faithful and kindly guardian to his young brothers. Carefully he
instructed them in all the mysteries of their art, though it
lengthened his own labour by many a toilsome hour. Patiently he bore
with the waywardness and inexperience of their youth. At hearth, and
board, and labour, Gottleib was their blithe companion; in hard work,
their help; in times of trouble, their comforter; and when disputes
came between them, he was the ready arbitrator, on whose justice both
could rely. At the church, they sat one on either side of him; on
festival and holiday, they walked out with each an arm of Gottleib,
and the burgomaster's son was not more confident in his father. Thus
they lived and laboured cheerfully together, in the old house their
father left them, for five years. The complete edition of the Latin
Fathers went forward, and the boys grew to man's estate, till Gottleib
was no longer the tallest of the three. Neighbours remarked, too, that
he looked no longer the strongest. His once ruddy cheek at times grew
pale and wan; still, there was no complaint of sickness in the house,
and the edition was completed. All men praised, and some printers
envied the work, though it was finished in the name of their dead
father.

One evening, Gottleib rejoiced over it greatly, saying his promise was
fulfilled, and Christopher and Hubert were now as good printers as
himself: he bade them a kindly and glad good-night, and the young
brothers talked long together, for Gottleib slept alone; but in the
morning he did not come as usual to call them, and when they went to
wake him, their brother was kneeling at his bedside, with his hands
clasped as if in prayer--an earlier summons had reached him, and the
great soul was gone!

Honour and profit followed the work they had printed with him. Their