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Page 27
Should she run after him, or, in the opposite direction, toward
her husband? She felt faint, and the children pressed around her,
asking what was the matter; but this could not be told to them, so
she said they must take supper alone, and, rising, arranged it and
helped them. She was constantly glancing out upon the road. He did
not come. She undressed and put them to bed, and the youngest
repeated the evening prayer, while she bowed over him, praying so
fervently in the words which the tiny mouth first uttered, that
she did not perceive the steps outside.
Canute stood in the doorway, gazing upon his little congregation
at prayer. She rose; all the children shouted "Papa!" but he
seated himself, and said gently:
"Oh! let him repeat it."
The mother turned again to the bedside, that meantime he might not
see her face; otherwise, it would have been like intermeddling
with his grief before he felt a necessity of revealing it. The
child folded its hands,--the rest followed the example,--and it
said:
"I am now a little lad, But soon shall grow up tall, And make papa
and mamma glad, I'll be so good to all! When in Thy true and holy
ways, Thou dear, dear God wilt help me keep;--Remember now Thy
name to praise And so we'll try to go to sleep!"
What a peace now fell! Not a minute more had passed ere the
children all slept in it as in the lap of God; but the mother went
quietly to work arranging supper for the father, who as yet could
not eat. But after he had gone to bed, he said:
"Now, after this, I shall be at home."
The mother lay there, trembling with joy, not daring to speak,
lest she should reveal it; and she thanked God for all that had
happened, for, whatever it was, it had resulted in good.
II.
In the course of a year, Lars was chosen head Justice of the
Peace, chairman of the board of commissioners, president of the
savings-bank, and, in short, was placed in every office of parish
trust to which his election was possible. In the county
legislature, during the first year, he remained silent, but
afterward made himself as conspicuous as in the parish council;
for here, too, stepping up to the contest with him who had always
borne sway, he was victorious over the whole line, and afterward
himself manager. From this he was elected to the Congress, where
his fame had preceded him, and he found no lack of challenge. But
here, although steady and independent, he was always retiring,
never venturing beyond his depth, lest his post as leader at home
should be endangered by a possible defeat abroad.
It was pleasant to him now in his own town. When he stood by the
church-wall on Sundays, and the community glided past, saluting
and glancing sideways at him,--now and then one stepping up for
the honor of exchanging a couple of words with him,--it could
almost be said that, standing there, he controlled the whole
parish with a straw, which, of course, hung in the corner of his
mouth.
He deserved his popularity; for he had opened a new road which led
to the church; all this and much more resulted from the savings-
bank, which he had instituted and now managed; and the parish, in
its self-management and good order, was held up as an example to
all others.
Canute, of his own accord, quite withdrew,--not entirely at first,
for he had promised himself not thus to yield to pride. In the
first proposal he made before the parish board, he became
entangled by Lars, who would have it represented in all its
details; and, somewhat hurt, he replied: "When Columbus discovered
America he did not have it divided into counties and towns,--this
came by degrees afterward;" upon which, Lars compared Canute's
proposition (relating to stable improvements) to the discovery of
America, and afterward by the commissioners he was called by no
other name than "Discovery of America." Canute thought since his
influence had ceased there, so, also, had his duty to work; and
afterwards declined re-election.
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