86 FOREST FANCIES 



coins were few and meals came by chance. Yet 

 perhaps he remembered, '* Poverty is the at- 

 tendant of a good mind," as he sat mending 

 his poor shoes with folded paper. 



One day Carl went into the University gar- 

 den to examine some plants. There he forgot 

 that he was hungry, he forgot his mended 

 shoes. While he was communing with the 

 flowers, an old man entered the garden — a 

 man of note, he seemed to be. He shot some 

 gruff questions at Carl: ^^What are you doing 

 here ? Where did you come f rom ?'' 



Carl was so shabby, he did not wonder at the 

 questions. 



*^Are you acquainted with plants?" contin- 

 ued the old man. *^How long have you been 

 studying?" 



Carl lifted his eyes — dark, beautiful, pene- 

 trating — from the flowers to his questioner, 

 and answered bravely and well. The stranger 

 looked surprised — this poor youth displayed 

 much knowledge of botany. And lo, to Carl 

 the garden suddenly became enchanted, and 

 the old man was transformed into his third 



