Only after many comforting words from the mother, and after she had prayed with her whole heart with the child to the dear God, that He would protect the lost Erick and bring him home again, could Sally at last be quieted.  She fell then into a deep sleep, and slept so soundly that she did not wake until late the next morning, and the mother was glad to know that her daughter was sleeping, as her grief would be awakened again, when she woke up.

Sunday morning passed quietly and sadly in the parsonage.  Father and Mother came out of church, before which the people of Upper Wood and Lower Wood, from Middle Lot, and the whole neighborhood round about, had assembled to talk over the calamity.

So far Ritz and Edi had kept very quiet, each busy with his own occupation.  Edi, a large book on his knees, was reading.  Ritz was very busy with breaking off the guns from all his tin soldiers, as now, having peace in the land, they did not need them.

“So,” Edi, who had looked now and then over his book, said quite seriously:  “if war breaks out again, then the whole company can stay at home, for they have no more guns; with what are they supposed to fight?”

Ritz had not thought of that.  Quickly he threw all the gunless soldiers into the box and said:  “I do not care to play any more today,” no doubt with the unexpressed hope that the guns, by the time he should open the box again, might be somehow mended.  But now he became restless and asked to go out, and Edi, who had seen the large gathering by the church, also decided to go out doors, for he too wanted to hear what was going on.

The aunt opposed their going out for some time, but finally gave her consent for half an hour, to which the mother, who had just come in, agreed.  Now Sally appeared and rushed at once to her mother, to hear about Erick, whether he had come home and how, where and when, or whether news had come.  But before the mother had time to tell her child gently that no news had come from Erick, but that more people had gone out, early in the morning, to seek him, the two brothers came rushing in with unusual bluster and shouted in confusion: 

“There comes a large, large”—­“A very tall gentleman”—­“A gentleman who walks very straight out of a coach with two horses.”

“I believe it is a general,” Edi brought out finally and very importantly.

“No doubt,” laughed the aunt.  “Next you will see nothing but old Carthaginians walking about Upper Wood and the whole neighborhood.”

But the mother did not laugh.  “Could it not be someone who might bring news of Erick?” she asked.  She ran to the window.  At the entrance of the house was an open traveling coach, to which were harnessed two bay horses which pawed the ground impatiently, and shook their heads so that the bright harness rattled loudly.  Ritz and Edi disappeared again.  These sounds were irresistible to them.

Now ’Lizebeth rushed in.  “There is a strange gentleman below with the master,” she reported.  “I have directed him to the pastor’s study, so that the table can be set here, for I must go out again to the little boy.  The gentleman has snow-white hair but he has a fresh, ruddy face and walks straight like an army man or a commander.”