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STORIES BY FOREIGN AUTHORS - GERMAN

CHRISTIAN GELLERT'S LAST CHRISTMAS...... BY BERTHOLD AUERBACH

A GHETTO VIOLET..... BY LEOPOLD KOMPERT

THE SEVERED HAND.... BY WILHELM HAUFF

PETER SCHLEMIHL..... BY ADELBERT VON CHAMISSO




PUBLISHERS' NOTE

The translations in this volume, where previously published, are used
by arrangement with the owners of the copyrights (as specified at the
beginning of each story). Translations made especially for the series
are covered by its general copyright. All rights in both classes are
reserved.




CHRISTIAN GELLERT'S LAST CHRISTMAS

BY

BERTHOLD AUERBACH


From "German Tales."

1869


Three o'clock had just struck from the tower of St. Nicholas, Leipzig,
on the afternoon of December 22d, 1768, when a man, wrapped in a loose
overcoat, came out of the door of the University. His countenance was
exceedingly gentle, and on his features cheerfulness still lingered, for
he had been gazing upon a hundred cheerful faces; after him thronged a
troop of students, who, holding back, allowed him to precede them: the
passengers in the streets saluted him, and some students, who pressed
forwards and hurried past him homewards, saluted him quite
reverentially. He returned their salutations with a surprised and almost
deprecatory air, and yet he knew, and could not conceal from himself,
that he was one of the best beloved, not only in the good city of
Leipzig, but in