168 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



charged them to get together all the rose-leaves and elder-blos- 

 soms which fell in their way, and for which apothecaries give good 

 prices. He also reminded his sons, that by a little inquiry, the 

 chemists would point out what other plants and roots they re- 

 quired. Upholsterers would purchase cows' hair, saddlers, coach- 

 makers and chairmakers, horse-hair. Besides these articles, he 

 mentioned rags for paper-makers, bristles for brush manufactures, 

 quills, pins, hedge-wool, bird-weed, and several other things 

 which might be turned into money, with no other trouble than 

 that of seeking out and collecting them. 



The sons did as they were desired, under the guidance of their 

 father. During the spring and summer they collected and sold 

 with such success, that their profits daily augmented. 



When autumn came, they sought things of a different kind. 

 Wherever they could obtain permission, they gathered wild fruits, 

 some of which could be made into vinegar and other useful arti- 

 cles. From the woods they obtained quantities of acorns and the 

 seeds of other species of trees, for which they obtained a good 

 price, sometimes from foresters, at others from grain-dealers. They 

 also got together heaps of horse-chesnuts, and took them to the 

 mill to be ground. The miller thought they were going to eat 

 this bitter flour, and made himself merry at the expense of their 

 curious taste ; but John Schmid's sons let him laugh, and took 

 their horse- chesnut flour to the book-binders, card-board-makers, 

 and others who make use of paste, the glutinousness of which it 

 increases. Immediately after a warm shower, the young Schmids 

 sought for mushrooms, which they sold to the epicures in the neigh- 

 borhood. 



Having saved a quantity of birch twigs, rushes, and osiers, the 

 old man and his sons occupied the winter months in making brooms, 

 chair-bottoms, and baskets, so that their cottage appeared both like 

 a warehouse and a workshop. In this way the spring returned^ 

 and old John Schmid thought it advisable to see what had been 

 gained during the year. On opening the box in which the cas 

 was deposited, he found that each of his three sons had contribu 

 ted more tlian a batz a day of savings, for the money-box con 

 tained one hundred and four florins and twenty-three kreutzers. 

 At the sight of the hoard the sons were delighted, for they had 

 never before seen so large a sum at once. John Schmid immedl-, 

 ately carried the money to a wholesale tradesman in a large townj^j 

 and deposited it with him at interest. 



John Schmid, now no longer a beggar, employed himself solely 

 in helping his sons sell oti" tlie merchandize they had collected. 

 This went on for four years, during which the family had amassed 

 six hundred and fourteen florins ! As, however, their riches in- 

 creased, the young men grew independent in their manners, and 

 disputed amongst themselves ; one accusing the other of not work- 



