This Month's Installment
What's italicized is what I'm unsure about.
Then in the evening, the two old men sat together in the cozy living room, drank a bottle of old red wine, and discussed questions of politics and public life.The privy councillor loved to explain his opinion a little long-windedly and in a refined manner of speech; the Bärwalder mostly just listened, his head propt up in his left hand, with his right stroking his small, not-very-well-kept beard; only now and then he threw in a remark.It also happened that the two bitterly argued. Then the Bärwalder did not give up easily because he had a hard head. But the conciliatory and more worldly-wise privy councillor soon relented again, and when the friendly terms were quickly restored, then it was his gain.So everything went peacefully and smoothly in Bärwalde, and everyone felt well in the calm of the quiet property, whether he stayed there for work or for relaxation.---107---Until one day the first alarming news interrupted the calm of the idyllic life.But still, no one really believed in the war. "It is only a reminder," said Pastor Teichgräber in his Sunday sermon, "God knocks at the door, but His goodness and mercy let the specter once again pass over our people."A July evening. Fritz had, as he now tended to do more often, ridden to Pronitten for a short rest after the difficult harvest. At the family table of the quiet parsonage, he didn't say a word. When, however, old Mrs. Teichgräber, on whose weakened condition this day had a disastrous effect, drew back to rest and the pastor had set to work dealing with a few items of official business in his study, he lookt at Hanna with the expressive glance of his clever, serious eyes and said, "Now the beautiful, peaceful agricultural activity has quickly reached its end.""There's a war, even for us; isn't there?""Without any doubt. While we speak here, there is among us feverish activity everywhere. But we are prepared, thanks be to God!"They had left the dark parlor and stept into the garden. Fog fell softly over the grass. Dark, not moved by any wind, the trees stood, like a mysterious language it went from one to the other. But also they were soundless like the entire night. The thin crescent moon that now and then came out from the slowly moving clouds only let the darkness appear so much deeper. From the flowerbeds pungent smells wandered out and lay over the slumbering earth like oppressive dreams.---108---A solemn, almost anxious tension was in this night."It was here on the same spot," said Fritz, after he had stood by Hanna's side for a while, "on an autumn evening - it wasn't quite a year ago - I spoke of war, and they were all shocked at my thoughts. Now they are become reality."Now there was silence between them, even Hanna's nature and disposition were quiet and withdrawn. They were both the same in this: they could be happy and cheerful, but the matter was serious."And you?" she askt finally."I am going along, of course. As soon as I come home to-day, I will write and volunteer.""You told me once that you received your discharge so easily only because the doctor had certified a heart defect for you.""That was then, but now that all of my comrades are campaigning, it would be unthinkable to stay at home! To take the plow in peace and the sword in war, that was always what I like."He said it in his simple, masculine way, without the slightest vainglory.
Grammatical Minutiae/Commentary
The language in Pastor Teichgräber's sermon recalls a few Biblical passages. "Der liebe Gott klopft an die Tür" resembles Revelation 3:20: "Siehe, ich stehe vor der Tür und klopfe an" ("Behold, I stand at the door and knock"), "seine Güte und Gnade" has some similarity to a phrase from Psalm 23:6: "Gutes und Barmherzigkeit" ("goodness and mercy"), and even just the verb "vorübergehen" in this context brings to mind the Passover in Exodus 12.
I changed the sentence with "feverish activity" a bit. In the original text, there's an indefinite singular subject: "Während wir hier sprechen, ist man bei uns überall in fiebernder Tätigkeit." Literally, this is: "While we speak here, one is in feverish activity everywhere among us," but I thought this sounded a bit odd, so instead, I translated it as: "While we speak here, there is among us feverish activity everywhere."
Fritz remark "To take the plow in peace and the sword in war" brings to mind Isaiah 2:4 and Joel 3:10, both of which also mention plows and swords.
This is the end of chapter nineteen (which was very short, barely over a page) and the beginning of chapter twenty.
