A Happy Boy

m; he had caught them and tossed them back again, so they had gone up and down in a thousand colors and forms; the sun was shining, and the whole cliff glittered b

and there came over him a feeling of indifference,

sat beside him spinning. "Get up now and eat your breakf

finally made him rise from the table and go to the window; the same dullness and depression he had felt before took possession of him now, and he was forced to rouse himself, and think of work. The weather had changed, there had come a litt

ver with the coasting-hill for that year, and with it, forever. He longed for something different as he threaded his way in among the tree-trunks, where the snow fell softly. A frightened ptarmigan screamed and fluttered a few yards away, but everything else stood as if awaiting a word which never was spoken. But what his aspirations were, he did not distinctly know, only they concerned nothing at home, nothing abroad, neithe

d both dragged the wood into heaps. Now and then they chanced to meet, and on one su

ather, as he spit in the palm of h

ed and the father had

nd s

man you would not h

other things to distress us," and

sat down. The mother was in high spirits, sh

yourself when you are grown u

, there are not many

ys you must go to the

there free?"

s," answered the fat

ke to go?" as

something, but not to

er hummed again and gazed before her; but

row of the school-fund," said t

and look

or folks

have you always passing yourself

e boy to find out if he could hear. T

though you we

laug

ng God that things have prospered

ithout wearing silver butt

e dance, dressed as he was yeste

s a house

hould not wear suitable clo

so he can hea

so," said she, and looked bravely at her husband, who

eman's place as w

u, always talking abou

ever speak o

. I believe you cannot

God! might they but

still now, since

rind here about

is water; but since the

have fared

ster did not s

et fellow than the school-

st of all to talk

bundle of fagots, he let his eyes wander, first from his wife, then from his son, and

h it. From Marit it had undoubtedly parted him forever; he regarded her as half engaged to Jon Hatlen; but he had determined to vie with him and her through the entire race of life. Never again to be rebuffed as he had been yesterday, and in view of this to keep out of the way until he made s

t outside, in great surprise; but Oyvind turned his back to them and went on reading, striving faithfully to gather the meaning of the words. Afterwards he heard that Marit was not there either. He read with a diligence which even his father was forced to say went too far. He became grave; his face, which had been so round and soft, grew thinner and sharper, his eye more stern; he rarely sang, and never played; the right ti

n talked with him, coaxed and admonished him; but he did not succeed in finding his way to the boy's heart so easily as in days of old. He spoke als

us go out; I want to

s kept up, but about nothing in particular; when they drew near the gards the school-master turned aside in the dir

ng on here?"

" said the school-maste

N

take part in

not

t? When

did not

you mea

not answer, the s

, no such

will

ded and at the s

-master standing here and be

as a lo

in there whom you

nnot tell who m

e likely to

ster walked straight up to him, and l

fraid to s

his breathing beca

, Oyvind

made no

are not yet confirmed; but tell me, nevertheles

could not speak the word, a

f late. Does she care more fo

-master, feeling slightly hurt, turned

e, the school-master paused long eno

very anxious to be

es

think of doin

ke to go to

ecome a sch

N

hink that is

. Again they walked

through the seminary

fairly consi

re say you would like t

t keep t

ter enter the agr

as much there as

earn what they can

et numbers

do yo

ke to be a g

surely be with

t was black now in the winter evening; the lake below was covered with smooth, glittering ice, but there was n

re at Pladsen," sai

ked when his mother told him nursery tales, or with the vision he had when he coasted on

utiful," said h

ng he wanted in this home; you,

ouse with Oyvind. He sat a while with the family, but was rather silent than talkative, whereupon the others too became silent. When he took his leave, b

finally said the mother, "since the ch

he house any longer, eithe

knew what

been happy of

py,"-and he gazed up with an old man's ca