CHAPTER I

THE STORM-WIND

On Christmas Day, 1880, a pitiless storm raged over Lövsjö (Green Lake) District in Värmland. It seemed as though the heavens meant to tear up everything on earth and make a clean sweep of it all.

Now, do not say that no doubt there have been storms as bad both before and since, and, above all, do not let any of the Lövsjö dwellers hear you, for they have known from their earliest childhood that the like of this storm could never even be imagined.

They can still count up all the fences that were torn down, all the thatched roofs snatched off, all the cow-houses blown over, so that for days the poor beasts lay buried in the ruins. And they can point to all the places where fire broke out and was fanned by the wind until the whole village was in ashes. And they have been on all the heights and mountain-tops where tree after tree fell, until they stood naked and bare as they are to-day.

We know, indeed, the common proverb that it is an ill wind that blows nobody good, but no one could believe that it was true of this Christmas storm, for, indeed, it was plainly to be seen that it only brought with it one misfortune after another.

And I fancy that the one least ready of all to believe that anything good could come from the storm was the “Little-Maid” from Koltorp. She was not to be trifled with, this little lass, as she stood that Christmas morning on the edge of the forest, and saw how the air in the valley beneath her was thick and dark with snow and dust and all that the wind was driving before it. Never in all her life, and she was thirteen past, had she met with such a disappointment. As a rule, she could keep up her spirits in toil and trouble, but this was almost more than she could bear. A very little more and the tears would start from the large bright eyes and trickle down over the pale thin little face.

Little-Maid had gone a little beyond the edge of the forest to see what the storm was like, and the wind tore at the handkerchief over her head, buffeted her short white sheepskin jacket, and whipped her homespun skirt so sharply round her legs that it nearly knocked her over.

She was not alone, her Mother and “Little-Lad” were there as well. Both were dressed like Little-Maid, in short white sheepskin jackets and skirts of stiff black homespun. Nor could it well be otherwise, for Little-Maid inherited her clothes from her Mother, and Little-Lad came into possession after her. But there was this difference between them and Little-Maid that, although their clothes were just as warm as hers, they had not gone outside the forest, but still stood in its shelter.

The Mother and Little-Lad had just the same thin pinched faces as Little-Maid, and the same clever, bright eyes, and they too thought what a misfortune this storm was, and were not far off tears of disappointment either. But they did not look nearly so desperate as she did.

For you must know she was standing just on the high ground above Beckgorden in the Bro parish, and could follow the long twists and curves of the road leading down to Bro Church. And she saw how the peasant folk who had started to go to church turned back home again. This was all she needed to understand that it would be quite impossible for her Mother and the Little-Lad to walk twelve miles down to Nugord in the Svartsjö parish, where they had meant to eat their Christmas dinner.

She really couldn’t help clenching her fist inside her glove when she realised it. If it had only not been so quiet in the forest, where they lived. If only they had known what the weather was like before they came to the edge of the trees. Then they would never have started from home, and that would have pleased her much better.

For, you see, there was nothing she felt so contemptible as to turn back, and not be able to go where she wanted.

If only she had not all the year reckoned on this Christmas Day in Nugord! If only she had not seen before her eyes this minute the big steaming pans, the long tables with their white cloths, and the great dishes stacked high with wild geese. If only she and the Little-Lad had not said to each other whenever Mother had no food to give them: “When we go to Uncle’s Christmas feast in Nugord we shall have as much as we can eat.” Only to think that they were boiling sweet soup with raisins in it down there, that there was rice-porridge and cakes, jam, coffee, and pastry, and she was not to taste one of them!

She was so angry that she really wished she had someone there to vent her anger on. She thought to herself that the storm-wind might have known better than to come just then. It was a holiday, so he was not wanted to turn the mill, and winter, too, when no one wanted his help out on the lake, so he might just as well have taken a rest. But what was the good of telling a storm-wind that?

It was the worst piece of road that she had before her now--down past Helgesäter and up the Broby Hills right on to Löven and the church with the great Parsonage grounds--for the road there went across an open, treeless stretch of land. If they could only get over that and struggle up the Hedeby Hills, all the danger would be over, for, after that, it was nothing but forest.

It did not look so dreadfully far. She thought they might at least try, for at the worst they could but fail.

So she was glad whilst her Mother stood thinking, for it was always possible that she might decide to go on. But then she noticed that her Mother turned to go into the forest, and Little-Lad, of course, turned too.

Then Little-Maid began to go in the opposite direction, straight out on to the hill, at first very slowly, but then more and more quickly, for the wind came behind her and almost forced her to run.

She took good care not to look back for fear her Mother and Little-Lad should beckon to her to turn. She was almost sure they had stopped, and were calling to her, but that need not trouble her, for now that she was really out in the tempest there was such a din and racket that she could hear nothing clearly.

It was impossible for Mother to run and catch her up, for she had to keep hold of Little-Lad’s hand to save him from being blown away, so that she could not get on quickly at all.

It was not that Little-Maid wanted to turn, for such a thought never entered her head, but she was obliged to confess to herself that she had never dreamt the weather was so bad as this. Over her head there flew great dark birds with fluttering wings that the wind was driving before it with such force that body and wings were swept asunder. She thought she had never seen anything so horrible, until she found out that they were great bundles of straw torn from some roof or other.

If she took a step against the wind, it rose like a prancing horse and threatened to throw her down, while, if she took a step with it, it shot after her, so that she had to bend knees and back too to stand against its force. She grew so weary of the continual battle that she felt as if she had been dragging a heavy load.

From the north it came too, as cold as though it had been dancing with death, so strong and sharp that it pierced through sheepskin and homespun and laid its icy fingers on her skin. And although she did not heed such trifles, she felt her toes grow stiff inside her waxed boots and her fingers numb in the woollen gloves, whilst her ears tingled under her kerchief. But, heedless of all, on she went right down the long hill-side. When she reached the valley she stopped and waited for the others.

When at last they came in sight she went to meet them.

It would certainly, she said, be best to turn and go home again, it was quite impossible to get on to Nugord.

But now Mother was angry and Little-Lad as well. They said to themselves that this young lass was not going to order them about, and say when they were to go forward and when back.

“No,” said Mother, “we are not going back to suit you. Since you are so anxious for your Christmas feast, you can just trudge on for it.”

“Yes,” said Little-Lad, “you can have wind enough blown into you to last you for many a week.”

And with that Mother and Little-Lad began to walk on, leaving Little-Maid to come after as best she might.

When they came down to Uvgorden they met Gipsy-Lotta and Beggar-Jon. And these two who roamed about the district, week-day and Sunday, in fair and foul weather, put their hands to their mouths like a trumpet, and shouted to them to go home for any sake, or they would be frozen to death down by the cold lake-side.

Mother and Little-Lad went on, however. They were still angry with Little-Maid, and determined that she should feel right well what sort of weather it was.

They met Erik of Falla’s horse coming along with an empty sledge behind him, for Erik’s hat had blown off, and whilst he was running across fields, climbing over fences and creeping along ditches to catch it again, his horse had grown tired of standing in the wind, and trotted off home.

But Mother and Little-Lad looked as though there was nothing wonderful in that, and trudged on and on. Away they struggled, until they reached the top of Broby Hill. But then they came upon a great crowd of people standing with sledges and horses and unable to get on farther. For the great Broby pine, tall enough to be seen for miles around, had been blown down and lay across the road. And there stood Gullosa-Jan and Kringosa-Britta, who were to have been wedded that day in Bro Church. And there stood old Jan Jansa of Gullosa and old Mother from Kringosa, friends and relatives, Player-Jons and beautiful Gunnar of Hogsjö, and many another who was going to the wedding.

They shouted and explained that twice before their road had been stopped by overblown trees. Those they had managed to move, but there was no doing anything with this one. And old Father from Gullosa went round offering brandy, but that didn’t bring them on any farther. And the bride had got out of her sledge and stood there crying over the difficulties that had barred her way to church. And the wind tore the red muslin roses and green silk leaves from the edge of her dress, so that travellers who, later in the day, came through the parish, could think no other than that the storm-wind had found a wild rose bush in some fairy forest, and carried off its flowers and leaves to scatter them over ditch and field.

But Mother and Little-Lad did not stop for any pine tree across the road, but crept under and went steadily on. They considered that Little-Maid had not had enough of the storm by a long way yet. And just think; they went on to the cross-roads and Broby inn.

There they met Madam Samzelius driving along in her covered sledge drawn by two horses. Then indeed they realised what the storm must be, when Madam Samzelius, who never heeded the weather, had a roof above her. She shook her fist at them as she cried, “Be off home, Marit of Koltorp. What are you doing out with your young ones, when even I have to drive under cover?”

But Mother and Little-Lad thought Little-Maid might still be the better of another buffet or two from the storm-wind.

When they came to the narrow sound between Upper and Middle Löven, they had to crawl on all fours the whole length of the bridge. For the wind was so terrible here that, if they had tried to walk across, they would have certainly been blown into the water below.

Once over the bridge they were half-way, and Little-Maid really began to think they would be at the Christmas feast. But no sooner had the thought come, than a fresh difficulty arose. The biting cold on the bridge had quite finished Little-Lad. He was like a lump of ice. He threw himself down on the ground and refused to stir another step. Mother snatched him up and ran off to the nearest cottage. Little-Maid was so terrified as she followed Mother into the cottage that she scarcely knew what she did. For if Little-Lad was frozen to death it was her fault. But for her, Mother and he would certainly have turned and gone home again.

They had come to a cottage belonging to people who were kindness itself. They said at once that it would never do for the strangers to leave them again until the wind had fallen a little, and added that it was the hand of God that had led them there. For if they had gone on to the Parsonage lands, they must most certainly have all three been frozen to death.

It seemed as though Mother too was glad to be under shelter. She sat there so contentedly, and looked as if she had quite forgotten that down in Nugord they were just busy turning the spits, and skimming the fat off the great pots of boiling meat.

When the cottage-folk were tired of saying what a good thing it was they had stopped there, they began to ask why they had gone out in such a tempest. Perhaps they had meant to go to church?

Then Mother told them that they had wanted to go to Per Jansa’s in Nugord. He was her brother-in-law, although he was as rich as her husband had been poor. Every Christmas he had a feast, and she--his sister-in-law--was of course invited. She had indeed thought it was terrible weather to go in, but this was the only festivity they ever had the chance of the whole year through.

The cottage-folk were troubled again when they heard that. It was indeed a pity that Mother could not get to Per Jansa’s party, such a fine one as it was too. But there, it was quite impossible to go out again in the storm--it was only risking one’s life.

Mother agreed that it was impossible, and looked as if she did not mind at all sitting in a poor cottage, when there were so many good things waiting for her somewhere else.

“If you hadn’t the children with you,” said the cottage-folk, “perhaps you could manage to struggle down there.”

Mother agreed with that too. No doubt she would have got to the feast, if she had not had the children with her. But she couldn’t take them out again in such weather.

No; there was no help for it, they agreed. They thought it was such a pity, they said, and it was easy to see how sorry they really were.

Then all at once the good-wife had a very happy thought. “Look at that now,” said she. “Why, of course, you can leave the children with us if you want to go.”

How pleased they were, both husband and wife! They could not understand how they had not thought of it before.

At first Mother objected a little, but she soon gave way. It was agreed that the children should stay the whole day and over the night as well, but next morning Mother was to come back and fetch them.

Then Mother went, and there sat Little-Maid. Now there was indeed an end of her going to the Christmas dinner, that she saw.

But it would have been no use to say anything about wanting to go with Mother, for they had hit upon such kind folk that they would never have let her go away. And besides, they could not both have left Little-Lad either.

The cottage-folk tried to talk to her and cheer her up, but she could not answer a word. She turned her back to them and stood by the window looking at one or two birches swaying backwards and forwards in the storm. So many things she wished as she stood there. And one was that the tempest would take a real good hold of the cottage and blow it down, so that she might get out.

But, but---- It began to look rather strange. Whilst she stood looking at the birches, she thought that every minute they seemed to sway less violently. The din and racket too, which had come with the storm, seemed less, and there were no more sticks and straws flying about. She scarcely knew if she dared believe her eyes, but now it was so quiet that really and truly the long hanging branches of the birches only quivered very little.

The cottage-folk sat chatting to Little-Lad, and never noticed anything until Little-Maid told them that the storm was at an end.

They were so astonished, and at once said what a pity it was it had not stopped sooner, so that the children could have gone to the Christmas feast. For it was no fun for children to be sitting there with them all day, that they could understand.

Then Little-Maid said that, if need be, she could take Little-Lad with her and go to Nugord. It was a plain road, so she could not miss the way, and there couldn’t be any danger, either, in broad daylight.

They were really such kind folk! They wouldn’t vex any living creature, so they let them go, both Little-Maid and Little-Lad.

Now everything was all right. The weather was fine and calm, it was easy walking, and there was no one to order Little-Maid to sit still, or turn back when she wanted to go on. Still, there was just one thing that made her uneasy.

The sun seemed to be sinking so quickly in the southern sky. She did not know what time it was, but fancy if it were so late that they were already sitting down to dinner in Nugord!

She still had six whole miles to walk. Just fancy if she only got there in time for empty saucepans and bare bones!

Little-Lad was only seven years old, so couldn’t get along dreadfully quickly. He was tired, and dispirited too, after all he had gone through that day.

When they stood in the hollow at the foot of Hedeby Hill, Little-Maid stopped and looked at Löven which lay below covered with hard, shining ice.

She asked if Little-Lad remembered when Mother had come home and said that Löven was frozen. She had been so amazed that the lake was covered with ice before Christmas that she had talked of nothing else all evening. “Yes, that was two days before Christmas Eve,” said Little-Lad. He was certain of that.

“Then it has been frozen four full days,” answered Little-Maid. “I am sure and certain it is strong enough to bear us now.”

Little-Lad plucked up heart again as soon as he understood that she was talking about going on the lake.

“We can slide all the way to Nugord,” he screamed.

“Well, of course,” said Little-Maid, “it would be quite handy to go that way, as Nugord lies on the bank.”

She had her doubts too, but now it was Little-Lad who insisted. He wouldn’t hear a word of the high road, and was for marching straight off to the lake.

“You must tell Mother you _would_ do it,” said Little-Maid, “for she is never cross with you.”

It was not far down to the lake, and they were soon standing on the ice. They took hands and slid down Löven. That was better than trudging along the high road. In that fashion there wasn’t much doubt that they would get to Nugord before the great Christmas dinner was finished.

But then Little-Maid heard a roar, and a rush behind her--a roar she recognised only too well. She didn’t need to give even one look to know what it was when she felt it in the back of her neck--that terrible storm beginning once more.

It seemed as though it had only kept quiet just to tempt the children out on the ice. And now it came, took hold of them and threw them down.

When once the wind had begun again, it was utterly impossible for them to go on the lake. They could not even keep on their feet. There was nothing for it but to creep on to the land again.

Now indeed it looked as if Little-Maid were conquered at last. She had brought them to such a pass that it seemed very doubtful if they would ever see a human face again. They could not go on the lake, and when they got to the land there was nothing but sheer mountain-side, and dense forest with never a path to be seen.

And Little-Lad was so tired and downhearted over everything that he could do nothing but cry. Little-Maid too for a time stood quite still on the shore with a crestfallen look on her face.

Soon, however, she remembered how she and Little-Lad used to coast down the hill-side at home, when it was covered with ice. So she began at once to break off pine branches and lay them together in two heaps. On one she set Little-Lad, and then knelt down and pushed him and the two pine heaps on to the ice again. When they got out where the wind was strongest she seated herself on the other heap, and she and Little-Lad each took a fine green bough in their hands and held them up against the wind.

“Hurrah!” said the storm-wind, “hurrah!” it shouted. Down it rushed upon them, and swung them to one side as if it wanted to see if it was as strong as they.

Then it got a good firm hold, and away they went--on and on like the wind itself. They never even felt its icy breath; they could almost have believed they were sitting still, if they had not seen the shores rushing past.

Little-Lad screamed with joy, but Little-Maid sat with set mouth watching if any fresh difficulty was going to come between her and the Christmas dinner. It was the quickest journey she had ever made, for it was but a few moments before they saw the great Nugord houses rising before them on the shores of the bay.

The people of Nugord caught sight of them, just as they were going in to dinner, and they were obliged to run out and see what wonderful thing it was tearing down the lake. And no words can describe the amazement of Per Jansa, of Per Jansa’s wife, of the Pastor and all the guests, when they saw them. The only person who did not look particularly astonished was Mother. “The lass doesn’t give in before she gets her will,” she said. “I have been expecting all the time to see her come flying along on a broom-handle.”

But the others talked of nothing else all evening but the Little-Maid and of what a capable woman she would be.

Mother sat for a long time on the sofa beside the Pastor’s wife telling all about her. She was not so bad at spinning, young as she was; she could card wool too, and all last summer she had picked berries and sold them in Helgesäter. Then the Captain’s wife had given her an ABC book, and one of the young ladies of Helgesäter had helped her a little, so that now she could both read and write.

The Pastor of Svartsjö had been a widower for many years, but that summer he had married again. His new wife was a little body with quite white hair, but with a good complexion and an unwrinkled face. There was no one who dared to guess her age. She was reported to be a wonderful manager, and folks said too that she could tell at first sight what anyone was capable of. Now this new wife told Mother that she had been thinking for some time of taking a young girl into the house to wait on her stepdaughter, so that the housemaid could get more time for weaving. She asked Mother if she would have any objection to letting Little-Maid come to the Parsonage next autumn.

Any objection indeed! What a question! Mother could not imagine any better fortune for Little-Maid than to go to service in Lövdala.

All evening the Pastor’s wife sat and followed Little-Maid with her eyes. It seemed as though she could think of no one else.

After a time she beckoned to Mother again.

“Is it true,” she asked, “that the child can read and write?”

Mother assured her that it was true enough.

“Well, then, we will arrange for her to come to the Parsonage at once,” said the Pastor’s wife. “You can pass Lövdala when you go home to-morrow from this Christmas feast, and leave her on your way.”

And so it was arranged.

But the Pastor’s wife still sat, after as before, looking at Little-Maid as though she could not keep her eyes off her. After a little she wanted to speak once more to Marit of Koltorp.

“What is your daughter’s name?” she asked.

“Well, her name is Eleonora, but we always call her Nora.”

“And it is really true that she can read and write--not just an idle boast?” said the Pastor’s wife.

“No,” Mother told her; “it is the honest truth.”

“I have been thinking she might as well drive home with us in our sledge to-night,” said the Pastor’s wife. “We are just wanting a girl like her at Lövdala, so she may as well begin her work at once.”

It was settled as the Pastor’s wife wished, of course. She was not a woman that people cared to contradict.