Chapter II: The Birthday Gift

GASPARD was hastening away with the rest, when recalled by his captain, who, placing three pieces of gold in his hand, said as he did so,—

"My friend, take these to your good wife, with the new charge you are taking to her, and tell her you shall never want a friend whilst I live."

"May God bless you, my noble captain!" exclaimed Gaspard, now more impatient than ever to reach his home. He lost no time in repairing thither, and entered it with a light heart.

Katherine flew to meet him. "Gaspard!" she cried, in a terrified tone, "Gaspard, what has happened? You are all black,—your hair and clothes burnt;—are you hurt?—tell me, tell me quick?"

"It is nothing, dear wife; I am not hurt, but I have had to defend myself, not only against the enemy, but a terrible fire, by which at one time I was almost surrounded, and which scorched my face and hands, as you see, and blackened me from head to foot; but I brought away a birthday present for you, Katherine, which I hope may bring a blessing with it." So saying, he unfolded the mantle, and displayed to his wife's astonished eyes the lovely infant he had so wonderfully and humanely rescued.

"Dear husband," she exclaimed, "whose is it, and where did you find it?" Then taking it in her arms, she tenderly kissed it, and smoothed its fair, glossy curls. Gaspard shortly related all that had occurred— the danger he had been in, in the midst of the burning castle—the finding the child—the merciful escape he had had—and, finally, the kind promise made by the young Baron Otto de Helfenstein.

"God be praised!" said Katherine, when her husband ceased speaking, "for having thus preserved you and this little one from such fearful peril."

She then hastened to attend to the poor little infant who had been so cruelly abandoned. She undid its wrappings, washed the smoke and dust from its face and hands, and then prepared some food for it of bread and goat's milk. Whilst thus engaged, her two boys rushed into the hut with shouts of joy, having heard of their father's return— Michael, who was first, eagerly asking if he had brought them anything. Gaspard, smiling, pointed to the child on his mother's lap. "John, John!" cried the boy, "father has brought back our little brother!"

John, having embraced his good father, ran to look as Michael desired.

"Yes, yes," said he, "our little Francis is come back; the good God has given him to us again. Oh, what pretty blue eyes and curling hair!"

The two boys kissed the child, thus offering to it the love they had for their little brother. Poor Katherine's tears fell fast as the loss of her little one was thus recalled to her.

Gaspard suppressed the emotion he himself felt at this little scene, and, seating himself by his wife, he said,—

"Yes, my boys, this little one shall be a brother to you, and your good mother will adopt it in the place of the dear one we lost."

Katherine wiped away her tears, and laying her now charge on one of their rude beds, with the two boys to watch it, she hastened to prepare the meal she was sure her husband much needed. The evening passed happily away. The little stranger slept as soundly on Katherine's humble bed as on the rich couch on which Gaspard had found it. John and Michael soon followed its example, and then Katherine had leisure to seat herself by her husband's side, and talk over the events of the day.

"How I pity that poor little infant's parents," said she. "Their sorrow must be greater than ours when we lost our little Francis. We knew he was safe with God, whilst they cannot know what has become of their little one. I wonder if any marks on its clothes could lead to any trace of who are its parents; but though its linen is of the finest sort, I can see no mark. But look, Gaspard," she suddenly added, "at this cap; is it not an uncommon one?"

It was, in truth, remarkable, not only for the fine Brussels lace of which it was made, but more so from there being a star embroidered in silver on the right side. "Look at this star," continued Katherine; "I wonder what it means."

"It looks as if the child is of noble birth," said her husband. "I will take this little cap to-morrow to the Baron; by means of it he may be able to help us in trying to discover to whom this poor little one belongs."

"We must keep it carefully," replied Katherine; "some day or other it may lead to some discovery."

The husband and wife were long in talking over the past and the future, till fatigue at last compelled them to seek that rest which Gaspard especially much needed. The exciting events of the day, however, kept the weary soldier for a time from sleeping, but at last he slept soundly.

It was late the following morning ere he awoke. When he did so, Katherine had already been up some time, busily occupied in her household work. It was the birthday so much thought of!

When Gaspard joined his wife outside their little dwelling, he took both her hands in his, saying as he did so,—"Dear wife, we must thank God that we are permitted to spend this day together, and ask Him to continue to protect us and our three children. Look," he continued, showing her the pieces of gold he had received from his captain. "I kept them till to-day, that I might be able to give you some little help, as well as pleasure, on your birthday."

He then told her that the Baron had given him this money, as a pledge of what he would do for the little foundling which had been so singularly thrown on their hands.

"God is indeed good," said the happy Katherine, her heart overflowing with joy and thankfulness; "it was but yesterday that I changed our last piece of money to procure a dinner for to-day. I felt sad to think we had nothing left; and now God has provided for us."

"Well, dear wife, you may now prepare a good dinner. I shall be back in time for it, but I must hasten away now, as I am on guard this morning. Help me to get my things in order, for they are sadly the worse for yesterday's rough work. It is well that I am not the worse myself," he added, with a smile, as he affectionately kissed his good wife.

Katherine quickly left what she was doing to help her husband, and whilst so engaged, she asked him by what name they should call their adopted child.

"Shall we call it 'Francis,' after our little one," said he, "and try to look upon it as indeed our own?"

The good woman, with tears in her eyes, readily assented; and taking the infant in her arms, she tenderly kissed it, saying as she did so,—"Poor little one! I will love you for my little Francis' sake."

Gaspard was soon ready, and hastened away to his post, desiring his two boys to help their mother in his absence. The day so happily begun did not pass without yet further cause for rejoicing. The good soldier, on his return, surprised Katherine with the intelligence that he was promoted to the rank of corporal, and that his captain had, before the whole regiment, expressed approbation of his conduct during the previous day, not only when engaged in the assault, but for the forbearance and humanity he had displayed afterwards, and which redounded no less to his credit than his courage in action. He ended by holding up his example as one deserving to be followed by his fellow-soldiers. Katherine rejoiced almost more over this tribute to her husband's worth than she did at the step he had gained.

The men had also received their arrears of pay, so that the good couple now felt they had wherewithal to provide for the future for some time to come. They retired to rest that night with hearts filled with gratitude for the mercies they had received. In this world, however, unalloyed happiness is the lot of none. The following day Gaspard returned from his duty sad and cast down, the cause of which was the sudden disappearance of his young captain, Otto de Helfenstein. It was not known whether he had been killed by some skirmishing party of the enemy's, or made prisoner, all search for him having, as yet, proved fruitless.

The whole regiment deplored the event, as he was deservedly beloved by the men under his command. Gaspard not only felt deeply the loss of his good and kind captain, but he also felt that in him their little foundling would lose a good benefactor. The child would now be thrown wholly on their care. The poor man looked anxiously at his wife, fearing she might regret this additional burden. She did not leave him long in doubt. "Gaspard," said she, "this child has been given to us;— we will look upon it as our own;—we will trust to God to provide for it as well as for us. The good Baron may yet be alive; but if not, we will do our best. Yes," she added, clasping the little one in her arms, "you shall be in the place of my little Francis."

"Dear wife!" exclaimed Gaspard, interrupting her, "I ought not to have doubted you; but I felt half-afraid I had added to your cares and troubles by bringing this poor little one to you."

"No, no," cried Katherine, "we must never repent of doing a good action;—our adopted child may yet bring us a blessing."

Time passed on, Gaspard and Katherine faithfully fulfilling the duties of the humble position in which God had placed them, and bringing up their children to follow their example. In the midst of the disasters and disturbances of war, they lived in peace and happiness in their little home.

The good soldier had vainly endeavoured to trace the parents of the little Francis, and had at last given up the search.

Nothing had been heard of the young Baron Otto de Helfenstein. The siege of Metz still continued, the Emperor, Charles V., being determined to regain it at any price. It was, however, useless. The town was strongly fortified, and well garrisoned, and was bravely defended by the Duke of Guise. The approach of winter, and the increasing scarcity of provisions, together with sickness and mortality amongst the troops, at last induced the Emperor to abandon the enterprise; and accordingly the army was withdrawn in January, 1553.

Gaspard was sent with his regiment to Anvers, and from thence to the beautiful town of Strasburg. The good soldier and his family stood greatly in need of rest and quiet; they bail suffered much from the hardships and privations of a campaign, though they had been spared all serious illness.

Gaspard had served eighteen years, and had fought in many battles in Germany, Italy, and Hungary: he now longed for repose. Katherine was still more anxious than her husband for a quiet home; she urged him to leave the army, and to adopt some other means of obtaining a livelihood.

They often pictured to themselves the happiness of being able to settle in their beloved Suabia, where so many happy years had been passed, and which seemed to them as a haven of rest; but, alas! with all their care, they had been unable to save enough to purchase even the smallest piece of land, or the poorest cottage, so that Gaspard still remained undecided as to the future.

It was, however, provided for by One who overrules every event, and orders all for the best.

Gaspard received the unlooked-for intelligence of a small property being left him, by a distant, relation of his wife's, sufficient, from what he heard, to maintain his family in honest comfort.

Great was the joy and thankfulness of the good soldier and his wife at being thus provided for. Gaspard applied immediately for his discharge, which was readily granted; he retired from the army, in which he had served so many years, with many tokens of approbation from those who had witnessed, not only his courage in action, but his uniform steadiness and good conduct.

Gaspard was not long in making the necessary preparations for the journey. He bought a tilted cart, and horse, to convey the little party, and such articles of furniture as they were unwilling to part with, the arms he had so long borne with honour, his favourite bear-skin, and the cross before which they had so often knelt in prayer.

On a beautiful morning in the month of May, Gaspard, Katherine, and their three children quitted Strasburg—Katherine seated in the cart, with Francis on her lap, Michael and John by her side, whilst Gaspard drove.

The weather continued fine, and the travellers reached Suabia without an accident of any kind. All was new to the two boys, and they were delighted with the many towns and villages through which they passed.

The small property left to Gaspard was near Feldsberg, seated on the river Joya. The castle and large domain around was the property of one of those rich and powerful nobles who, in those days, exercised almost sovereign sway, not only over those actually dependent on them, but on all who were unable to dispute their will, or resist their tyranny.

The Count de Sternfelden, the rich possessor of the castle and domain of Feldsberg, seldom visited it, having other and apparently more attractive places of residence.

The management, therefore, of this vast estate was entrusted to a steward; who had made himself feared, as well as hated, by his pride, injustice, and avarice, and the harshness with which he treated all over whom he had any power.

Gaspard troubled himself little about the character given him by the neighbours of the man under whom he was to hold his little property. He had served for the last six years under one of the strictest colonels in the army, and had never incurred his displeasure. He believed, therefore, that by honestly paying the taxes, and conducting himself as a good vassal of the lord of the domain, he would have nothing to fear.

The little farm left to Gaspard was pleasantly situated at a short distance from the village of Feldsberg; the house was small but comfortable, surrounded by a garden well stocked with fruit-trees. Near the house, or rather cottage, ran a clear stream, which bounded some meadows, also belonging to Gaspard.

Full of hope and thankfulness, the good soldier and his family took possession of their new home. With the little money Gaspard had saved, a cow was bought; the horse was likely to be too useful to be parted with.

Michael and John were old enough to help their father in cultivating the land and garden, whilst Katherine undertook the care of the poultry-yard, an occupation in which the little Francis was her constant companion. A blessing seemed to attend their labours, so that the good couple hoped, after a time, to be able to give their boys some education, contenting themselves for the present with such as they were themselves able to give in their hours of leisure.

Four years passed happily away, and in that time Gaspard and his family had gained the respect and goodwill of their neighbours, whom they were ever ready to help in any way in their power.

The steward had never troubled them, though the overbearing insolence of his manner towards all who were in any way dependent on him had occasionally tried Gaspard's patience and forbearance.