A gentleman who had traveled in Europe, relates that he one day visited the hospital of Berlin, where he saw a man whose exterior was very striking. His figure, tall and commanding, was bending with age, but more with sorrow; the few scattered hairs which remained on his temples were white almost as the driven snow, and the deepest melancholy was depicted in his countenance.

On inquiring who he was and what brought him there, he started, as if from sleep, and after looking around him, began with slow and measured steps to stride the hall, repeating in a low but audible voice, "Once one is two; once one is two."

Now and then he would stop, and remain with his arms folded on his breast as if in contemplation, for some minutes; then again resuming his walk, he continued to repeat, "Once one is two; once one is two." His story, as our traveler understood it, is as follows:

Conrad Lange, collector of the revenues of the city of Berlin, had long been known as a man whom nothing could divert from the paths of honesty. Scrupulously exact in an his dealings, and assiduous in the discharge of all his duties, he had acquired the good will and esteem of all who knew him, and the confidence of the minister of finance, whose duty it is to inspect the accounts of all officers connected with the revenue.

On casting up his accounts at the close of a particular year, he found a deficit of ten thousand ducats. Alarmed at this discovery, he went to the minister, presented his accounts, and informed him that he did not know how it had arisen, and that he had been robbed by some person bent on his ruin.

The minister received his accounts, but thinking it a duty to secure a person who might probably be a defaulter, he caused him to be arrested, and put his accounts into the hands of one of his secretaries for inspection, who returned them the day after with the information that the deficiency arose from a miscalculation;that in multiplying, Mr. Lange had said, once one is two, instead of once one is one.

The poor man was immediately released from confinement, his accounts returned, and the mistake pointed out. During his imprisonment, which lasted two days, he had neither eaten, drunk, nor taken any repose; and when he appeared, his countenance was as pale as death. On receiving his accounts, he was a long time silent; then suddenly awaking, as if from a trance, he repeated, "Once one is two."

He appeared to be entirely insensible of his situation; would neither eat nor drink, unless solicited; and took notice of nothing that passed around him. While repeating his accustomed phrase, if anyone corrected him by saying, "Once one is one," his attention was arrested for a moment, and he said, "Ah, right, once one is one;" and then resuming his walk, he continued to repeat, "Once one is two." He died shortly after the traveler left Berlin.

This affecting story, whether true or untrue, obviously abounds with lessons of instruction. Alas! how easily is the human mind thrown off its balance; especially when it is stayed on this world only, and has no experimental knowledge of the meaning of the injunction of Scripture, to cast all our cares upon Him who careth for us, and who heareth even the young ravens when they cry.

一位在歐洲旅行的紳士談到，有一次他參觀柏林醫院的時候，看見一個相貌突出的男人。他的身形高大威風，但是由于歲數的緣故，有點駝背；面色比較憂愁，太陽穴邊上遺留的零散頭發就如同雪一樣斑白，深深的憂郁刻在了他的臉上。

在被問道他是誰，為什么來這里的時候，他開始慢慢地在大廳里挪起了小碎步，并用低沉的聲音答道：“一乘以一等于二，一乘以一等于二。”

他時不時地會停下腳步，一直保持把手交叉放在胸前，就這樣待個幾分鐘，一副若有所思的樣子，然后再接著走，他會繼續說道：“一乘以一等于二，一乘以一等于二。”

我們的旅行家是這樣理解他的故事的，內容如下：

康拉德·蘭格，柏林財政收入的驗收員，一直以來都被人們看做是心地坦誠的人，總是認真地完成他的本職工作。他受到了所有人的贊譽與尊重，也獲得了財政部長的信任，財政部長的工作內容就是檢查這些驗收員關于財政收入的款項是否有誤。

在一個特殊之年鄰近結束的時候，人們對他的款項進行檢查之后發現了1萬達克特的赤字。他發現了這個情況之后，焦急地去找財政部長，把款項展示給了財政部長，并且告知他，他也不知道怎么會發生這樣的事，一定是被一些想讓他出丑的人算計了。

財政部長接過他的款項，他心想，確保一個可能是拖欠款項的人的安全也是我的職責，于是他下令逮捕這個人，并把他的款項交給了他的一個秘書進行詳查。幾天之后，結果出來了，發現那是計算失誤，人們是按照乘法算的，蘭格先生曾經說過：“一乘以一等于二，不是一乘以一等于一。”

那個倒霉的蘭格立刻被釋放了出來，他的款項也被還了回來，并把計算錯誤的部分抹掉了。在他被監禁的兩天里，他不吃不喝也不睡覺，臉色和死人一樣蒼白；當他收到款項的時候，他安靜了好長一段時間，就像被下了咒一樣，然后猛然驚醒，嘴里重復地叨咕道：“一乘以一等于二。”

他完全沒有意識到他的處境，不吃也不喝，對他周遭的事漠不關心，除非有人求他，同時繼續他的陳腔濫調“一乘以一等于二，一乘以一等于二”，然后繼續向前走，在那個旅行家離開柏林不久，蘭格就死了。

不管這則故事是真是假，都非常具有教育意義。一個人跌倒是多么的簡單，尤其是在不知道圣經禁令的含義下，把我們所有的顧慮都攬在自己身上，甚至是烏鴉的咆哮也會去傾聽。