Then broke familiarly in the housewife impatient, exclaiming: 
“Tell us of what ye have seen; for that I am longing to hear of!”

“Hardly,” with emphasis then the village doctor made answer,
“Can I find spirits so soon after all the scenes I have witnessed. 
Oh, the manifold miseries! who shall be able to tell them? 
E’en before crossing the meadows, and while we were yet at a distance,
Saw we the dust; but still from hill to hill the procession
Passed away out of our sight, and we could distinguish but little,
But when at last we were come to the street that crosses the valley,
Great was the crowd and confusion of persons on foot and of wagons. 
There, alas! saw we enough of these poor unfortunates passing,
And could from some of them learn how bitter the sorrowful flight was,
Yet how joyful the feeling of life thus hastily rescued. 
Mournful it was to behold the most miscellaneous chattels,—­
All those things which are housed in every well-furnished dwelling,
All by the house-keeper’s care set up in their suitable places,
Always ready for use; for useful is each and important.-
Now these things to behold, piled up on all manner of wagons,
One on the top of another, as hurriedly they had been rescued. 
Over the chest of drawers were the sieve and wool coverlet lying;
Thrown in the kneading-trough lay the bed, and the sheets on the mirror. 
Danger, alas! as we learned ourselves in our great conflagration
Twenty years since, will take from a man all power of reflection,
So that he grasps things worthless and leaves what is precious behind him. 
Here, too, with unconsidering care they were carrying with them
Pitiful trash, that only encumbered the horses and oxen;
Such as old barrels and boards, the pen for the goose, and the bird-cage. 
Women and children, too, went toiling along with their bundles,

Panting ’neath baskets and tubs, full of things of no manner of value: 
So unwilling is man to relinquish his meanest possession. 
Thus on the dusty road the crowded procession moved forward,
All confused and disordered.  The one whose beasts were the weaker,
Wanted more slowly to drive, while faster would hurry another. 
Presently went up a scream from the closely squeezed women and children,
And with the yelping of dogs was mingled the lowing of cattle,
Cries of distress from the aged and sick, who aloft on the wagon,
Heavy and thus overpacked, upon beds were sitting and swaying. 
Pressed at last from the rut and out to the edge of the highway,
Slipped the creaking wheel; the cart lost its balance, and over
Fell in the ditch.  In the swing the people were flung to a distance,
Far off into the field, with horrible screams; by good fortune
Later the boxes were thrown and fell more near to the wagon. 
Verily all who had witnessed the fall, expected to see them
Crushed into pieces beneath the weight of trunks and