-known eye that would recognize thee,
stretch out thy hand and try to grasp the hand of a friend, and perhaps
thou wilt understand why man passes man in silence here below.

An old sage says: "I saw the fragments of a wrecked boat floating on
the sea. Only a few meet and hold together a long time. Then comes a
storm and drives them east and west, and here below they will never
meet again. So it is with mankind. Yet no one has seen the great
shipwreck."




THIRD MEMORY.

The clouds in the sky of childhood do not last long, and disappear
after a short, warm tear-rain. I was shortly again at the castle, and
the Princess gave me her hand to kiss and then brought her children,
the young princes and princesses, and we played together, as if we had
known each other for years. Those were happy days when, after
school--for I was now attending school--I could go to the castle and
play. We had everything the heart could wish. I found playthings
there which my mother had shown me in the shop-windows, and which were
so dear, she told me, that poor people could live a whole week on what
they cost. When I begged the Princess' permission to take them home