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Page 51
The boy, who was scarcely more than six years old, evidently felt
immediate confidence in Elsli. He took her by the hand and said
entreatingly:--
"Come with us and tell mother about it!" And as he spoke he looked
ruefully at his shoes and at his sister's gown, on which the mud was
rapidly drying, and which looked as if it were made of pasteboard. The
little girl, not more than four years old, taking Elsli's other hand,
said softly, "Do come with us."
It was plain that they wanted some friendly intercession with their
mother, and Elsli felt sure that such small children could not have
wandered far from home; so she held tight the clasping hands and let
them lead her.
The boy became at once very confidential, and entered on the family
history. His mother was ill, and his grandfather could not go out into
the sun unless she helped him. The little girl's name was Lenchen, and
his own was Lucas, and the other boys were Tolf and Heini, and were not
much bigger than he. As he talked, they passed the willow-bushes, and
came to the taller trees that stood near together; and quite close to
the water, wedged tightly in between two of these trees, stood a small
hut, so low and gray with moss, that it could scarcely be distinguished
from the trees.
"Here," said the boy, and drew Elsli with him into the house. It was
pleasant and clean within, though low and small. The sun was streaming
in through the little window in the corner. Against the wall was a
bedstead, where the sick mother lay, staring with big, wide-open eyes at
the new-comer. In the sunny corner sat an old man with snow-white hair.
He looked up wonderingly at Elsli and the children. Two boys, not much
larger than Lucas, came towards them as they entered.
"We've been looking for you everywhere, and we couldn't find you
anywhere!" they cried. Elsli went to the bedside and told the mother
about the children's misfortune, and where she had found them.
The poor woman thanked her, and said it was very difficult for her to
look after the little ones, now that she was confined to her bed. The
two older boys had all they could do to keep the house in order, so she
let the younger children go out by themselves; and sometimes they got
into trouble, for they were foolish little things. As she spoke, the
mother looked with anxious eyes at Lenchen, as she stood in her
mud-stiffened clothes.
"Can I help you in any way?" asked Elsli. She spoke timidly, for the
woman's tone and manner compelled respect.
"We have never been obliged to beg," was the reply. "We help ourselves
as well as we can. But since I have been ill, it has been very hard.
What help could a young lady like you give us?"
"I am not a young lady. I can take off Lenchen's frock and wash it, and
hang it out to dry," replied Elsli, eagerly.
"Your dress shows that you are a young lady," answered the sick woman,
evidently much surprised; and she glanced searchingly at Elsli from
head to foot.
The dress, which was one of Nora's, was of soft woollen material,
trimmed with silk bands.
"It is not mine; it was only given me to wear," she said.
Suddenly the woman felt strongly drawn towards the friendly girl. She
thought she must be a foreigner. Her way of speaking, her whole
appearance had something unusual about it. Perhaps some one had taken
pity on her, and had lent her clothes because she was so good. So she
thanked Elsli and accepted her offer. Without hesitation Elsli set to
work, and it was easy to see that it was not for the first time. In a
trice she had freed Lenchen from her shell, and dressed her in a little
jacket that hung on the wall. Then she took the stiff frock upon her arm
and went with the children into the kitchen. She drew water in a wooden
bucket, and put the two pairs of little feet to soak, after removing the
dirty shoes and socks. When they were clean and dried, she sent the
children back into the other room, while she washed out the dress. They
went very obediently, but Lucas called back to her to hurry and come to
them as soon as the washing was done. The other boys now came into the
kitchen, desirous to scrape acquaintance with this novel visitor.
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