vicinity had his hands full of work.

Now Gertrude's help was needed in earnest, and she did not fail. They were
soon in possession of a nice little house of their own, with a garden
about it, and no matter how much work she might have to do in the shop,
everything in her own province of housekeeping was as well and carefully
ordered as if Gertrude had no other business to occupy her time and
thoughts. And Steffan, Gertrude and their little Dieterli lived simple,
useful and contented lives and were a good example to all the
neighborhood.

Now, to-day, Gertrude stood weeping by the window and looked across to the
church-yard, where that very morning they had laid her good man. Now she
must make her way alone; she had no one to help her, no one belonging to
her except her two children, and for them she must work, for she never
admitted for a moment that the orphaned Veronica was not hers to care for
as well as her own little Dietrich.

She did not lose courage. As soon as the first benumbing effect of her
sorrow had passed a little, she gazed up at the shining heavens and said
to herself, "He who has sent this trouble will send me strength to bear
it;" and in full trust in this strength she went to work, and seemed able
to do more than ever.

Her property, outside of the little capital which her husband had laid by,
consisted of her house, which was free from debt, and of which she could
let a good part. The question was, whether she could carry on the
remunerative business that her husband had been engaged in, until little
Dietrich should be old enough to assume the direction of it, and pursue it
as his father had done before him. Gertrude retained the services of a