Immediately after, the five hundred voices joined in singing it.
Never did a truer music rise to heaven than this; it was the music
of grateful, happy hearts.

When the hymn was sung, the book-keeper came forward and made an
address to his master, in the name of them all. In this address they
told Henry how happy he had made them; how much good he had done
them; how sensible they were of his kindness to them, and how full
of gratitude their hearts were towards him. They expressed the hope
that they should live with him all their lives.

Now the old men advanced, and uncovered what they bore in their
hands. It was a fine portrait of their benefactor, in a splendid
frame. The picture was surrounded on the margin by fine drawings,
arranged in a tasteful manner, of all the various articles which
were made in his factory, views of his warehouses in Hamburg, of the
factory in which they worked, of his house in town, of the one in
the country where they then were, and of the old exchange, where he
used to stand when he sold canes and dust sticks. Then the old men
presented to him the picture, saying only a few words of respectful
affection.

The good man shed tears. He could not speak at first. At last he
said, that this was the first time in his life that he regretted
that he could not speak in public; that if he had ever done any
thing for them, that day more than repaid him for all. They then
gave him three cheers. They now sang a German national tune, to
words which had been written for the occasion.

The children, who, as I told you, knew what was to happen, had