Year: 1876




to build herself little house. All the
faulty bricks were given to her, and few
perfect ones into the bargain, for the eldest
brother was a good-natured man, though
he certainly did not achieve anything be-
yond the manufacture of bricks. The poor
woman put together the house for herself
1t was little and narrow, and the single
window was quite crooked. The door was
too low, and the thatchcd roof might have
shewn better workmanship. but after all ,
it was a shelter and from the little house
you could look far across the sea, whose
waves broke vainly against the protecting
rampant on which it was built The salt
billows spurted their spray over the whole
house, which was still standing when he
who had given the bricks for its erection had
long been dead and buried.


The second brother knew better how to
build a wall for he had served an apprentice
ship to it. When he had served his time
and passed his examination, he packed his
knapsack and sang the iourneyman's
song:


While am young I'll wander from place to place


I'll roam,


And everywhere build houses, until come back
| home.


And youth VIII give me courage, and my true love


won't forget;


Hurrah then for a workman's life I'll be a master
| yet.


And he carried his idea into effect. When
he had come home and become a master, he
built one house after another in the town.
He built whole street; and when the street
was finished and became an ornament to
the place, the houses built house for him
in return, that was to be his own. But
how can houses build house? If you ask
them they will not answer you, but people
will understand what is meant by the ex-
preston, and say, Certainly, it was lit
tle,and the floor was covered with clay;" but
when he danced with his bride upon this
clay floor. it seemed to become polished oak /;
and from every stone in the wall sprung forth
a flower, and the room was gay, as if with
costliest paper-hanger's work. 1t was
pretty house, and in it lived happy pair.
The flag of the guild huttered before the
house, and the journeymen and apprentices
shouted hurrah Yes, he certainly was
something and at last he died and that
was something. too.


Now came the architect the third brother.
who had been at first carpenters appren-
tice, had worn cap, and served as an er-
rand-boy, but had afterward gone to the
academy, and risen to become an architect,
and to be called "honored sirn Yes, if the
houses of the street had built a house for
the brother who had become brick-layer,
the street now received its name from the
architect, and the handsomest house in it
became hisprOperty. That was something,
and he wassomething; and he had a long title
before and after his name. His children were
called genteel children, and when he died his
widow was ga widow of rank" and that is
something and his name always remained
at the corner of the street, and lived on in
the mouth of every one as the streets name
and that was something!


Now came the genius of the family, the
fourth brother, who wanted to invent some
thing new and original, and an additional
story on the top of it for himself. But the
top story tumbled down, and he came tumb-
| ling down with it, and broke his neck. New
ertheless he had a splendid funeral with
guild flags and music; spoems in the papers,
and flowers strewn on the paving-stones
and three funeral orations were held over
him, each one longer than the last, which
would have rejoiced him greatly, for he al
ways liked it when people talked about him;
and monument also was erected over his
grave. 1t was only one story high, but still
it was something.


Now he was dead, like the other three
brothers, but the last, the one who was
critic, outlived them all; and that
was quite right, for by this means he got the
last word, and it was of great importance to
him to have the last word, The people al
ways said he had good head of his own.
At last his hour came, and he died, and
came to the gates of Paradise. There souls
| always enter two and two, and he came up
with another soul that wanted to get into
Paradise, too, and who should this be but
old Dame Margaret, from the house upon the
| sea wall.


81 suppose this is done for the sake of
contrast thatI and this wretched soul should
arrive here at exactly the same time" said
the critic. "Pray, who are you, my good
woman?" he asked. "Do you want to get
in here, too?"


And the old woman courtesed as well as
she could she thought it must be st. Peter
himself talking to her.


81 am poor old woman of very humble
family" she replied. "Pm old Margaret
that lived in the house on the sea wall ~


"Well, and what have you done? what
have you accomplished down thcre?"


81 have really accomplished nothing at
all in the world; nothing that can plead to
have the doors here opened to me, 1t would
be real mercy to me to slip in through the
gate"


"In what manner did you leave the world?"
asked he, just for the sake of saying some-
thing for it was wearisome work standing
there and saying nothing,


"Why, really don't know how left. |
was sick and miserable during my last year,
and could not well bear creeping out of bed,
and going out suddenly into the frost and
cold. 1t was hard winter, but have got
out of it all now. For Il few days the weather
was quite calm, but very cold, us your honor
must very well know. The sea was covered
with ice as far as one could look. All the
people from town walked out upon the ice,
and | think they said there was a dance
there, and skating. There was beautiful
music and great feast there, too; the sound
came into my poor little room where lay
ill., And it was toward the evening the
moon had risen beautifully. hut il was not