I can imitate
  without affectation. Happy is it， indeed ， for me that my heart is capable
  of feeling the same simple and innocent pleasure as the peasant whose
  table is covered with food of his own rearing ， and who not only enjoys
  his meal， but remembers with delight the happy days and sunny mornings
  when he planted it， the soft evenings when he watered it ， and the pleasure
  he experienced in watching its daily growth.
  JUNE 29. The day before yesterday ， the physician came from the town
  to pay a visit to the judge. He found me on the floor playing with Charlotte's
  children. Some of them were scrambling over me， and others romped with
  me； and， as I caught and tickled them ， they made a great noise. The
  doctor is a formal sort of personage： he adjusts the plaits of his ruffles，
  and continually settles his frill whilst he is talking to you ； and he
  thought my conduct beneath the dignity of a sensible man. I could perceive
  this by his countenance. But I did not suffer myself to be disturbed.
  I allowed him to continue his wise conversation ， whilst I rebuilt the
  children's card houses for them as fast as they threw them down. He went
  about the town afterward， complaining that the judge's children were
  spoiled enough before ， but that now Werther was completely ruining them.
  Yes ， my dear Wilhelm， nothing on this earth affects my heart so much
  as children. When I look on at their doings ； when I mark in the little
  creatures the seeds of all those virtues and qualities which they will
  one day find so indispensable ； when I behold in the obstinate all the
  future firmness and constancy of a noble character； in the capricious，
  that levity and gaiety of temper which will carry them lightly over the
  dangers and troubles of life， their whole nature simple and unpolluted，
  —— then I call to mind the golden words of the Great Teacher of mankind，
  "Unless ye become like one of these ！" And now ， my friend， these children，
  who are our equals， whom we ought to consider as our models， we treat
  them as though they were our subjects. They are allowed no will of their
  own. And have we， then ， none ourselves ？ Whence comes our exclusive
  right ？ Is it because we are older and more experienced？ Great God！
  from the height of thy heaven thou beholdest great children and little
  children， and no others； and thy Son has long since declared which afford
  thee greatest pleasure. But they believe in him ， and hear him not ，
  ——that， too， is an old story； and they train their children after
  their own image ， etc. Adieu ， Wilhelm： I will not further bewilder
  myself with this subject.
  JULY 1. The consolation Charlotte can bring to an invalid I experience
  from my own heart ， which suffers more from her absence than many a poor
  creature lingering on a bed of sickness. She is gone to spend a few days
  in the town with a very worthy woman， who is given over by the physicians，
  and wishes to have Charlotte near her in her last moments. I accompanied
  her last week on a visit to the Vicar of S——， a small village in the
  mountains ， about a league hence. We arrived about four o'clock： Charlotte
  had taken her little sister with her. When we entered the vicarage court，
  we found the good old man sitting on a bench before the door， under the
  shade of two large walnut-trees. At the sight of Charlotte he seemed to
  gain new life ， rose ， forgot his stick ， and ventured to walk toward
  her. She ran to him ， and made him sit down again； then ， placing herself
  by his side ， she gave him a number of messages from her father， and
  then caught up his youngest child ， a dirty， ugly little thing， the
  joy of his old age， and kissed it. I wish you could have witnessed her
  attention to this old man ，——how she raised her voice on account of
  his deafness； how she told him of healthy young people ， who had been
  carried off when it was least expected； praised the virtues of Carlsbad，
  and commended his determination to spend the ensuing summer there ； and
  assured him that he looked better and stronger than he did when she saw
  him last. I ， in the meantime， paid attention to his good lady. The
  old man seemed quite in spirits ； and as I could not help admiring the
  beauty of the walnut-trees， which formed such an agreeable shade over
  our heads ， he began ， though with some little difficulty ， to tell
  us their history. "As to the oldest ，" said he ， "we do not know who
  planted it，—— some say one clergyman ， and some another ： but the
  younger one ， there behind us， is exactly the age of my wife， fifty
  years old next October； her father planted it in the morning ， and in
  the evening she came into the world. My wife's father was my predecessor
  here， and I cannot tell you how fond he was of that tree ； and it is
  fully as dear to me. Under the shade of that very tree， upon a log of
  wood， my wife was seated knitting， when I ， a poor student ， came
  into this court for the first time， just seven and twenty years ago."
  Charlotte inquired for his daughter. He said she was gone with Herr Schmidt
  to the meadows， and was with the haymakers. The old man then resumed
  his story ， and told us how his predecessor had taken a fancy to him ，
  as had his daughter likewise； and how he had become first his curate ，
  and subsequently his successor. He had scarcely finished his story when
  his daughter returned through the garden， accompanied by the above-mentioned
  Herr Schmidt. She welcomed Charlotte affectionately ， and I confess I
  was much taken with her appearance. She was a lively-looking， good-humoured
  brunette， quite competent to amuse one for a short time in the country.
  Her lover （for such Herr Schmidt evidently appeared to be） was a polite，
  reserved personage， and would not join our conversation， notwithstanding
  all Charlotte's endeavours to draw him out. I was much annoyed at observing，
  by his countenance， that his silence did not arise from want of talent，
  but from caprice and ill-humour. This subsequently became very evident，
  when we set out to take a walk， and Frederica joining Charlotte， with
  whom I was talking， the worthy gentleman's face， which was naturally
  rather sombre ， became so dark and angry that Charlotte was obliged to
  touch my arm， and remind me that I was talking too much to Frederica.
  Nothing distresses me more than to see men torment each other ； particularly
  when in the flower of their age ， in the very season of pleasure ， they
  waste their few short days of sunshine in quarrels and disputes ， and
  only perceive their error when it is too late to repair it. This thought
  dwelt upon my mind； and in the evening ， when we returned to the vicar's，
  and were sitting round the table with our bread end milk， the conversation
  turned on the joys and sorrows of the world ， I could not resist the
  temptation to inveigh bitterly against ill-humour. "We are apt，" said
  I ， "to complain ， but - with very little cause ， that our happy days
  are few ， and our evil days many. If our hearts were always disposed
  to receive the benefits Heaven sends us ， we should acquire strength
  to support evil when it comes." "But，" observed the vicar's wife ， "we
  cannot always command our tempers ， so much depends upon the constitution
  ： when the body suffers， the mind is ill at ease." "I acknowledge that，
  " I continued ； "but we must consider such a disposition in the light
  of a disease， and inquire whether there is no remedy for it." "I should
  be glad to hear one ，" said Charlotte： "at least， I think very much
  depends upon ourselves； I know it is so with me. When anything annoys
  me， and disturbs my temper ， I hasten into the garden ， hum a couple
  of country dances ， and it is all right with me directly." "That is what
  I meant ，" I replied ； "ill-humour resembles indolence： it is natural
  to us ； but if once we have courage to exert ourselves ， we find our
  work run fresh from our hands ， and we experience in the activity from
  which we shrank a real enjoyment." Frederica listened very attentively
  ： and the young man objected ， that we were not masters of ourselves，
  and still less so of our feelings. "The question is about a disagreeable
  feeling ，" I added ， "from which every one would willingly escape ，
  but none know their own power without trial. Invalids are glad to consult
  physicians， and submit to the most scrupulous regimen， the most nauseous
  medicines ， in order to recover their health." I observed that the good
  old man inclined his head ， and exerted himself to hear our discourse
  ； so I raised my voice ， and addressed myself directly to him. We preach
  against a great many crimes ，" I observed， "but I never remember a sermon
  delivered against ill-humour." "That may do very well for your town clergymen，
  " said he ： "country people are never ill-humoured ； though ， indeed，
  it might be useful， occasionally ， to my wife for instance， and the
  judge." We all laughed， as did he likewise very cordially， till he fell
  into a fit of coughing， which interrupted our conversation for a time.
  Herr Schmidt resumed the subject. "You call ill humour a crime，" he remarked，
  "but I think you use too strong a term." "Not at all，" I replied ， "if
  that deserves the name which is so pernicious to ourselves and our neighbours.
  Is it not enough that we want the power to make one another happy ， must
  we deprive each other of the pleasure which we can all make for ourselves？