Both of them came in a friendly manner, and greeted the couple,
Taking their seats on the wooden benches under the doorway,
Shaking the dust from their feet, their handkerchiefs using to fan them. 
Presently, after exchanging reciprocal greetings, the druggist
Open’d his mouth, and almost peevishly vented his feelings
“What strange creatures men are!  They all resemble each other,
All take pleasure in staring, when troubles fall on their neighbours. 
Ev’ry one runs to see the flames destroying a dwelling,
Or a poor criminal led in terror and shame to the scaffold. 
All the town has been out to gaze at the sorrowing exiles,
None of them bearing in mind that a like misfortune hereafter,
Possibly almost directly, may happen to be their own portion. 
I can’t pardon such levity; yet ’tis the nature of all men.” 
Thereupon rejoin’d the noble and excellent pastor,
He, the charm of the town, in age scarce more than a stripling:—­
(He was acquainted with life, and knew the wants of his hearers,
Fully convinced of the worth of the Holy Scriptures, whose mission
Is to reveal man’s fate, his inclinations to fathom;
He was also well read in the best of secular writings.)
“I don’t like to find fault with any innocent impulse
Which in the mind of man Dame Nature has ever implanted;
For what reason and intellect ne’er could accomplish, is often
Done by some fortunate, quite irresistible instinct within him. 
If mankind were never by curiosity driven,
Say, could they e’er have found out for themselves the wonderful manner
Things in the world range in order?  For first they Novelty look for,
Then with untiring industry seek to discover the Useful,
Lastly they yearn for the Good, which makes them noble and worthy. 
All through their youth frivolity serves as their joyous companion,
Hiding the presence of danger, and. swiftly effacing the traces
Caused by misfortune and grief, as soon as their onslaught is over. 
Truly the man’s to be praised who, as years roll onward, develops
Out of such glad disposition an intellect settled and steady,—­
Who, in good fortune as well as misfortune, strives zealously, nobly;
For what is Good he brings forth, replacing whatever is injured.” 
Then in a friendly voice impatiently spoke thus the hostess:—­
“Tell us what have you seen; I am eagerly longing to hear it.”

Then with emphasis answer’d the druggist:—­” The terrible stories
Told me to-day will serve for a long time to make me unhappy. 
Words would fail to describe the manifold pictures of mis’ry. 
Far in the distance saw we the dust, before we descended
Down to the meadows; the rising hillocks hid the procession
Long from our eyes, and little could we distinguish about it. 
When, however, we reach’d the road that winds thro’ the valley,
Great was the crowd and the noise of the emigrants mix’d with the waggons.