Page - 130 - in The Forest Farm - Tales of the Austrian Tyrol

schoolmaster. “However, sometimes it’s better not to know how to read. Here’s what the note says to the old man that I am: ‘We sincerely regret to have to make the following communication to you in the name of the honourable Consistory and of the local parish. Whereas you, Michel Bieder, school teacher in the aforesaid parish, have repeatedly, in the instruction of the youth entrusted to your care, acted contrary to the regulations, and whereas, but recently, you took it upon yourself, in an unprecedented manner, on your own responsibility, to perform an ecclesiastical function, and this, moreover, in favour of a suicide, so now take note and be it known to you that we have relieved you of your post. Given at the presbytery at Rattenstein.’” The old man ceased. Peter snuffed the candle in great perplexity, and then said: “Yes, Mr. Schoolmaster, you might have known that it does not do to toll everyone promiscuous-like into the grave. That much would have occurred even to me, Heath Peter.” “And so there I sat upon the stone-heap, and I wanted nothing to make me a complete beggar but a stick and wallet. The stars were out by this time, and an owl hooting in the forest was hooting at me it seemed. Then I did not know what to do. There I was cast out, a poor old man, that had buried a parish and christened one. So I lay down upon the stone-heap and my white hairs were wet with dew. And the church clock ticked just like a bird pecking the naked grains in a field in autumn, that clock ticked away second after second from the little bit left of my life. ‘Tick on, tick on, you honest pendulum,’ thought I. ‘It’s late.’ And then, suddenly, I wondered, ‘Who will ring the vesper-bell to- night?’ I darted up and on, over the mound, to the church, and into the belfry, took hold of the ropes, and rang all the bells at once. And that was my farewell to my dear church and to the congregation. I should have liked to wake the dead in their graves and tell them all about my unfair treatment. But they slept on in peace, while I rang in my beggarhood. Then I cut myself a stick from the bushes by the churchyard walls and went on and on. Oh, I can walk right enough still! It took me barely three hours here to the Wilderness.” The old man bent his head and held his hand before his eyes. “What nonsense!” said the farmer’s wife, who had been standing some time by the table with the soup-plate in her hand. “And you are going up to the wilds next, Schoolmaster?” “Must I go to the wilds?” cried the old schoolmaster. “God! what should I do in that stony place?” He hid his face again.