ween the seasons, but the

a couple of runners and some suitable wood to make a sledge for the winter. Many useful things he did. Even to shelves. He set up a pair of shelves inside the house,

s almost dragging on the ground. Inger made a long robe of blue cotton print, and a little cap of the same stuff, as pretty as could be-and that was for the christening. The boy himself watched her at work many a time; a blessed wonder of a boy he was, and if

urs?" said Isak. "If as they'

aid nothing, and was very proud. The beads were none so many; they would not make a necklace for

ne did

and come back a few days later with the child properly christened. And if it ha

loth to put it off; it would be ten or twelve years at least before Elese

tant as the christening-how should he know? The weather looked like drought-a thoroughly wicked drought; if the rain did not come before long, their c

nd christened. Ay, outlying folks

Oline di

elvet carpets parched-and why? 'Twas all in the hand of God. Isak mowed his bits of meadow; there was little grass on them for all he had manured them well that spring. He mowed and mowed on the hillsides, farther and farther out; mowing and

. Not the blood of a grape, but the flesh of a chestnut, to be boiled or roasted, used in every way. A man may lack corn to make bread, but give him potatoes and he will not starve. Roast them in the embers, and there is supper; boil them in water, and there's a breakfast ready. As for meat, it's littl

ok black even for

it looked as if a shower were coming. Isak would go in and say, "Like as not we'll be ge

The cornfields looked from a distance as if under snow. Where was it all to end? The almanac said nothing-almanacs nowadays were not what they u

ooking t

is shivering a bi

oor and said, "Ay, you see,

d their supper, and when Isak went out

ive the last bit of lichen another day to d

e treated it as he would hay, covering it over with bark in the woods. There was only a little still left out, an

on't mean it

said. Let it stay where it was, there'd be no rain anyway; let it stay where it was in God's name! H

all. There was the potato field flowering madly, and drying up; let the lichen stay where it was-what did he care? That Isak! Who could say; perhaps he had a bit of a

n once more. "You ought to have

d Isak, looking

onsense-but it might

n this year, you ca

ass window that it was darker-ay, and as if something beat against the panes, someth

?-not a bit of it. Don't kno

ood pretending

avy shower-but as soon as it had rained enough to spoil Isak's lichen, it st

came and went, and the child grew. Inger churned and made cheeses; there was no serious danger; folk that had their wits about them and could work need not die for the sake of one bad year. Moreover, after nine weeks, there came a regular bless

efully. "It'll save

ld be; but none could say what might be at the roots-Isak had not ventured to look. Then one day Inger went out and found over a score of little potatoes under one plant. "And they've five weeks more to grow in," said Inger. Oh, that Inger, always t

to make another bed," s

" sa

s no hurry,

are so much about the weather, but grew up all the same, and could stand a deal. A middling year-a good year ... well, not perhaps, if they worked it out exactly, bu

ood to work with them about, and hear the bells, though it did take some of his time now and again. There was the bull, mischievous bea

great a

cow Silverhorns-they were making love. Isak threw down his pick and raced over to the pair, but it was too late, by the look of it. The mi

th of them bearing at the same time." Oh, that Inger; not so bright as some, maybe, yet, for all t

settled; horse and cart, plough and harrow his very own. He drove down with Inger's goats' milk cheeses, and brought back woollen thread

that. They lit it the same evening, and were in paradise; little Eleseus he thought, no doubt, it was the

she was overwhelmed and could not say a word. Isak hung it up on the wall, and set it at a guess, wound it up, and let it strike. The child turned its eyes at the sound and then looked at its mother. "Ay, you may wonder," said

of wood-piles for next winter. He was getting farther and farther from the homestead now, there was a great broad stre

vening he came home from the woods, and sure enough, Inger had got it over-another boy-and was lying down. That Inger! Only that very morning

ent out. Now he understood; she had wanted to get him out of th

r tell a man what'

ourself and sleep in

ge

umn, when there were wethers to kill-and even then two skins would not make a blanket. Isak had a hard time, with cold at nights, for a while; he tried burying him

tivated, all in three years. Isak was building again-what was he building now? A new shed, a lean-to, jutting out from the house. The whole

r on himself. And it's only while I'm doing these big nails just here, at the cross-beams, that's got to

ise in no time. Eleseus was inclined to be ailing somehow, but the other took nourishment sturdily, like a fat cherub, and when he wasn't crying, he slept. A wonder of a child! Isak made no objection to his being called Sivert, though he himself would rather have preferred Jacob. Inger could hit on the r

elds and managed a deal of odd work here and there; planting potatoes, sowing carrots and turnips. A wife like that is none so easy to find. And she had her loom besides; at all odd minutes she would slip into the little room and weave a couple of spools, making half-wool stuff for underc

mself wherever he pleased, and little Sivert was christened. Inger? By all signs and tokens, making ready for another turn; she was not what you'd call niggardly at bearing. Another child-oh, a mere nothing to Inger! Though, to be sure, she was proud enough of them when they came. Fine little creatures, as any one could see. 'Twas not all, by a long way, that the Lord had blessed with such fine big children. Inger was young, and making the most of it. She was no beauty, and had suffered all her girlhood by reason of the same, being set aside a

he Lapp, coming by with his dog, brought news that folk

t," said Inger, "whe

herring. A fine haul,

ing to build a

none so badly

to be the same with y

enough for our little needs. What d

d to the great things they say; more than he can

dish of milk now, you'

ge

our while. But if you've

dog. Os-Anders lifts his head suddenl

t's

says Inger. "It strik

rsting w

tle and all manner of things. There's nothin

to be thankful

there's Oline was

ow is it

rly. Where will yo

ork in the fie

bought yet," says t

? Who s

is what

o buy from? 'Ti

'ti

is brow to ever

tis the State ow

g of this. "Ay, maybe s

ys the Lapp, and his shifty

Lapps. Os-Anders sits scraping at the bowl of his clay pipe, and and lights up. What

ays he, flattering again. "They're as like you as coul

was all wrong, of course, but she swelled with pride f

ere's so full, I'd find you som

re than's wor

the child sees something curious in the sack, something soft and fluffy, and wants to pat it. The dog stands ale

ou've got ther

ing. Only

saw

ran it down this morning and kill

ur food,"