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Page 3
He rose, laid some money on the table, and sat down again. The
priest counted it.
"It is a great deal of money," said he.
"It is half the price of my gard. I sold it today."
The priest sat long in silence. At last he asked, but gently:
"What do you propose to do now, Thord?"
"Something better."
They sat there for a while, Thord with downcast eyes, the priest
with his eyes fixed on Thord. Presently the priest said, slowly
and softly:
"I think your son has at last brought you a true blessing."
"Yes, I think so myself," said Thord, looking up, while two big
tears coursed slowly down his cheeks.
WHEN FATHER BROUGHT HOME THE LAMP
BY
JUHANI AHO
In spite of ethnological and philological distinctions,
geographical association makes it more natural to include a
Finnish tale in the volume with Scandinavian stories than in any
other volume of this collection.
From "Squire Hellman." Translated by R. Nisbet Bain. Published by
the Cassell Publishing Co.
WHEN FATHER BROUGHT HOME THE LAMP
BY
JUHANI AHO
When father bought the lamp, or a little before that, he said to
mother:
"Hark ye, mother--oughtn't we to buy us a lamp?"
"A lamp? What sort of a lamp?"
"What! Don't you know that the storekeeper who lives in the market
town has brought from St. Petersburg lamps that actually burn
better than ten PAREA? [Footnote: A pare (pr. payray; Swed.,
perta; Ger., pergei) is a resinous pine chip, or splinter, used
instead of torch or candle to light the poorer houses in Finland.] They've
already got a lamp of the sort at the parsonage."
"Oh, yes! Isn't it one of those things which shines in the middle
of the room so that we can see to read in every corner, just as if
it was broad daylight?"
"That's just it. There's oil that burns in it, and you only have
to light it of an evening, and it burns on without going out till
the next morning."
"But how can the wet oil burn?"
"You might as well ask--how can brandy burn?"
"But it might set the whole place on fire. When brandy begins to
burn you can't put it out, even with water."
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