But what chiefly constituted the importance of Pix in the eyes of the
community were the Herculean porters under his command. When these men
rolled mighty casks about, and lifted hundred weights like pounds, they
seemed to the new apprentice like the giants of fairy lore. Some of them
belonged to this firm exclusively, others to a corporation of porters
who worked for different houses, but T. O. SchrЎter's was the house they
liked best. For more than one generation the head of this particular
firm had enjoyed their highest consideration, and stood godfather to all
their large-headed babies.
Among these men, the strongest and tallest was Sturm, their chief--a man
who could hardly get through narrow streets, and was frequently called
to move a weight found impracticable by his comrades. Wonderful stories
were told of his exploits; and Specht affirmed that there was nothing on
earth beyond his powers.
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His relations with the firm were very intimate indeed; and having an
only child, upon whom he doted, and who had early lost his mother, he
placed him, at the age of fifteen, in T. O. SchrЎter's house, in a
nondescript capacity. The boy was a universal favorite, knew every hole
and corner, collected all the nails and pieces of packthread, folded all
the packing-paper, fed Pluto the watch-dog, and did sundry other odd
jobs. Up to every thing, invariably good-humored and ready-witted, the
porters fondly called him "our Karl;" and his father often glanced aside
from his work to look at him with delight.
But in one point Karl did disappoint him: he gave no promise of ever
attaining to his father's stature. He was a handsome, fair-haired,
rosy-cheeked youth; but all the giants agreed that he would never be
more than a middle-sized man; and so his father fell into the habit of
treating him like a sort of delicate dwarf, with the utmost
consideration, and a certain touch of compassion.
"I don't care," said the indulgent parent to Mr. Pix, when introducing
the boy into the business, "what the little fellow learns besides, so
that he does learn to be honorable and practical." This was a speech
after Mr. Pix's own heart; and this system of education was at once
begun by Sturm taking his son into the great vaulted room, and saying,
"Here are the almonds and the raisins--taste them."
"Oh, they are good, father," cried the boy.
"I believe you, Liliputian," nodded Sturm. "Now, see, you may eat as
many of them as you like; neither Mr. SchrЎter, Mr. Pix, nor I shall
interfere. But, my little lad, you had better see how long you can hold
out without beginning. The longer the better for yourself, and the more
honor in it; and when you can stand it no longer, come to me and say
'Enough;'" upon which he left him, having laid his great turnip of a
watch on a chest standing by. The boy proudly placed his hands in his
pockets, and walked up and down among the goods. After more than two
hours, he came, watch in hand, to his father, exclaiming "Enough."
"Two hours and a half," said old Sturm, nodding at Mr. Pix. "Very well,
child; come and nail up this chest; here is a new hammer for you; it
cost tenpence."
"It's not worth it," was the reply. "You always pay too much." Such was
Karl's education.
The day after Anton's arrival, Pix had introduced him to Sturm, and
Anton had said, in a tone of respect, "this is my first experience of
business; pray give me a hint whenever you can."
"Every thing is to be learned in time," replied the giant; "yonder is my
little boy, who has got on capitally in a year. So your father was not a
merchant?"
"My father was an accountant; he is dead," was the reply.
"I am sorry to hear it," said Sturm; "but you have still the comfort of
a mother?"
"My mother, too, is dead."
"Alas! alas!" cried the porter, compassionately. He went on shaking his
head for a long time, and at length added, in a low voice, to his Karl,
"He has no mother."
"And no father either," rejoined Karl.
"Be kind to him, little one," said old Sturm; "you are a sort of orphan
yourself."
"Not I," cried Karl; "any one with such a great father as mine to look
after has his hands full."
"Why, you are a perfect little monster!" said his father, cheerfully
hammering away at a cask.
From that hour Karl showed all manner of small attentions to Anton, and
a species of affectionate intimacy sprang up between the two youths.
Indeed, Anton was on excellent terms with all the officials. He listened
attentively to Jordan's sensible remarks, was prompt and unconditional
in his obedience to Mr. Pix, entered into political discussions with
Specht, read with interest Baumann's missionary reports, never asked Mr.
Purzel for money in advance, and often encouraged Mr. Liebold to utter
some palpable truth without retracting the statement. There was only one
with whom he could not get on well, and that was the volunteer clerk,
Fink.
One gloomy afternoon, Mr. Jordan chanced to give our hero a certain
message to take to another house, and, as he rose, Fink looked up from
his desk, and said to Jordan, "Just send him at the same time to the
gunsmith--the good-for-nothing fellow can send my gun by him."
Our hero crimsoned. "Do not give me that commission," said he to Jordan;
"I shall not execute it."
"Really!" asked Fink, in amazement; "and why not, my fine fellow?"
"I am not your servant," replied Anton, bitterly. "Had you requested me
to do this for you, I might have complied; but I will take no orders
from you."
"Dolt!" muttered Fink, and went on writing.
The whole office had heard him, and every eye turned to Anton, whose
eyes flashed as he exclaimed, "You have insulted me--I will not bear an
insult from any one--you must explain yourself."
"I am not fond of giving any one a thrashing," said Fink, negligently.
"Enough!" cried Anton, turning deadly pale; "you shall hear farther;"
and off he rushed to deliver Jordan's message.
A cold rain was falling, but Anton was not aware of it: he felt nothing
but an agonizing sense of insult and wrong. As he reached the
establishment he sought, he saw his principal's carriage at the door,
and as he came out again he met Sabine just about to enter it. He could
not avoid handing her in; and, struck with his appearance, she asked him
what was the matter.
"A trifle," was the reply.
Insignificant as the incident was, it changed Anton's mood. Her
courteous greeting and kindly inquiry raised his spirits. He felt that
he was no longer a helpless child; and, raising his hand to heaven, his
resolve was taken.
On his return to the office, he quietly went on with his work, heedless
of the inquiring glances around him; and, when the office was closed, he
hurried to Jordan's room, where Pix and Specht were already met. They
all treated him with a commiseration not quite free from contempt; but
he, having inquired from Jordan, in their presence, whether Fink had any
right to give him such an order, and whether in his (Jordan's) opinion
he had done wrong in resenting it, and having been satisfactorily
answered on both heads, requested a few moments' private conversation,
and then proceeded to declare that he should demand a public apology
from Fink.
"Which he will never consent to," said Jordan, with a shake of the head.
"In that case I challenge him, either with sword or pistols."
Now, if Jordan had seen a dusky vapor rise from his ink-bottle, and take
the form of a hideous genie, after the manner of fairy tales, and this
genie had announced his intention of strangling him on the spot, he
could not have been more amazed. "The devil is in you, Wohlfart," said
he at last; "you want to fight a duel with Herr von Fink, a dead shot,
while you are only an apprentice, and not half a year in the business:
impossible."
"I should now be a student if I had not been brought up to be a
merchant. Curses on business, if it so degrades me that I can not even
ask satisfaction for insult. I shall go to Mr. SchrЎter at once, and
give in my resignation."
Jordan's surprise increased. Here was the good-natured apprentice
transformed before his eyes. At length it was agreed that he should take
the message; but Fink was not found at home. "Very possibly he has
forgotten all about it, and is amusing himself at some club or other,"
was Jordan's commentary on the fact.
"In that case," said Anton, "I shall at once write to him, and have the
letter laid on his table."
Meanwhile great conferences were held in Jordan's room; for, although
Pix and Specht had promised secrecy, they indulged in such dark and
mysterious hints that the truth was soon known. Baumann stole up to
Anton to implore him not to peril two human lives for the sake of a
rough word; and, when he was gone, Anton found a New Testament on his
table, open at the words, "Bless them that curse you." Although not
exactly in the mood to enter into their spirit, he took up the sacred
book, and, having read the passages his good mother so often repeated to
him, he prepared for bed in a softened frame of mind.
