A Happy Boy

ind and his father were carrying it in, there came a little barefooted and bareheaded

l, my boy,"

or it," answ

iff, for some one was coming after him up on the road, he said. Oyvind opened the note with some diffic

ves slowly. Run into the woods and

ore an old man appeared on the hill-top, paused to rest, walked on a little, rested again. Both Thore

u know

very easy to mak

ctly; he paused, removed his cap and wiped away the perspiration with a handkerchief. He was quite bald far back on the head; he had a round, wrinkled face, small, glittering, blinking eyes, bushy eyebrows, and had lost none of his teeth. When he spoke it was in a sharp, shrill voice, that seemed to be hopping over grave

ever got there. Both had to walk very serious, and talk in a whisper; but as this did not come to an end it became ludicrous. Only half a word that is to the point can kindle laughter und

load, that man,"-and

e," whispered the father, alt

id Ole, coughi

is throat ready,

e haycock, buried his head in the hay,

His father was a grave man, but if he once got to laughing, there first began within him a low chuckling, with an occasional ha-ha-ha, gradually growing longer and longer, until all blended in a single loud peal, afte

nconvenient,"

how this would end, for the old ma

aid the father; "I hav

l not go out eithe

eard just outside

p a threatening f

out wit

you go

be off

go you

lecting. He held his cap in the same hand as his staff, and with his handkerchief was wiping the sweat from his bald head, at the same time pulling at the bushy tufts behind his ears and

gentleman ou

ly at him, and put on hi

so it

e tired; will y

well here; my erran

lost his hair. In order to be able to see he threw his head pretty far back; he held his staff in his right hand, while the left was firmly pressed against his side w

is standing behind you

they

his name,

y call hi

hose agricultural school

mething of th

ddaughter-Marit, you know-

is too

fuses t

, rea

ny of the gard boys

ind

is to blame; he who

that

rned her head-yes; he

euce h

em loose on the mountains, neither do I choose to have any one take

f cour

I am old, I cannot be

no! n

ife, and there they must sweep, and there throw rubbish out,-not outside the door, but yonder in the corner, just there-

tain

e not been happy together. This is bad; and if he is at the bottom of it, I will tell him so tha

s,

oment at Thore

swers ar

ge is no

d to do so. But with daring persons fear always bor

ing at?" asked Ole,

I

laughin

his own answer increa

e amends with serious faces and entreaties to walk in; but it was the pent-up

e is Ole Nordistuen of the Heidegards, the priest shall sooner publish the bans of the hulder-folks up in the Nordal forest than give out such names from the pulpit as Marit's and yours, you Christmas clown! Do you think you are going to drive respectable suitors away from the gard, forsooth? Well; you just try to come there, and you shall have such a journey down the hills that your shoes will come after you like smoke. You snickering fox! I suppose you have a notion that I do not know what you are thinking of, both you and she. Yes, you think that old Ole Nordistuen will turn his nose to the skies yonder, in the churchyard, and then you will trip forward to the altar. No; I have liv

lifting his right foot rather higher t

ntenance; for on his father's first words almost depended the future of the two young people. If Thore united his refusal with Ole's, it could scarcely be overcome. Oyvind's thoughts flew, terrified, from obstacle to obstacle; for a time he saw only poverty, opposition, misunderstanding, and a sense of wounded honor, and every prop he tried to grasp seemed to glide away from him. It increased his uneasiness that his mother was standing with her hand on the latch of the kitchen-door, uncertain whether she had the courage to remain inside and await the issue, and that

eeding through entreaties or threats. But if you are determined not to give her

o his work, and

lturist for the district, and ask the inspector and the school-master to aid hi

at evening, but as he walked a

ead up, tho

e or two m

eye though

above thee

ead up, and

lt find that "C

tongues it

eace with th

ad up; withi

ighty vau

e harp ton

exulting,

ead up, and

what would spr

rmenting,

a time f

head up; b

e that on hi

ight o'er u

life-spark

uber Forestier