Uli's mistress admonished them not to stay too long, for they wanted to
set out in good season so as not to get home too late. While Johannes's
wife was urging her to stay over another night the men strolled away.
It was another beautiful day. One steeple after another proclaimed that
it was the Lord's day, that hearts should open to the Lord and keep
Sabbath with Him, to receive His peace and feel His love. The two
wanderers felt the solemnity of it; over many a field they walked with
little speech. Then they came to the edge of the woods, whence they
could see the valley floating in the wonderful autumn haze and hear the
peal of the bells from many steeples, calling the people together to
take into their open hearts the seed that bears sixty and a hundredfold
on good soil. Silently they sat down there and drew in through the
wide-open gates of their eyes and ears the glorious sermon of the Lord,
which can be heard without words every day in all countries; and in deep
reverence they heard the tones reecho in the sanctuary of their souls.
At last Johannes asked, "You're not going to stay on Slough Farm?"
"No," said Uli. "Not that I'm angry with them about Elsie. I'm glad it
turned out so. Now it's over I can see that I shouldn't have had a happy
hour with her, and that with such an ugly, lazy hussy no amount of money
would make a man happy. I can't understand what I was thinking of.
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