Uncle Titus and His Visit to the Country

vely. No sound broke the perfect stillness, save when now and then a rosy-cheeke

ake the nutcracker crack a nut. The twins, since the lesson they had had in the wash-house, had returned contented to the mimic ark, with its wooden men and women, and they were now playing with it on the school-room tabl

hen the dove had returned with the olive-branch, and quiet was restor

stairs to look at Rolf's new bow; he le

stairs. Lili knew the corner where Rolf had placed the bow,

the arrow here, and then let the string fly, and off goes the arrow like an

th it; don't you remember

to try it. I just want to see how

nation sat

it? There is not r

Lili ran off with the quiver, while Wili followed wit

try together, and see if

d, and then both took the cord in their hands, and tugged away

here, Wili, do you see? and now you pull back that thing unde

the hedge. Instantly a cry of anguish sounded from the other side,

hat was a rabbi

y carried the bow back to its place in silence. Suddenly a new fear seized them. One arrow was gone from the quiver; what if Rolf should miss it! The sound of the family coming back from church, added to their embarrassment. It was not possible now to go to look for the arrow, for that would lead to immediate discov

y did not dare lift their eyes to the table, to see what dainty Sunday-dish had been prepared, but slipped into their seats and felt almost choked even by the soup; for something seemed to lie like a lum

he way with the twins. There was no answer. They sat as if nailed to their seats, and stared into their plates. Their mother shook her head thoughtfully. Little Hunne kept a watchful eye on them, for he ha

he next house? There goes the doctor, hurryin

" said the mother. "Mrs. Kurd has let her ro

They were almost paralyzed with fright; the delicious pudding lay untouched on their plates, though it was full of raisins and looked unusually tempting. B

excitement he almost pulled Jule off his seat, to make him come with him, as he ran out of the d

en," said the astonished father, "The twins look as if they we

might fall in ruins upon the assembled family. Jule explained with repeated outbursts of laughter, the meaning of Hunne's fright. In vain the mother called the little boy to come in; he was jumping up and down before the house door, stamping, and calling to his father and mother and Jule and eve

ring me my pudding, befo

silly stuff, and the second to believe it. She begged him to think a bit how impossible it would be for two children like Wili and Lili t

irl's bare arm. Dora groaned aloud with pain. The arrow fell to the ground; it had not penetrated deep enough to hold at all; but the blood followed, and trickled along her arm and hand, and down upon her dress. At this sight Dora forgot her pain in her fear. Her first thought was, "How Aunt Ninette w

and trembling, she mounted the stairs and stood before her aunt, hiding the bandaged arm behind her. Her pretty Sund

hild, did you fall down? How you look! You are as pale as death,

ut she could not get in a word e

s an a

ot! Shot in the arm! You will have a stiff arm all your life! You will be a cripple! You can never sew any more, nor do anything else! You wi

as bad as all that;" said the child so

ds us in

the best

aid Mrs. Ehrenreich, whimpering, "it makes me perfectly desperate. But go-no

begged her to send for the doctor to come immediately; it was a c

ding, bound it up without a word, in spite of Aunt Ninette's pertinacious attem

make good his retreat. "Do tell me, doctor, will

call again to-morrow;"

s a doctor's way of saying 'yes, of course.' I understand perfectly. W

ing in this way until

ual, cheerfully sitting up in bed, ready for a good chat with her, if she would stay. He was crouc

she gently, "have you something wrong in your

nintelligible sound

ili; perhaps that will make you

i b

climbs u

shine ou

ling, brigh

and he kept looking towards the door as if he expected something terrible to come in at any moment; and in his

er, spar

weet slee

neighbor sl

ars, and clinging tight t

ble to sleep, and God wi

tell me what has happened. I have seen all day that something was the matte

aps we have

alarmed, for she instantly recalled having seen the d

all about it, clearly, s

htened at the cry of pain which followed the shooting of the arrow, that they had run away as fast as possible. And now t

do anything but play a little while with the bow, but your father knew very well when he forbade your touching it, how great the danger was. We do not k

heart full of dread for the results of his naughty conduct. Indeed he could scarcely stop praying; it seem

his mother's eyes again a

t room, for her turn to tal

little girl began, paused, began again and stop

pray, for God is

done, Lili, to

he sheet, for she was naturally obsti

u, I certainly cannot be. Good night, m

I will tell you everyt

gladly tu

hit something and it cried out; and we were so frightened that we could no

little child is lying suffering in the next house, perhaps without its mother to comfort it, for it is

." "We are always worried, my dear child, when we have done wrong. I will go now and find out whether the child is in need of help; and you w

sed her fault; as she felt that she might now be forgiven. She prayed hear

and that the doctor had said, "We trust no serious harm is done," and that he would come again the next day. Trine carried this report back to her mistress, and Mrs. Birkenfeld was ver