As Hans went homewards from Rodenburger Court, the strong anxiety and movement that raged in the streets struck him. He askt an old woman who received aid from his association of the poor and whom he met on the way."G--, Pastor, what bad luck, what bad luck!" she wailed to herself. "No, I don't even want to complain anymore. People like us at least still have our little rooms and our beds, in which we can lie in the evening. But those there..." with that she turned and pointed backwards with her thin hand, "There they come, Pastor!"And now he noticed a long, long train of wagons that sluggishly moved through the large main street: handcarts mostly, with quickly gathered, most necessary possessions, coach wagons in their tow rope. And on this as on those, bowed down figures. Motionless they sat there, the large, gray blankets often pulled up over their heads so that nothing remained but the pale, despondent faces. They lookt neither to the right nor to the left, not even now, as they went through the large street of the city; apathetic---188---and indifferent, they let the thick crowd of people stream by. They appeared to be busy with only themselves and their fate. Whither the tired horses, drifting off course, would pull them, whether they would find a place here in the city, whether they would be sent further and also have to spend the next night on the country road again... everything appeared provisional and listless to them. Here near a wagon ran a dog, which love and pity did not want to leave at home, with its tongue stuck out; there a small canary anxiously struck with his wings through his small cage, which had been attached under the wagon. Then again, the train of wagons was interrupted by smaller or larger herds of cattle, which one drove along and which lowed and cried, as if they launched into a bellowing of yearning for the lush home pastures - a wonderful concert in the streets of the city.Hans stood for quite a while near the idlers on the pavement; unable to think or do anything, he let the hopeless image pass before his empty eyes. East Prussia, his Fatherland, the wonderful, thriving country, presented itself to him there in its homelessness and its misery, and his heart beat loudly and painfully, and he could not get over the sight.Then, well-known honking sounded in his ear."Good that I met you!" said Mayor Stoltzmann, while he let his car stop and askt him to get in. "After all, everything has come faster than we had expected," he drove on, while the car forced its way past the long train of wagons only slowly and laboriously. "The enemy invasion must have extended rather far, and we are---189---caught a little off guard in our work here. There's no harm in it; I have had the shacks in front of the Königsberger Gate made ready for storage as well as possible. My wife with a few other ladies is already outside and is providing hot coffee. I want to take the accommodation of the people in hand personally. You can help me with it; we will find enough to do."They had overtaken the train; the car could now drive with unhindered power and in a few minutes stopt in front of the large sheds.Miss Lisa walkt up to them in her blue-white linen dress and with a huge house-keeping apron. Also in her eyes there was nothing but cheerful desire for activity and the satisfaction to be able to step in here so quickly and usefully."Well done that you have pickt up the Pastor!" she greeted her husband. "The poorest will probably need an encouraging word.""He has come along not for speaking but rather for helping. Have you received enough female help?""They flew to me like bees to the hive; it is a true joy; I took them from the train station, from the war effort, yes, as far as they could be spared, from the military hospital. I took Edith along immediately, who knows how to do such things."They had walkt into the interior. At least twenty young girls were here in diligent activity: some were cutting mountains of sandwiches from giant loaves; others spread them with butter,---190---which stood in front of them in high, yellow stacks on roughly built tables; still others were busy at the large coffeemakers, arranging the cups and the milk jars that they only had to pour out later. Here was quite a line to make warm beds out of straw and woolen blankets; there, with the help of a few workers and craftsmen whom the mayor had summoned immediately, one made long benches for opportunities for sitting - like a miracle, all this took place before Hans' eyes. He fought against the rushing thoughts, stept into action himself, and felt a pleasant reassurance for body and spirit in the unusual work.Already now, the first carts arrived. Again Frau Lisa stood at the entrance door; she stept to the first wagon; she spoke a few words of encouragement to the people; she had the right word for each one. /\/\ One saw in the frightened faces how much good the friendliness of the pretty, elegant woman did for them as they thawed out of their rigidity under her impression and lookt at the world again more optimistically. Many got down from their vehicles; they were tired of the long trip and wanted to rest here; others planned to travel farther; to those, the young girls brought bread and coffee to the wagon.Inside, busy life progressed gradually; the people sat on the long benches and enjoyed the warm snacks, or they stood in groups and talkt about that which they went through, most still depressed and with quiet, timid voices."No, Pastor, it doesn't go that way!"Edith stood near Hans, who was just busy in cutting off a large slice from a loaf of bread for an older man;---191---however, he was not exactly very skillful with it: "You are bleeding already and not just a little."She had taken the bread out of his hand and quickly fetched some dressing material with which she bandaged his thumb; almost in the same moment, she already divided one slice of bread from the others, spread it with butter, and handed it to the old man and several children, who had literally fixed themselves on her dress.He saw it with quiet admiration, above all, that she let her great suffering be so completely swallowed up in her work for others. But at the same time, he felt shame about his ineptitude; it annoyed him that he had just exposed himself opposite her that way, and just when Frau Lisa came over to him in rushing activity and touched his bound hand with a quiet, derisive laugh, he took the bandage off again.Near him stood a group of women; they were telling dreadful things about the Russian invasion: how they had immediately shot down the old administrator of the neighboring property, who approached them in a friendly manner, and set his house on fire."Better that we go away then!" said a younger woman. "Just as we packt the last things on the wagon, a Russian cavalry division galloped onto the farm: 'It is good that you are going away,' said the one and yet quite good-naturedly helpt us with the packing up. 'Where do you want to go then?' - 'To Berlin!' I answered. - 'In eight days, we will be there, too!' And they let us go from the farm unhurt and unhindered."A few tried to laugh, but it only came out badly for them; most still lookt down in front of themselves, dull and apathetic.---192---Thus the evening approached. The large shed now resembled a gypsy camp. The people who wanted to spend the night had tried to make it like home. Some still sat on their benches, incessantly drank the generously served tea, and ate of the bread that appeared inexhaustible like that in the wilderness; others crouched on the straw that was spread on the floor; still others already stretched themselves out on the ready-made beds and wrapt themselves in the warm blankets.There, Hans walkt in the midst of the people. When they noticed that he wanted to speak to them, there was a deep, rapt silence.And in the deep, rapt silence, he opened his mouth and spoke to them: With the earthly bread, they had eaten merciful love; now he wanted to serve them the heavenly bread. And no one would hunger for it as much as they in their misery and in their bleakness. They had had to give up their home; he, however, in this darkening evening hour, wanted to lead them to the eternal home, from the love that people continuously prepared for them, to the great, lasting love of the Father in Heaven.He spoke quite plainly and simply, but even so animatedly that he also moved them, and every eye of these poor people hung on his lips. When he finished, they sat quite a while, silently folded their hands, and on the tired faces there was the trace of new courage and of new hope. -The work was done. Edith said goodbye to Frau Lisa, in order to return to the military hospital. Hans, who still had an evensong to hold, accompanied her.Still, the streets were filled with refugee---193---wagons; close by them, one drove a herd of cattle and a train of horses, beautiful, stately animals."These are the remnants of a breed such as only East Prussia knows," said Edith. "Look at the splendid mares there!""Wonderful that they have not yet been conscripted.""They are of the finest blood and surely belong to a small farmer.""I thought to a greater owner.""That could also be. But even the little people often have the most beautiful horses, which they themselves have raised with effort and trouble. They form the foundation of the restocking of our cavalry. Some, however, especially the brood mares, the farmer does not sell at all, but rather harnesses them in front of his own wagon, full of pride, and he brings only her foals to the market again.""And now loot of this war! Just like the beautiful livestock over there, which now, however, are good for the slaughtering ax, at best. Out of these trains of refugees, these sad rows of wagons, there are built up before my eyes impressive goods, with mighty barns and stables, prospering farmsteads, impeccably led according to the demand for the newest achievements in agricultural territory, stately farmsteads, small properties, built and increased with sour sweat, thriving prosperity, never-resting diligence. And now, that all goes up in flames or will be driven out into the street!""A difficult fate. But in the end, what is this all, even devotion to the dearest property, against the loss of a person?"He noticed that---194---her thoughts were on her father. But he said nothing because he knew that she did not like to show her emotion, least of all next to him."You still have things to do to-day?" she askt. "In yet so late an hour?""I have a service to hold with the diaconal sisters in the city military hospital; they could not do it earlier.""You have a lot of work now?"He didn't answer."But the feeling to be able to give so richly in such a difficult time must carry you through everything - even through the sorrow."Again he was silent.They had reached the center of the city; the dusk crept over the streets; a few street lamps flickered on and threw their faint light on the pavement."There was a time," he said now, and a sound of bitterness was in his words, "when you thought differently about all that, where you judged my serious striving very insignificant and hurt me with it."She lookt at him; the otherwise so calm look of her eyes had something shocked in it."I have - God knows - never thought so highly of my spiritual activity," he continued, "as you assumed it of me. Just now, as the war broke out, there were hours where I began to have doubts about everything that so far has constituted the substance of my life. Even now, I cannot deny it; these hours come again and fall upon me here like demonic powers. And yet - you were wrong back then."She walkt next to him, possibly a little faster than previously, her head bowed to the ground so that in the dim lighting, he could see only a dark line of her profile."In this difficult time I think everyone must---195---serve his fatherland with the gifts that God has given him. What one does and how he does it he must settle with his conscience. But no one is superfluous who is inspired by the serious will to help in this holy need. That is my comfort and my foothold when the old inclination to brooding and hesitating comes over me. And then when I see what a sincere word means to the people, when I may thus stand up, just as before, and speak to these homeless refugees, when I see the quiet lighting up of their eyes and the security slowly returning to their distraught faces, then it also becomes calmer and more secure in me; I no longer quarrel with the feeling of my superfluousness and try to be content with the post that is conferred to me for this time, even if it may be only small and insignificant. No, pardon me that I repeat it, but it is become a firm conviction for me: You were wrong when you crushed the staff over us poor knights of the Spirit.""It was a different time then," she said now for the first time."Certainly it was. And to-day, I still place the simple musketeer who surrenders his life to the enemy every day higher than the most profound man who gives the most enthusiastic speeches or sermons. But I say to myself: only while we at that time in the quiet of peacetime cared for the spiritual things, while we with earnest zeal planted moral and religious strengths in the souls, we made our people strong in order to lift ourselves now to such a unanimous magnificence that we give strength to the one staying behind to build the places of culture and of love in the midst of a destructive war."
---196---
He remained standing, as if he expected that she would finally say something to him, only one word to break the ice that lay between them. She raised her head from the ground; a faint wince ran over her lips. But she stayed silent; the released word did not fall.They had continued on the way and reached their destination. Edith disappeared into the interior of the large parish hall, and he trod the path to the city military hospital. But his thoughts were with her and with that which they had just spoken with one an-other.There is something in her that is not to be broken, he said to himself, a pride or perhaps a reserve that will never concede that she is wrong. Even all her suffering and the difficult time change nothing about it. What actually changes a person!? - Thus we will probably disperse ourselves into all eternity!
