halt!front!"theyhadchimedsoloudlyintheheartoftheyoungster,thathehadsungthemtohiscompanions,andtheirtonesresoundedtotheverybordersofthecountry.hewasnotafreescholarinthemilitaryschool,neitherwasheprovidedwithclothesorfood.buthehadhisnumber,andhisownpeg;foreverythingherewasorderedlikeclockwork,whichweallknowisofthegreatestutility-peoplegetonsomuchbettertogetherwhentheirpositionanddutiesareunderstood.itisbypressurethatajewelisstamped.thepressureofregularityanddisciplineherestampedthejewel,whichinthefuturetheworldsowellknew.

inthechieftownoftheprovinceagreatfestivalwasbeingcelebrated.thelightstreamedforthfromthousandsoflamps,andtherocketsshotupwardstowardsthesky,fillingtheairwithshowersofcoloredfierysparks.arecordofthisbrightdisplaywillliveinthememoryofman,forthroughitthepupilinthemilitaryschoolwasintearsandsorrow.hehaddaredtoattempttoreachforeignterritoriesunnoticed,andmustthereforegiveupfatherland,mother,hisdearestfriends,all,orsinkdownintothestreamofcommonlife.theoldchurchbellhadstillsomecomfort;itstoodintheshelterofthechurchwallinmarbach,oncesoelevated,nowquiteforgotten.thewindroaredaroundit,andcouldhavereadilyrelatedthestoryofitsoriginandofitssweetchimes,andthewindcouldalsotellofhimtowhomhehadbroughtfreshairwhen,inthewoodsofaneighboringcountry,hehadsunkdownexhaustedwithfatigue,withnootherworldlypossessionsthanhopeforthefuture,andawrittenleaffrom"fiesco."thewindcouldhavetoldthathisonlyprotectorwasanartist,who,byreadingeachleaftohim,madeitplain;andthattheyamusedthemselvesbyplayingatnine-pinstogether.thewindcouldalsodescribethepalefugitive,who,forweeksandmonths,layinawretchedlittleroad-sideinn,wherethelandlordgotdrunkandraved,andwherethemerry-makershaditalltheirownway.andhe,thepalefugitive,sangoftheideal.

formanyheavydaysanddarknightstheheartmustsuffertoenableittoenduretrialandtemptation;yet,amidstitall,wouldtheminstrelsing.darkdaysandcoldnightsalsopassedovertheoldbell,anditnoticedthemnot;butthebellintheman'sheartfeltittobeagloomytime.whatwouldbecomeofthisyoungman,andwhatwouldbecomeoftheoldbell?

theoldbellwas,afteratime,carriedawaytoagreaterdistancethananyone,eventhewarderinthebelltower,everimagined;andthebellinthebreastoftheyoungmanwasheardincountrieswherehisfeethadneverwandered.thetoneswentforthoverthewideoceantoeverypartoftheroundworld.

wewillnowfollowthecareeroftheoldbell.itwas,aswehavesaid,carriedfarawayfrommarbachandsoldasoldcopper;thensenttobavariatobemelteddowninafurnace.andthenwhathappened?

intheroyalcityofbavaria,manyyearsafterthebellhadbeenremovedfromthetowerandmelteddown,somemetalwasrequiredforamonumentinhonorofoneofthemostcelebratedcharacterswhichagermanpeopleoragermanlandcouldproduce.andnowweseehowwonderfullythingsareordered.strangethingssometimeshappeninthisworld.

indenmark,inoneofthosegreenislandswherethefoliageofthebeech-woodsrustlesinthewind,andwheremanyhuns'gravesmaybeseen,wasanotherpoorboyborn.heworewoodenshoes,andwhenhisfatherworkedinaship-yard,theboy,wrappedupinanoldworn-outshawl,carriedhisdinnertohimeveryday.thispoorchildwasnowtheprideofhiscountry;forthesculpturedmarble,theworkofhishands,hadastonishedtheworld.*tohimwasofferedthehonorofformingfromtheclay,amodelofthefigureofhimwhosename,"johnchristopherfrederick,"hadbeenwrittenbyhisfatherinthebible.thebustwascastinbronze,andpartofthemetalusedforthispurposewastheoldchurchbell,whosetoneshaddiedawayfromthememoryofthoseathomeandelsewhere.themetal,glowingwithheat,flowedintothemould,andformedtheheadandbustofthestatuewhichwasunveiledinthesquareinfrontoftheoldstatuerepresentedinliving,breathingreality,theformofhimwhowasborninpoverty,theboyfrommarbach,thepupilofthemilitaryschool,thefugitivewhostruggledagainstpovertyandoppression,fromtheouterworld;germany'sgreatandimmortalpoet,whosungofswitzerland'sdeliverer,williamtell,andoftheheaven-inspiredmaidoforleans.

*thedanishsculptorthorwaldsen.

itwasabeautifulsunnyday;flagswerewavingfromtowerandroofinroyalstuttgart,andthechurchbellswereringingajoyouspeal.onebellwassilent;butitwasilluminatedbythebrightsunshinewhichstreamedfromtheheadandbustoftherenownedfigure,ofwhichitformedapart.onthisday,justonehundredyearshadpassedsincethedayonwhichthechimingoftheoldchurchbellatmarbachhadfilledthemother'sheartwithtrustandjoy-thedayonwhichherchildwasborninpoverty,andinahumblehome;thesamewho,inafter-years,becamerich,becamethenoblewoman-heartedpoet,ablessingtotheworld-theglorious,thesublime,theimmortalbard,johnchristoperfrederickschiller!