A Happy Boy

ation there is not much to report. He studied in the mor

e bay in front of the place, bordered by the cliff on one side and the wood on the other, as before described; and all winter long, on pleasant evenings and on Sundays, this served as coasting-ground for

his best clothes and no work, only catechism or church in the morning, with the whole afternoon and evening free-heigh! then the boy made one spring out of bed, donned his clothes in a hurry as if for a fire, and could scarcely eat a mouthful. As soon as afternoon had come, and the first boy on skees drew in sight along the road-side, swinging his guide-pole above

rit, but when she had come he p

The fourth day after Christmas there was a party at the upper Heidegards, at Marit's grandparents', by whom she had been brought up, a

ing between the snow and the bare field, and glittering in patches as far as the eye could reach. Along the mountain-sides there had been avalanches; it was dark and bare in their track, but on either side light and snow-clad, except where the forest birch-trees put their heads together and made dark shadows. No water was visible, but half-nak

ase. The girls came sauntering along in large groups, having a few boys, mostly small ones, with them, who had gathered about them on the road in order to appear like young men. When such a bevy of girls arrived at the gard and one or two of the grown youths saw them, the girls parted, flew into the passages or down in the garden, and had to be dragged thence into the house, one by one. Some were so excessively bashful that Marit had to be sent for, and then she came out and insisted upon their

pring dance had to become a polka-mazurka. He now struck up and the dancing began. Oyvind did not dare join in at once, for there were too many grown folks here; but the half-grown-up ones soon united, thrust one another forward, drank a little strong ale to strengthen their courage, and then Oyvind came forward with them. The room grew warm to them; merriment and ale mounted to their heads. Marit was

d gave Oyvind a push that nearly

, had taken his seat and was tuning his instrument. There was silence in the crowd, every one was waiting to hear the first vigorous tones from "the chief fiddler." He tried his instrument and kept on tuning; this lasted a long time; but finally he began with a spring dance,

, though," thought he, "for she still takes part with the rest of us in our coasting." But grown-up she was, nevertheless, and af

were only gray wadmal; his jacket was of the same material, but old and dark; his vest, of checked homespun, was also old, and had two bright buttons and a black one. He glanced around him and it seemed to him that very few were so poorly clad as he. Marit wore a black, close-fitting dress of a fine material, a silver brooch in her neckerchief and had a folded silk han

ancing, Oyvind? "

d Oyvind, "I d

ed his comrade; but be

d inq

blue broadcloth suit

n away so long at an agricultural s

nt Marit and

ir sitting yonder by the fiddl

t laughed

of the housem

ord. He thought, too, of his mother and his father, who were now sitting at home and thinking that he was having a good time, and he could scarcely hold back his tears. Around him all were laughing and joking, the fiddle rang right into his ear, it was a moment in which something black

were not. We two will be clever, Oyvind, just as clever as Jon Hatlen; we shall yet have good clothes, and dance with Marit in a light room, with a hundred people in it; we will smile and talk together; there will

side with his face close up to hers; again there came that great burning pain in

d she came straight to h

," said she; "you might know that people are not

had already risen to go when she saw this, and paused; suddenly she grew as red as fire, turned and went ba

, thinking he might just as well sit there as anywhere else. He did not care about going home, nor did he desire to go in again, it was all one to him. He was not c

ou laugh?" And then he tried it; yes, he could laugh, and so he laughed loud, still louder, and then it occurred to him that it was very amusi

g at?" he asked, pausing in front of

as if waiting to see w

cautiously about him a

t was because I did not really love any one; from the day we

!" He paused and listened. "Oyvind," was repeated onc

a whisper; and hastily wip

e softly acr

ther early translations, the words "yard" and "court-yard" are used here. "Gard" in this case is

there?" s

nswered, st

s with

an

s wante

" besoug

w near them, a

soon," said s

ply; thereupon Marit,

ent. But Hans graduall

, neither looking at ea

Marit wh

y pocket for you, Oyvind, the whole evening, but

wn, and a little half pint bottle, which she thrust i

s hand; hers was warm, and he droppe

good deal this ev

ied, "but you have not

not," he

you not

O

vin

es

u sit looki

-Ma

ha

islike having

re so man

t deal with Jon Ha

d

ances

u thin

but this evening I could not bear

had cost him some

nderstand y

self; it is very stupid

l go

ithout looking round. Th

istake about

sto

eady become a maid

oment she saw the light from a pipe right in front of her. It was her grandfa

re you ar

es

m are you

h Oy

did yo

nd Pl

eman at Pladsen. Come at