Friedrich August Schulze

“ Seeheim had been preaching a sermon against mendicity and theft, had not profited by his exhortations. The first she was already committing, and the sight of the pie induced her to commit the other. She seized the masterpiece of pastry with the gilt S upon it, and made the best of her way down stairs. Just as she reached the bottom, she heard some one enter the passage; and thinking the best way of avoiding detection would be to turn back again, she mounted the staircase rapidly, and, passing the tailor’s door, went still further up stairs. ”

“ The inmates of the second floor, in the meantime, had tried the contents of the pie, which they found excellent. Madame Seeheim had just finished dinner, when she said to her husband, ‘I can’t imagine what has happened below; but there is a great noise in our neighbour’s rooms, I hope no accident has happened to the poor woman who is confined.’
‘I should indeed be very sorry,’ said her husband; ‘for, although I don’t want our families to be united, they are very honest people, and I have a great regard for them. They have, upon many occasions, been very civil to us ”

“ Madame Seeheim readily accorded with her husband’s proposition; and, as she also knew that Mrs. Heftelmeyer’s name was Sophia, she sent that part of the pie on which the gilt S was placed.
While the servant carried this peace-offering down stairs, the worthy pastor was felicitating himself and his spouse upon what they had done. ‘There would not,’ he said, ‘be half so many quarrels in the world, nor would they last half as long, if people would be willing to accommodate their differences. ”

“ Mr. Seeheim could only think that his neighbour had gone mad; and, as he saw him go out of doors soon after, he expressed a very sincere hope that he would come to no harm. In the course of a short time afterwards, Mr. Herbst, a lawyer, entered.
‘Your neighbour, the tailor, has been with me just now,’ he cried, ‘and has been consulting me with a view to taking legal proceedings against you ”