Neander's Last Birthday (concluded) [pp. 186-189]

NEANDER'S LAST BIRTHDA E.
too bare; to be sure, I lhave forgotten the best."
So saying, she leaves the room, and presently
returning, she places "the best" on the table.
This "best" is a large earthen pot with many
holes, that a long time before had been filled by
the Doctor with earth and flower-bulbs, and
presented to Hannchen. But at this time there
peeps through every hole, not a crocus or snow,
drop, but the little head of some liliputian in
solitary confinement.
"What does this mean, Hannchen?"
"My Pennsylvania system, according to the
prescription of my friend, Dr. Julius," says
Hannchen gravely, and declaims with genuine
pathos the following stanza:
"Laster wohnt auf allen Wegen
Tugend wohnt fir sich allein,
Laster kommt dir schnell entgegen
Eingesperrt wird Tugend sein."
"Vice is established every-where,
Virtue only by herself;
Vice quickly meets thee every-where,
Vice confined is pure virtue."
Hannchen is to-day quite in her element.
While at the other end of the table the conversation is of a rather literary character,
Hannchen's neighbors are in a perfect glee.
Hannchen loves, like her brother, the society
of the young above every thing else, and "her
students" are heartily devoted to the old,
cheerful, and amiable lady.
Many a student or candidate of theology,
that had no other idea, when he came the first
time to Neander's house, than that hle had to
be here as grave as in the pulpit, has been
most agreeably disappointed. While intently
engaged in the study, what to say and how to
deliver it, he was all at once surprised by
Hannchen's question, "Mr. Candidate, you are,
of course, betrothed? Not? I have always
thought that it was a matter of course that
every candidate was betrothed," and, nolens
volens, he has to be joyous with the rest.
"Revered lady," says a young Greek, who
has studied in Berlin, and often incurred Hannchen's displeasure with his Hegelian philosophy, "have you been good enough to write a
few lines for my album? I shall have to leave
Berlin next week."
"Certainly, here it is."
Around Hannchen's lips there is playing,
while she hands the paper to the Greek, a fine,
satirical smile, The whole company insisting
upon it, he reads aloud: "To be and not to be
is, according to Hegel, one and the same thing;
hence, to be here and not to be here is likewise
identical; and yet you want me to write something for your album when you go away!"
"You will travel awhile for your pleasure, I
suppose, before returning to Greece," said a
kind neighbor to the embarrassed disciple of
Hegel.
" No, he travels for my pleasure," Hannchen
whispered quickly into the ear of the querist.
Thus Hannchen's keen intellect and vivacity
send, like a wheel of fire, sparks in every direction, and even the dullest is soon set on fire.
At the upper end of the table the glasses
resound. Ehrenberg brings out in cordial, becoming words a toast to the indefatigable and
fruitful author, Neander, referring to the recently published editions of Neander's monographs, St. Bernard, Chrysostom, and Tertullian, and setting forth that the works of the
noble theologian of the heart reach even beyond the ocean and help to build in America a
new shining Church on the firm foundation of
Christianity.
But the speaker has scarcely finished when
the unanimous call is heard, "Strauss, the
toast! the excellent toast!" Even Neander's
sober face is lit by a gentle smile, but Hannchen clasps her hands in rapture. Many years
before Strauss had risen at Neander's table on
the latter's birthday, had touched his glass and
said with a gravity peculiar to himself, "Friends,
our revered host has given to the world a work,
by dint of his indefatigableness and rare learning, that will dispense blessings and will be
eagerly read as long as books are appreciatedhis History of the Church, which is based upon
the most thorough study of the original sources
and the purest love of truth, and may be called
with the same propriety a history of practical
Christianity as a history of the Church. In
this work the author reinstates a truly Christian
Church-historiography; penetrated by its author's firm faith and amiable mildness, it both
instructs and edifies. By his Church History
our Neander enters as a peer the shining
phalanx of Church fathers. Yet all this is not
new to you; but I have my doubts," he says,
with a rising voice, "whether you know that
our revered friend is the sole author of'Neander's Church History.'"
Here the speaker made a pause; the guests
looked in astonishment, yea, in amazement at
each other. Neander himself was restless on
his chair, while Hannchen cast looks full of
wrath at the bold speaker, and it seemed as if
she would not content herself with mere looks.
With marked solemnity Strauss continued:
"Yes, my friends, I am proud that I have made
the discovery that Neander's Church History
owes its origin to the cooperation of a very
worthy assistant."
The general uneasiness increased. Neander
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