acquainted with poverty: his father was a poor minister in Haynichen,
with thirteen children; Gellert, when quite a little fellow, was obliged
to be a copying office-clerk: who can tell whether he didn't then
contract that physical weakness of his? And now that he's an old man,
things will never go better with him; he has often no wood, and must be
pinched with cold. It is with him, perhaps, as with that student of whom
your brother has told us, who is as poor as a rat, and yet must read;
and so in winter he lies in bed with an empty stomach, until day is far
advanced; and he has his book before him, and first he takes out one
hand to hold his book, and then, when that is numb with cold, the other.
Ah! tongue cannot tell how poorly the man must live; and yet your
brother has told me, if he has but a few pounds, he doesn't think at all
of himself; he always looks out for one still poorer than he is, and
then gives all away: and he's always engaged in aiding and assisting
others. Oh! dear, and yet he is so poor! May be at this moment he is
hungry and cold; and he is said to be in ill-health, besides."

"Wife, I would willingly do the man a good turn if I could. If, now, he
had some land, I could plough, and sow, and reap, and carry, and thresh
by the week together for him. I should like to pay him attention in such
a way that he might know there was at least one who cared for him. But
his profession is one in which I can't be of any use to him."

"Well, just seek him out and speak with him once; you are going to-day,
you know, with your wood to Leipzig. Seek him out and thank him; that
sort of thing does such a man's heart good. Anybody can see him."

"Yes, yes; I should like much to see him, and hold out to him my
hand,--but not empty: I wish I had something!"