CHAPTER XV.

ALONE.

Katharine sat alone in her husband's study,--that famous spot, whence Luther directed his attacks upon the Papacy. For five long months the Doctor had been absent at the Castle of Coburg. There, by the Elector's desire, he remained during the continuance of the Diet of Augsburg, where he was unable to be present, by reason of the Imperial interdict. Yet he was near enough to aid the Protestants with his counsel, and infuse into their hearts some of his own spiritual strength.

Although the reformer was often called from home by his many duties, Katharine could never accustom herself to his absence. Her life seemed bereft of its dignity and its chief delight, when she could neither see her husband's face, nor hear his voice. She lived for him only, nay more,--all that gave purpose to her existence, and made her life worth living, came from him. As she rested under the shadow of this great man, life unfolded to her its fullness. She had no desire to glory before the world, as the wife of the greatest and the most renowned man of his time. To be overshadowed by his greatness, to receive from the abundance of his spiritual riches, seemed to her a great and an enviable privilege. To forget herself, to serve him in humble love, was her most cherished duty.

Her husband has therefore sung her praises in every key: "I have truly a faithful and God-fearing wife, in whom the heart of her husband may safely trust, as Solomon saith. She is willing and obedient in all things, more than I dared hope for. I could not find a more obedient wife, were I to hew one out of stone. Therefore I love my Kate far better than myself, and I would rather die, than that harm should come to her and the little ones. I esteem her more highly than the kingdom of France and the principality of Venice. For this is God's highest gift and grace,--a virtuous, loving, diligent, God-fearing wife, with whom thou canst live in peace, and to whom thou mayest safely entrust all that thou hast."

Luther had left for her assistance and protection the brothers Peter and Jerome Weller; but they, together with all the numerous household, could not fill the void caused by his absence. There was but one Luther, as there is but one sun in the heavens. When the sun goes down, the moon and all the myriad stars cannot take its place.

Katharine was mending little Hans' jacket, but her thoughts were not with her needle. She soon put her work aside, and unlocking a chest, brought out a pocket of yellow leather, in which she preserved the letters received from Augsburg and Coburg. Although she knew their contents by heart, she read them again. Deep, calm joy brightened her face, as the evening sunshine brightens the summer fields; for in these letters she had new and visible testimony, that Dr. Martin loved his wife with a full, true love, and that the respect of other good men was not wanting.

She smiled, as she unfolded the first letter, written in a merry, jesting vein, each word expressing delight in his lofty abode, "in the kingdom of the birds."

"Grace and Peace in Christ! My dear Kate! We have safely reached our Sinai; but we purpose to make a Tabor of it, and build three tabernacles, one for the Psalter, one for the Prophets, and one for Æsop.[1] First of all, your old lover wishes to announce to you that Dr. Martin has become a king, or at least a prince, and dwells in a high castle, with thirty serving men, in gay coats, together with twelve watchmen, and two trumpeters in the tower. It is a very quiet place, and favorable to study, except that a great tumult is constantly going on in the air without. Under our windows there is a little wood, where the ravens and jackdaws are holding a diet. There is a continual coming and going, and such chattering, day and night, that one might think they were all drunken with wine. Young and old are cawing and croaking together, that I marvel that their ears and throats can endure it. I should like to know, if any of this nobility still remain with you, for methinks they are gathered here from all quarters of the earth. I have not yet seen their Emperor, but the nobles and great ones among them are always before our eyes--not in costly raiment, but all alike arrayed in black, and all alike grey-eyed. They also sing but one tune, with the various voices of young and old, great and small. They care not for stately palaces and halls; their hall is arched with the fair, wide heavens; their floor is the earth, tricked out with green boughs; and their walls are as wide as the ends of the earth. They ask not for horses and soldiers, for they have feathery pinions, upon which they fly from the anger of men. Great and mighty lords are they; but what decisions they have arrived at, I have not yet heard; although as far as I could learn through an interpreter, they are planning a mighty crusade against the fields of wheat, barley, oats and other grains, where many an one will perform deeds of valor, and win his spurs by his prowess. Thus we are here present at this diet, hearing and seeing with much pleasure and goodwill, how the princes, lords, and other estates of the empire sing so merrily and fare so well. With especial pleasure we see them strut about, wipe their bills and hasten to the attack upon the grain-fields. We wish them good luck, and that one and all they may be spitted on a hedge stake. Methinks they are no other than the papists and sophists, with their clamoring and writing, who are here assembled before me, to show me what useful folk they are, devouring what is upon the earth, and chattering for pastime.

"To-day we heard the first nightingale; she mistrusted the month of April. The weather has been fair and lovely; and we have had no rain, save only yesterday a little. Perhaps it has been otherwise with you. Look well to the house, and God be with you.

"MARTIN LUTHER. "_April the 28th, 1530_."

Katharine folded the letter carefully, and took up another, in a different handwriting.

"It pleases me much," she said softly to herself, "that his friends remember me so kindly." Then she read the letter, which Melanchthon had written her, shortly after his arrival in Augsburg:

"God's grace and blessing! Honorable, virtuous Mistress Luther: This is to inform you that we have safely reached Augsburg, for which God be praised!--and have left the Doctor at Coburg, as he has doubtless written you. But I hope soon to be with him. I pray you, write me how it goes with you, and how the captain has behaved with regard to the grain. If I can serve you in anything, I will do it with all diligence. The chancellors, Dr. Gregory Brück and Dr. Christian Baier, who will read before the Diet the Protestant confession of faith, send you greetings and good wishes. God keep you.

"PHILIPP MELANCHTHON. "_Augsburg, Wednesday after St. Walpurgis_."

Underneath was written: "Dear friend, I too wish you, and Hans, little Lena and Aunt Lena much pleasure. Kiss my dearest boy in my name.

"JUSTUS JONAS."

On the outer edge was scribbled: "I too, John Agricola, of Eisleben, wish you well, dear Mistress Luther."

Two tears fell upon the letter, which, like the others, showed signs of much handling.

"How God turns evil into good," thought Kate. "The parting from my husband was a sore trial, yet as its sweet fruits I have these precious letters, whence I perceive that I am well loved, and faithfully remembered."

Another followed, also in a strange handwriting. Veit Dietrich, a member of her family, who, with Luther's nephew, Cyriac Kaufman, had accompanied the Doctor, answered a letter which Katharine, soon after Lena's birthday, had sent with a portrait of the child, to Coburg.

"God's greeting, dear Mistress Luther! You have done a good work in sending the picture to the Reverend Doctor, for it drives away many heavy thoughts. He has fastened it to the wall, opposite our table. When he first saw it, he failed to recognize little Lena. 'Why,' he said, 'have they made my Lena so dark?' But now it pleases him well, and seems to him more and more like Lena's face. She resembles Hans greatly, especially about the nose, and mouth, and eyes. Dear Mistress Luther, I pray you, have no anxiety about the Doctor. He is again, thank God, well and of good cheer. He has suffered much, not only from the Augsburg troubles, and from bodily pain,--but from grief at the death of his father. For a whole day he withdrew from us into his room, taking only his Psalter with him, and weeping bitterly. But all this he has borne and overcome, as a true hero. Dear Mistress Luther, I cannot sufficiently extol his steadfastness and serenity, his faith and hopefulness, during these troublous times. But he constantly nourishes these virtues with diligent study of the divine Word. He passes at least three hours, the best hours of the day, in prayer. Once it was my good fortune to hear him pray. Great God, how strong a faith breathed from his words. He prays to God with such deep reverence, with such power and confidence, as though he were speaking to his father or to a friend. 'I know,' he said, 'that Thou art our God and Father; therefore I am assured that Thou wilt put them to shame, that persecute Thy children. The danger is Thine, as well as ours. Thine is the cause; we have put our hands to it, because we needs must. Therefore defend Thou it, and give it the victory.' It was thus that I, standing afar off, heard him pray, with a loud, clear voice. My heart burned within me, when he spoke with God in so confident, reverent and child like a manner, insisting upon God's promises, given in the Psalms,--as one who is certain of obtaining all that he asks.--Behold, dear Mistress Luther, this great man is your husband; for which you have cause to praise God.--How fares my Hans, and my dear little Lena? Kiss them for me. Yourself and Aunt Lena I commend to God, and together with the Doctor and your Cousin Cyriac, send you greetings.

"VEIT DIETRICH."

Katharine searched further, and brought out two more letters, in her husband's strong, rugged handwriting.

"Grace and Peace in Christ! My dear Kate,--The messenger is in haste, and I can write you but a few words. Tell Dr. Pommer and the rest, that I will soon write more. We have had no tidings from Augsburg, but are waiting hourly for letters. It is rumored that the reply of our opponents will be read publicly; but that those of our party have been refused a copy of the refutation. I know not, if it be true. Where matters are thus kept in the dark, our friends will not long remain.

"Since St. Laurence's day I have been very well, and have felt no ringing in my head. Therefore I am inclined to study, for heretofore the ringing has greatly tormented me. Greetings to all. More the next time. God be with you. Amen. Pray diligently,--it is of need, and God will help us.

"MARTIN LUTHER. "_August the 14th, 1530_."

To this letter Katharine had sewed another, which reached her at the same time:

"Grace and Peace in Christ, my dear Kate! After I had sealed my letter, dispatches were brought me from Augsburg, and I detained the messenger that he might carry them also to you. From them you will learn how matters stand at Augsburg,--almost as I wrote you. Let Peter Weller read them for you, or Dr. Pommer. May God help further, as He has begun. Amen. I cannot write more. The messenger is impatient to go. Greet all the dear ones, especially Hans Luther and his schoolmaster, to whom I will write soon. Greet Aunt Lena and all the others. We are eating ripe grapes, although this has been a wet month. God be with you all.

"MARTIN LUTHER. "_From the Wilderness, on the Day of the Assumption of the V. Mary._"

Then followed what was best of all, wrapped in rose colored paper--Luther's letter to his little son. Katharine's eyes grew moist as she read the precious words, and from her heart rose a prayer in behalf of the great, the glorious Dr. Martin Luther.

[1] It was Luther's intention to translate the fables of Æsop, to "adapt them for youth and common men, that they should be of some use to the Germans." There are thirteen fables of his version, rendered in the simplest popular language.