The Portland daily press., 1877-12-08
The Father.

Wish MIN cnrlStened."
"What shall be his name?''
"Finn, after my father"
sand the sponsors?"
Thord told their names, and they were the
best men of the parish, land women of his own
kin.
rs there anything more? ?" asked the Par
son he looked up.
Thord stood moment 81 would like to
have him baptised alone," he said.
"ThaL is to say on week day?"
Yes, Saturday, next, at 12 O'clock"
us there anything morer
ssNo, that is all.''
@Thord fumbled with his cap; he was about
to leave. Then the Parson arose, went straight
to him and grasped his hand. sGod grant,
he said looking into his eyes, "that this child
be blessing to you."
Sixteen years after that day Thord stood
once more in the Parsons study "Thou
keepest on quite well Thord," said the Par
son; he could see no change in him.
'For have no griefs," answered Thord.
To this the Parson said nothing, but after
awhile he asked: 'What is thy errand to-
night?"
''To-night have come for my sou. He is
to be confirmed tomorrow.
'He is good boy"
81 would not pay you until I knew what
place he was to have among the other boys"
HE is number one,"
81 hear so, and these ten dollars are for
you.'
he looked at Thord."
"No, that is ALL" And Thord went away.
Eight years passed away, and then one day
great noise was heard outside the Parsons
study, for many men were coming, ,and Thord
was at their head. The Parson looked up
and knew him. ''Thou comest in big COM
pany today" he said.
II come to have the banns read for my son.
He is going to marry Karen Horlidep, daugh-
ter of Gudmund, who stands here"
''She is the richest girl in the parish.'
"People say so," answered Thord; he
smoothed away the hair from his forehead"
The Parson sat moment in deep thought.
He said nothing, but put down the names in
his book and the men signed. Thord laid
three silver dollars on the table.
II should have only one," said the Par
son.
Il know it, but he is my only child, and l
want tc do this nicely" The Parson took
the money.
''This is the the third time, Thord, thou
standsst here for thy son."
"But this time is also the last" said Thord
''for now am done with him." He folded
his pocket-book, bade farewell, and went
away, the other men following slowly.
Ten days after that day father and son
were rowing in calm weather, over the lake to
Storinden farm to speak about the wedding
feast.
''This seat is not firm under me-" said the
son; he rose to make it right. But the board
be stood upon slipped. He threw up his
arms, shrieked and fell into the water.
''Take hold of this oar" said his father; he
stood up and held it out. But when the son
had made few strokes he grew stiff
''Wait minute" cried the father; he
rowed toward him. But the son fell back,
looked longingly at the father and sank.
Thord could not believe it. He kept the
boat still and stared at the spot where the son
had gone down, sure that he must come up
again. Some bubbles arose, few more,
then one big one tnat burst-and smooth lay
the water like glass.
For two days and two nights people saw
the father rowing about this one spot. taking
no food, no sleep; he sought for his son. On
the third day, toward morning, he found him
and bore him home on his shoulder up over
the hills.
About year passed. Then, Late one even
ing in the fall, the Parson heard somebody
cropping in the entry and feeling for the latch.
he opened the door, and tall but STOPPING
man came in; he was thin and had gray hair
The Parson looked at him for a long while
before he knew him. 1t was Thord.
"Thou comest late," said the Parson, and
stood still before him.
"Yes, come late," said Thord: he sat
down.
The Parson sat down too, as if waiting.
There was long silence.
Then said Thord, 81 have something with
me which L want to give to the poor" He
arose, laid money on the table and sat down
again. The Parson counted the money. SIT
is a great sum-" he said.
"Half of what have; I sold my farm to-
day."
The Parson sat long in silence. At last he
asked mildly; "What wilt thou do now?n
Something BETTER"
They sat awhiIe-Thord with his ewes fixed
on the floor, the Parson with his ewes fixed on
Thord. Then said the Parson slowly and
very kindly, snow, think thy son has be-
come blessing unto thee.''
"I think SO too," said Thord; he looked up
and two tears ran heavily down his cheeks.
sThe Eagles Nest.
Endreplace was the name of hamlet which
lay insulated between high cliffs. The bottom
OF the valley was fiat and fertile, but cut by
broad river which came down from the cliffs.
This river empted into large sheet of water
which bordered the place on one side and
opened up wide view.
He who first cleared the valley came row.
ing across this water. His name was Endre,
and it was bis descendants who now lived
there. Some said he sought refuge here on
account OF a murder, and that was the reason
why the whole clan looked so stern, but 9TH
ers said it was due to the cliffs which, even on
midsummer's day, shut out the sun at 5
O'Clock In the afternoon.
Over the hamlet hung an eagles nest. 1t
was built on ledge, jutting out high up in
lace OF the cliff; all could see where the
eagle-mother sat, but none could get up there.
The other eagle sailed above the hamlet and
swooped down, now and then, on a lamb or
a kid; once he clutehed small child and
carried it away. Since that time people in
the hamlet felt uneasy as long as the eagle
had his nest on the rock. A story was told
that once, in old times, there were two broth
ers who reached the 4edge and tore down the
nest out nowadays none was equal to the
task.
whenever two people met in Endreplace,
they spoke OF the eagles nest and looked up
toward 1t. ihey knew the day when the
Dlrds mad come last year, the spot where they
had swooped down and done mischief the
name of him who, the last, had tried to get
up there; and from early childhood all The
boys practiced wrestling and climbing the
trees ahd crags, that they might be able some
day to reach this ledge and tear down the
nest as those two brothers had done.
At the time of this story, Lief was the
finest lad in Endreplace, but he was not of
the clan. He had curly hair and small eyes
was foremost in all kinds of sports, and fond
OF women. He said early of himself that
he should, some day, reach the eagles nest,
but the old folks said that he had better not
speak so loud of it.
He fretted at this, and before he reached
his best years he tried. 1t was clear. Sun
day forenoon in early summer: the Young
birds were just hatched. Many people had
crowded together uDder the rock TO look on.
The old men dissuaded. the young men en-
couraged. But Left followed only his own
will, waited till the eagIe-mother had left the
nest, sprang up and hung by a tree some
yards above the ground. The tree grew out
of cleft in the wall, and along this cleft he
began to 60 up. Small pebbles loosened un-