The gentlemen held a long consultation, for both were anxious to find the most suitable plan for the boy; but they could not come to an agreement.  The Mayor proposed that since the little fellow did not appear to be very strong, it would be best to apprentice him to an easy trade.  He thought it would be best to put him to board at the tailor’s, then he would grow into the trade without much trouble, and would have nice companions in the tailor’s own boys; they were suited to each other, for the tailor’s sons were also dressed as cleanly and carefully as he was.  But the pastor had other thoughts; he had a good institute in his mind, where Erick could be cared for at once and later be educated for a teacher.  This also suited the Mayor, and he took leave with the assurance that he would make Erick a nice little gift, for the little fellow had shown him a greater kindness than he could know, which the pastor verified.

When later the pastor told his wife of their transaction, she did not quite agree with it; she thought that she might keep the orphaned Erick for a while with her; in fact she should prefer to keep him altogether, for she had already taken this loving, trusting boy deep into her heart.  But the pastor convinced her that the “keeping altogether” could not be done, since there were nearer obligations to all kinds of relatives, so that one could not give the little stranger preference in such a way.  But he gladly granted the wish of his wife to keep Erick at least a few weeks in their home; for, he said, one could postpone his entrance into the institute until the beginning of the new year.

When the children were told of the decision there was great rejoicing, for Edi had put into Ritz’s head a large number of splendid undertakings, which could be carried out only by three people, and Sally knew of nothing in the whole world that could have given her greater joy than that now she could be with the new friend from day to day; for he was in every way what she could wish, and in many ways he was much nicer than she could have imagined from the manners of her former friends.

Erick had such a happy, refined, thoughtful disposition, that it seemed to Sally as if she lived in continuous sunshine when she was with him.  The aunt also agreed with the decision to keep the boy in the parsonage, although at first she had seen in it a disturbance in the order of the household, since the increasing of the number would mean that in the evening it would take even longer to get to a settlement.  But when she noticed that Erick, on the first hint, rose at once and did what was desired, then her fears turned to hopes that one might impress the others a little with this ever-ready boy, which impressed her very favorably.  ’Lizebeth alone continued her dislike of the new-comer, and whenever she met him in the house she measured him with her eyes from his head to as far as the velvet reached.