Arne: Early Tales and Sketches

had worked his way up to the priesthood, but had died early, and as the widow came from a peasant stock, the children were brought up as peasants. Knud had,

o study the constitution," but which later was turned into a practical agricultural society for the entire bailiwick. According to Wergeland's advice, he also founded a parish library, giving his father's books as its first endowment. A suggestion from the same quarter led him to start a Sunday-school on his ga

arge lips, which were in constant motion, and a row of splendid teeth which always seemed to be working with the

r, who by degrees grew to be a man of excellent judgment. The relations between them soon became such that Knud was never willing to take any important step without first consulting Lars H?gstad, and the matter on hand was thus likely to gain some practical amendment. So Knud drew

he relied on his unbiased judgment. But he was prejudiced, partly because the proposal came from the bailiff, whom Wergeland did not like, and who was consequently no favorite of Knud's either, and partly because the grain magazine had been built by his influential paternal gra

holding a straw between his teeth,-he always had one when he took part in a conversation; he either used it as a tooth-pick, or he let it hang loosely in on

ould agree to this?

swered,

, I

anspired. Not until the close of the meeting did he resume the subject, and then asked, with apparent indifference, if it would not be well to send the proposal back to the bailiff for further consideration, as it

ne vote,"

" cried anoth

the chairman could realize what was taking plac

position. He recorded the proceedings and read, in a

more at the meeting of the representatives. Out in the yard, he put his horse to the wagon, and Lars came and too

that she might do wrong. Knud Aakre's wife, on the other hand, talked more with her husband, and particularly about the board, for lately it had taken his thoughts, work, and affection away from her and the children. She was as jealous of it as of a woman; she wept at night over the board and quarreled with her husband about it during the day. But for that very reason she could say nothing about it now when for once he had returned home unhappy; for she immediately became more wretched t

e, too, had found their way in as spectators, which Knud did not like, for it showed that there was a stir in town about the matter. Lars was armed with his straw, and he stood by the stove warming himself, for the autumn was beginning to be cold. The chairman read the proposal, in a subdued, ca

of regard for Knud, or from anxiety lest his own cause should be lost, shall remain unsaid. But his arguments were good and clear, and full of

iff? This affects the question as little as who erected the

. There were savings-banks enough in the country, he thought, and quite near at hand, he might almost say too near. But if, after all, it was deemed expedient to have one, there were surely other ways of reaching it than those le

roughly on the last p

for the sake of the living or the dead; furthermore, whether it is the love and

swered

en has been least benefited by this family,

r had saved the gard for Lars's paternal grandfather, when the latte

d been in brisk motion,

es and looked at Lars, who stood before him, tall, heavily built, with clearness on the vigorous brow and in the deep eyes. The lips were tightly compressed, the straw still played in the corner of his mouth; all the surrounding lines indicated vigor. He kept his hands behind him, and stood rigidly erect, while his voice was as deep and as

ribly. Knud could not explain to himself why, but as he looked at Lars he instinctively felt

the matter with you?" His agitation over

t down with violence on the table, while his eyes flashed beneath his stiff, disorderly hair, which always hung over them. Lars acted as if he had not bee

as more than Kn

ctuated by love and zeal alone, are now stirred up against each other, as though

r before us. But you never can see the advantage of anything you do not want yourself; now we

served the interes

This grieved Knud,

various things-various things which have been of advan

, ever variable in its moods, and the breach with Lars pained him

e here, and if one should judge by the amount of speaking a

ud, looking sharply at Lars. "It is

"I am free to admit that every question has been carefull

Aakre regained

uite able to live without it; there ar

gaze, but said, as he set th

doubt the priest and the school-masters are content with what has been done; but certainly the com

rowd, and the people grew ve

has paid out; this is perhaps the reason why it encounters such opposition. This is a question which concer

ow all rose from their seats, the conversation became general, and Knud Aakre, who alone remained sitting, felt that all was lost, fearfully lost, and made no further effort to save it. The truth was,

any longer, and so resigning his place to the vice-chai

y, in the dusk of the evening, like a giant. It vexed him to think it was his own fault that this had been the decisive battle; he had staked too much on one single little issue. But surprise, pain, anger, had mastered him; they still burned, tingled, moaned, and stormed within him. He heard the rumbling of cart-wheels behind him; it was Lars driving his superb horse past him, in a brisk trot,

of him. It had been no comfort to her that he and her husband had driven away together; it would not have consoled her had they returned in the same way. But darkness

past without stopping. Now she became thoroughly alarmed. Her limbs gave way under her, she tottered in and sank down on the bench by the window. The children gathered anxiously about her, the youngest one asked for papa; she never spoke with th

ound her, asking what was the matter. But this she would not tell them, so rising she said they must eat supper alone, then got everything ready and helped them. All the while she kept glancing out on the road. He did not come. She undress

at prayer. The mother drew herself up; all the children shou

im say it

t would have seemed like intruding on his grief before he felt the need of revealing it. T

le child,

ins may b

'll larger,

and mother j

, dearest, d

to keep Thy p

eavenly Father's

s trust while w

sleeping as in the arms of God; but the mother moved softly away and placed supper bef

h I shall

dared not betray; and she thanked God for all that had h