“That is true indeed,” commented Mrs. Steiner, “and now we must journey toward home and the blessed land of sleep, as my dear mother always called the bedroom.  And she was right, for a comfortable bedroom is indeed a blessed place to the weary one at the close of a hard day’s labor or the child wearied with play.”

They bade Mr. Stayman a cordial farewell, and, taking another glance at the gay scene about them, returned to the quiet flat.

The boys began to realize how tired they were when they reached number 37, and went directly to their room and to bed.

When all was quiet, the careful aunt went in and just as she had expected, found no one had thought to put out the light.  Moreover, Fritz was lying with his feet upon the raised part of the lounge and his head on the low part.

“Fritz, dear boy, Fritz!” she said, shaking him by the shoulder, “wake up!  You must not sleep with your head so low.”

“Oh, aunt,” he said plaintively, “let me sleep.  I am all right.”

“No, you are not all right, and you shall sleep the whole blessed night when you get in a more comfortable position.  Don’t you see that your feet are on the pillow where your head ought to be?”

“Yes, but I was sleeping so well.  Aunt, see you turned the lounge the other way, the head was down this way when we first came.”

“Yes, Fritz, you are right.  I did turn it that you might not be waked by the sun shining upon your eyelids.  Now step off, quick, and put your heels in their proper place.”

“Oh, aunt, indeed I am satisfied.  Please do not make me get up.”

“But I am not satisfied,” and Mrs. Steiner helped him rise and still half asleep he dropped back upon the lounge with his head upon the pillow.  She kissed his fair forehead, took up the lamp, and glanced at the three sleepers, perfect pictures of healthy, happy boyhood.

“Now, Fritz, is not that a more comfortable way to sleep?” she asked, but there was no response for he was fast asleep.

“It would be a happy day for me, if he could come to Frankfort and live with me,” she said to herself, “but not as I will, but as God wills.  May He protect them all through life, and keep them pure of heart as now; and ten years hence may they look as openly and honestly into the faces of their fellow-creatures as they do now.  Let them not seek worldly honors in preference to the favor of God.”

Then she went softly from the room to her own apartment.

Pixy was the first to awake the next morning, and had a good run in the grassy backyard to get an appetite for breakfast.

“Now it is time to wake our sleepers,” said Mrs. Steiner, and went to the door of the room to call them.

They were too sound asleep to hear the call, and she opened the door and looked in.  Upon the floor on the side of the bed occupied by Paul lay the pillow, and on the floor by the side of Franz’s place lay the sheet.  Fritz had lost his blanket during the night, and, not more than half awake, had reached out for it and gotten his handkerchief, which he had spread over his shoulders, and his head was resting upon the chair which his careful aunt had placed in front of the head-piece of the lounge.