it was a sunday morning. the sun shone brightly and warmly into the room， as the air， mild and refreshing， flowed through the open window. and out under god's blue heaven， where fields and meadows were covered with greens and flowers， all the little birds rejoiced. while joy and contentment were everywhere outside， in the house lived sorrow and misery. even the wife， who otherwise always was in good spirits， sat that morning at the breakfast table with a downcast expression; finally she arose， without having touched a bite of her food， dried her eyes， and walked toward the door.

　　it really seemed as if there were a curse hanging over this house. the cost of living was high， the food supply low; taxes had become heavier and heavier; year after year the household belongings had depreciated more and more， and now at last there was nothing to look forward to but poverty and misery. for a long time all this had depressed the husband， who always had been a hard-working and law-abiding citizen; now the thought of the future filled him with despair; yes， many times he even threatened to end his miserable and hopeless existence. neither the comforting words of his good-humored wife nor the worldly or spiritual counsel of his friends had helped him; these had only made him more silent and sorrowful. it is easy to understand that his poor wife finally should lose her courage， too. however， there was quite another reason for her sadness， which we soon shall hear.

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