82 FOREST FANCIES 



with the sight ? And then I fancy the flowers 

 saying with their petaled lips, **Look at us, 

 and think how kind and good is God." O 

 Mother, every flower must have been a thought 

 of God.' 



« *Why, how you speak, child! Well, yes 

 you are right, it must be so.' " 



But Carl was now a big boy — eight years old 

 — ^high time that he gave his thoughts to seri- 

 ous study, so for two years he suffered under a 

 tutor. Then one day his mother tearfully 

 packed his little belongings, and started him 

 off to school at Wexio, where at the end of 

 eight years his teachers said, *' Apprentice him 

 to a shoemaker." He was only bright in nat- 

 ural history — ^though w"hat had this to do with 

 shoes? 



Now this was not at all encouraging. Carl 

 was the eldest of five children, and his father 

 felt sorely perplexed. He stopped in to see 

 Dr. Rothman, in Wexio, and told him what 

 troubled his mind as well as what troubled his 

 body — ^the very best thing that he could have 

 done. 



