Year: 1879

down on the river bank.


Since that day Guttorm was never
himself again. When he regained his
consciousness he was lying in bed, and
his father was sitting by him. A little
black coffin was standing on q chair
close by. There his little sister was
living, he was told. His mother was
walking up and down on the floor,
every now and then bursting into tears.
Later in the day people came and took
away the coffin, to bury it in the earth,
as they told him. His father went
with them, and his mother followed
them out. When Guttorm saw this he
threw himself out of the bed, dressed
hastily, and ran after them. Before
the father knew it he had caught hold
of his hand. Then he lifted him up in
his arms and carried him.


The way was long, but Guttorm sat
all the while staring at the little black
coffin. When they reached the church
yard they found some people gathered
there. There were many fine graves
with head-stones and crosses, and ths
minister was standing there in his
long black gown, and both within the
church and outside voices were sing
ing. The coffin was lowered down
into the ground, and the minister cast
earth upon it Then there was more
singing, and at last all went away.
Guttorm stared before him with open
mouth, and as they went still gazed
back toward the church-yard gate.


"Wil Dolly never more come back
to us. nowf" he whispered in his
fathers esr.


"Oh, yes, she viii surely come back
some time" answered the father. And
nothing more was said.


For q long time after that Guttorm
never spoke aloud. They saw him
walking about, shaking his head and
talking low to himself. The father had
obtained work in the neighborhood,
and was thus able to look after him.
Both he and the mother treated Gut
torn with forbearance; great gentle
ness had come over both of them Of
late.


One day, Guttorm had climbed upon
the great boWlder in the river, and
there he stood and talked. This he re-
peated day after day, until at last the
father brought some neighbors with
him and they rolled the bowlder away.
Another time he did not return for his
meals, and the father, after long
search, found him again in the river,
standing under the bush which had
caught DoIly's dress. He had waded
out into the water, and stood as if still
holding her head above the current.
As he caught sight of his father he gave
a start and cried out:


IT wasn't 1 who got little sister out
into the river"


"IknOw that well enough, :" answered
the father quietly, pulling out his knife
and beginning to cut down the bush.
But all Of a sudden Guttorm leaped up
and rushed against him like q wild
beast, beating him with clenched fists.
The father had all he could do to keep
him at arms length.


"You surely know thatDOlly is asleep
in the earth, so she can no more be
here" he said.


Then Guttorm grew calmer.


"DOlly asleep in the earth-Dolly
asleep in the earth" 4" he kept mutter-
ing to himself. "But will she then
never returnP' he added after a while,
with an anxious glance at his father.


"Oh, yes, she will surely return
some time" answered he, as before,
"and then you will take care of her
again, Guttorm.'


VIII you let me take care of herP'
asked the boy.


Eyes, you are the one to do it."


Guttorm nodded with his head as if
he were thinking,


"Dolly asleep in the EARTH" he
whispered. dolly is coming back
and shall take care of her again.


He made somersault and laughed.
The father took him by the hand and
led him home, but he did not cut down
the bush. The next day Guttorm rose
early. All night long he had been
heard talking contentediy with him
self. He ran up toward a pine grove
close to the highway, carrying with
him a spade and a pickax. and fell to
work with viii. He rolled
stones together; he tore up the
turf, and piled it up in small
hills. 1t seemed incredible that
such strength could dwell in him,
small as he was. No one had any idea
what he meant to do. If he was asked
he only laughed shreWdly. The grove
was worth very little, so the owner left
him in peace to amuse himself as he
liked. His father was happy, because
this new labor took him so far away
from the river. Little by little Gut
torm's intention revealed itself. He
was building church and church
yard. The church was built as nearly
as possible like the great church where
he had seen Dolly buried, and the
graves round about were similarly
placed and adorned with white and
brown headstones, Just as he had seen
them on that Sunday. Inside of the
wall, Just under the great window in
the nave, was Dolly's grave. He had
adorned it in a very fantastic way with
flowers, pine-cones, shells and small
pieces of boards which he had carved
into figures. There he sat always when
he rested from his labor CT when his
food was brought to him.


One day he went into the huckster's
store and looked about him.


"What is it you want to-day, Gut
torm9" asked the huckster, kindly.


Guttorm laughed, and pointed to a
shelf where some colored ribbons were
lying.


"Ribbons for Dolly" he said.


The huckster cut off small piece Of
ribbon and gave it to him. He caught
it up eagerly, flung a shilling on the
counter, and ran away as II a mad dog
were at his heels. The huckster called
after him that he had paid too much;
but he only ran the faster. He was
afraid some one might take his prop
erty away from him. The ribbon he
bound around a small Cross which he
had made. She had had such ribbon
in her braid when he saw her last.
The cross he planted on her grave, and
watched It as If it had been Of gold. Il
the weather was wet, he wrapped 1t in
a pillow-case, lest it should be Injured.


GUttorm had to labor and toll for
many years before he got his little
church and his church-yard In complete
order; The parish people pitied the
poor, good-natured lad, and gave him
many a lift now and then. A house.
man had even made him minister
with black-painted gown, who stood
in the pulpit, and gradually he also got
together congregation, both men and
women, who sat scattered about in the
pews,


In the course of time this
place of Guttorm's became known
far and wide, and all travellers
who came through the valley had
TO stop to see his church-yard. And
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