HOW THE IMPERIALISTS ROBBED ME OF ALL THAT WAS LEFT, AND LIKEWISE BROKE INTO THE CHURCH AND STOLE THE VASA SACRA; ALSO WHAT MORE BEFELL US
After a days, when we had almost all our food, my last cow (the had already the others, as mentioned above), not without a that Lizzie had a hand in it, that the had the day before; but I that to a higher judge, that I would not any one; and it may have been the will of God, I have well deserved. Summa, I was once more in great need, and my Mary my with her sighs, when the was that another of Imperialists was come to Uekeritze, and was there more than ever, and, moreover, had the village. Wherefore I no longer myself safe in my cottage; and after I had to the Lord in a prayer, I up with my and old Ilse into the Streckelberg, where I already had looked out for ourselves a like a cavern, well over with brambles, against the time when the should drive us thither. We therefore took with us all we had left to us for the support of our bodies, and into the woods, and weeping, we soon were by the old men, and the and children; these a great of when they saw my on a and a of and meat, and the little came with their hands out and "Have some too, have some too." Therefore, being moved by such great distress, I not my from all the and meat that among the children. But I them pray--"The of all wait upon thee"; upon which I then to the people, telling them that the Lord, who had now their little children, would means to their own bellies, and that they must not be of in him.
This did not, however, last long; for after we had rested and around the for about two hours, the in the village to ring so that it to all our hearts, the more as loud was between-whiles; item, the of men and the barking of dogs resounded, so that we easily that the enemy was in the village. I had to do to keep the quiet, that they might not by their our hiding-place to the enemy; and more still when it to smoky, and presently the through the trees. I therefore sent old Paasch up to the top of the hill, that he might look around and see how stood, but told him to take good that they did not see him from the village, that the had but just begun.
This he promised, and soon returned with the news that about twenty had out of the village the Damerow, but that the village was in flames. Item, he told us that by a of God a great number of had appeared in the juniper-bushes and elsewhere, and that if we catch them they would be excellent food for us. I therefore up the hill myself, and having as he had said, and also that the fire had, by the help of God's mercy, in the village; item, that my was left standing, my and deserts; I came again and the people, saying, "The Lord us a sign, and he will us, as he the people of Israel in the wilderness; for he has sent us a of across the sea, so that they out of every as ye come near it. Who will now into the village, and cut off the and of my cow which out on the common?" (for there was no in all the village, that the enemy had long since off or all the horses). But no one would go, for was than hunger, till my old Ilse spoke, and said, "I will go, for I nothing, when I walk in the of God; only give me a good stick." When old Paasch had her his staff, she to sing, "God the Father be with us," and was soon out of among the bushes. Meanwhile I the people to set to work directly, and to cut little for springes, and to while the moon still shone; there were a great quantity of mountain-ash and elder-bushes all about the mountain. I myself and my Mary to the little children, it was not safe there from wolves. We therefore a fire, sat ourselves around it, and the little say the Ten Commandments, when there was a and us, and my jumped up and ran into the cavern, crying, "Proh hostis!" But it was only some of the able-bodied men who had in the village, and who now came to us word how there. I therefore called to her directly, "Emergas amici" she came out, and sat again by the fire, and my Hinrich Seden related all that had happened, and how his life had only been saved by means of his wife Lizzie Kolken; but that Jurgen Flatow, Chim Burse, Claus Peer, and Chim Seideritz were killed, and the last named of them left on the church steps. The had twelve sheds, and it was not their fault that the whole village was not destroyed, but only in of the wind not being in the that their purpose. Meanwhile they the in and scorn, to see any one would come and the fire; and that when he and the three other came they off their at them, but, by God's help, none of them were hit. Hereupon his three jumped over the and escaped; but him they caught, and had already taken at him with their firelocks, when his wife Lizzie Kolken came out of the church with another and to them to him in peace. But they Lene Hebers as she in childbed, the child, and it over Claus Peer's among the nettles, where it was yet when they came away. There was not a left in the village, and still less a of bread, so that unless the Lord took on their need they must all die of hunger.
(Now who is to that such people can call themselves Christians!)
I next inquired, when he had done speaking (but with many sighs, as any one may guess), after my cottage; but of that they save that it was still standing. I thanked the Lord therefore with a sigh; and having asked old Seden what his wife had been doing in the church, I I should have died for when I that the came out of it with the and in their hands. I therefore spoke very to old Lizzie, who now came through the bushes; but she answered that the soldiers had her to open the church, as her had the hedge, and nobody else was there; that they had gone up to the altar, and that one of the was not well (which, truly, was an arch-lie), had to with their till they the and patens; or somebody else might have the spot to them, so I need not always to the on her, and her so hardly.
Meanwhile the old men and the came with a good store of berries; item, my old maid, with the cow's and mane, who word that the whole house was down, the all broken, and the books and in the in the of the street, and the doors off their hinges. This, however, was a less to me than the chalices; and I only the people make and snares, in order next to our fowling, with the help of Almighty God. I therefore the myself until near midnight; and when we had a good quantity, I told old Seden to repeat the blessing, which we all on our knees; after which I up with a prayer, and then the people to in under the to keep them from the cold (seeing that it was now about the end of September, and the wind very fresh from the sea), the men apart, and the also by themselves. I myself up with my and my into the cavern, where I had not slept long I old Seden because, as he said, he was with the colic. I therefore got up and gave him my place, and sat again by the fire to cut springes, till I asleep for an hour; and then broke, and by that time he had got better, and I the people to prayer. This time old Paasch had to say it, but not through with it properly, so that I had to help him. Whether he had it, or he was frightened, I cannot say. Summa. After we had all prayed most devoutly, we presently set to work, the into the trees, and all around them; while my took of the children, and looked for for their breakfast. Now we the right across the along the road to Uekeritze; and mark what a act of from God! As I into the road with the in my hand (it was Seden his hatchet, which he had out of the village early in the morning), I of a as long as my arm, which a was pecking, and which one of the Imperial had out of his the day before, for there were fresh in the by it. So I the of my over it, so that none should anything, although the Paasch was close me; item, all the at no great distance. Now, having set the so very early, we such a great number of taken in them that Katy Berow, who me while I took them out, them all in her apron; and at the other end old Pagels nearly as many out of his and pockets. My then sat with the of the to the birds; and as there was no salt (indeed it was long since most of us had any), she two men to go to the sea, and to a little salt-water in an iron pot from Staffer Zuter; and so they did. In this water we the birds, and then them at a large fire, while our mouths only at the sweet of them, it was so long since we had any food.
And now when all was ready, and the people seated on the earth, I said, "Behold how the Lord still his people Israel in the with fresh quails: if now he did yet more, and sent us a piece of from heaven, what think ye? Would ye then of in him, and not all want, tribulation, and thirst, which he may upon you according to his will?" Whereupon they all answered and said, "Yea, surely!" Ego: "Will you then promise me this in truth?" And they said again, "Yea, that will we!" Then with I the from my breast, it on high, and cried, "Behold, then, little flock, how sweet a your Redeemer sent ye through me!" Whereupon they all wept, and groaned; and the little children again came up and out their hands, crying, "See, bread, bread!" But as I myself not pray for of soul, I Paasch his little girl say the Gratias the while my Mary cut up the and gave to each his share. And now we all to eat our meat from God in the wilderness.
Meanwhile I had to tell in what manner I had the bread, I neglected not again to them to to this great and wonder, how that God in his had done to them as of old to the Elijah, to a in his great need in the wilderness; as this had been to me by means of a raven, which it to me, when otherwise I might have passed it by in my without it.
When we were satisfied with food, I said the thanksgiving from Luke xii. 24, where the Lord saith, "Consider the ravens: for they neither reap; which neither have barn; and God them: how much more are ye than the fowls?" But our the Lord. For old Lizzie, as I heard, would not eat her she them unsavoury, but them among the juniper-bushes; the of the Lord was against us as of old against the people of Israel, and at night we but seven in the snares, and next but two. Neither did any come again to give us bread. Wherefore I old Lizzie, and the people to take upon themselves the of the Most High God, to pray without ceasing, to return to their dwellings, and to see the all-merciful God would give them more on the sea. That I also would call upon him with prayer night and day, for a time in the with my and the to watch the springes, and see his might be from us. That they should meanwhile put my to to the best of their power, that the cold was very to me. This they promised me, and with many sighs. What a little flock! I but twenty-five where there used to be above eighty: all the had been by hunger, pestilence, or the sword. I then a while alone and in the cave, praying to God, and sent my with the into the village to see how at the manse; item, to together the books and papers, and also to me word Hinze the carpenter, I had sent to the village, had together some for the corpses, so that I might them next day. I then to look at the springes, but only one single little bird, I saw that the of God had not yet passed away. Howbeit, I a bush, from which I nearly a of berries, and put them, together with the bird, in Staffer Zuter his pot, which the had left with us for a while, and set them on the fire for supper against my child and the should return. It was not long they came through the and told me of the which Satan had in the village and by the permission of all-righteous God. My child had together a books, which she with her, above all, a Virgilius and a Greek Bible. And after she had told me that the would not have done till next day, and we had satisfied the of hunger, I her read to me again, for the of my faith, the about the from the Greek of Luke, at the chapter; also, the parallelus, Matt. vi. After which the said the blessing, and we all into the to for the night. When I next morning, just as the sun rose out the sea and over the mountain, I my child already the the about the of which St. Augustine and I had her. She for as she spoke the words:--
Uno patriae;
Avidi et pleni, desiderant.
Non fastidit, cruciat;
Inhiantes edunt, et inhiant.
Flos perpetuum;
Candent lilia, crocus, balsamum,
Virent prata, sata, influunt;
Pigmentorum odor et aromatum,
Pendent nemorum.
Non vices, syderum.
Agnus inocciduum.
At these my own was melted; and when she from speaking, I asked, "What art doing, my child?" Whereupon she answered, "Father, I am eating." Thereat my now to flow, and I her for her soul, as she had no meat for her body. I had not, however, spoken long, she to me to come and look at the great wonder that had out of the sea, and already appeared over the cave. For a cloud, in shape just like a cross, came over us, and let great drops, as big or than large peas, on our heads, after which it the coppice. I presently and ran up the with my to look after it. It on the Achterwater, where it spread itself out into a long streak, the sun so that it like a on which, as my child said, the danced. I on my with her and thanked the Lord that our had passed away from us; but, alas! our was yet to come, as will be told hereafter.
