Arne: Early Tales and Sketches

rs, president of the savings-bank, and leading commissioner in the court of recon

eviously been the guiding power, he became victorious over the entire rank and file and was from that time himself the leader. From this his path led him to the storthing (parliament), where his fame had preceded him, and where consequ

aluting him and stealing side glances at him, and one after another paused in order to exchange a few words with him,-then

t; this and much more was the fruit of the savings-bank which he had founded and now managed himself. For its resources were

greatly perplexed by Lars, who insisted upon having it represented in all its details, that, somewhat hurt, he said: "When Columbus discovered America he did not have it divided into parishes and deaneries; this came gradually;" whereupon Lars, in his reply, compared the discovery of America wit

tributions from the attendants, in communication with the mission cause, of which he soon became the centre and leader in his own and the surrounding counties. There

ould not have been otherwise. At a large wedding-party, many years afterward, where both were present and both were in good spirits, Knud mounted a chair and proposed a toast for the chairman of the parish board, and the first representative their amt had sent to the stort

e board of supervisors Knu

h board of supervisors, for the board itself was the greatest speculator of all. Every one down to the laboring youth of twenty years desired in his transactions to make ten dollars out of one; a beginning of extreme avarice in the efforts to hoard, was followed by an excessive extravagance, and as all minds were bent only on money, there had at the same time developed a spirit of suspicion, of intolerance, of caviling, which resulted in lawsuits and hatred. This also was due to the example of the board, it was said, for among the

n that Lars now had to contend, and they had borne him a grudge from their childhood up. When of an evening after one of these stormy proceedings he stood on the steps in front of his house, gazing over the parish, he could hear a sound as of distan

their appearance one evening at H?gstad, the first gard at the entrance to the parish. In the course of conversation during

returned. The next day they drove through the other valley; he was still with them, and he drove them back again to his house. They found a brilliant illumination at H?gstad; the first men of the parish had been invited to be present at a magnificent party given in honor of the commissioners; it lasted until morning. But to no avail, for the nearer they came to a final issue, the more plainly it appeared that the road could not pass through this locality without undue expense. The entrance

e council; he talked and he negotiated, for he was armed with all possible facts concerning the immense advantage of the railroad on one hand, and the sentiments of the parish on the other, and actually succeeded in winning all parties. It was promised him that by a removal of part

poken or thought of but Lars's journey and its possible results. When he returned with the most magnificent promises, they made much of him; songs were sung in his praise; indeed, if at

coffee-pot in the form of a locomotive. But it was finally thought best to wait until the whole plan was carried into execution. The petition came back from the diocese council, with a demand for a list of all bodies that would have to be removed. The pries

d up in consternation, for old Knud Aakre had been the benefactor of the parish and its best beloved man, time out of mind. There was a dead silence, which lasted for some minutes. At last Lars cleared his throat and went on reading. But the further he proceeded the worse the matter grew; for the nearer they came to their own time, the dearer were the dead. When he had finished, Knud Aakre asked quietl

more than I knew before. Now I begin to think t

and observing that they had better further consi

through this parish, there would have to be stations at both ends of the valley; true, it would always be a little more troublesome to drive to them than

not occurred to his mind, nevertheless it struck home to all. Lars felt the danger of his position, and concluding that it was best to be cautious, appa

matter existed merely in the abstract, now became a serious question when it was brought home to themselves. The women especially were excited, and the road near the court-house was black with

ing to be surprised at anything. He took a seat near the window, found his straw, and a suspicion of a smile played ove

accrue from having the railroad run through the parish had been overestimated in all this turmoil. He had positive proofs

ado about this railroad, if

ed to conceal it. Moreover, there were those who in the first outburst of excitement could sell their gards and belongings to strang

ad, and certainly no one would accuse him of having any knowledge of speculation. (Here followed a little laugh.) Knud had not evinced the slightest objection to the removal of the bodies of common people for the sake of the railroad; but when his

me, but it would have been a far greater one not to have realized it at last-as is the case with Lars! Never," he concluded,

hat the priest, dean, diocese council, engineers, and government will all say if we first unanimously set the ball in motion, then come and beg to have it stopped? If we first are jubilan

h disinter his own grandfather to make way for a railroad; when we can disturb the resting-place of the dead in order that our own burdens may the more easily be carried. For is not this rooting in o

rse of nature,"

lants and

not we

God, who have buried our dead in faith in H

e graves dug up at any rate, when their turn comes? What

at they built up yet remains; what they loved, taught, and suffered for, l

im. He monopolized too much space while he lived; and so it is scarcely worth while to have him lie in the way now that he is dead. Should his corpse prevent a

hair, his eyes flashed, his whole pe

new roads to destruction, as is now plainly manifest in the misfortunes of many. True, you have diminished our public taxes, but you have increased our private ones; lawsuits, promissory notes, and bankruptcies are no fruitful gifts to a community. And you dare dishonor in his grave the man whom the whole parish blesses? You dare assert that he lies in our way; aye, no doubt he do

tter a word, and the straw fell. After three or four vain efforts to find it

ere again! I have kept things together until this day, and after me your trash will fall into a thousand pieces, but let it tumble down now-here is the register!" And he flung it o

the inkstand with its entire contents tumbled to the floor, marking for all future generations

for the might of his voice and of his wrath had frightened them, until Knud Aakre, remembering the taunt

he decisive blow

f thunder succeeded a day of lightning. Every one felt as happy and independent as of yore, ere the commanding spirit of Lars had cowed their souls into dumb obedience. They drank toasts to their freedom; they sang, indeed, fi