This song of the people possesses a rare plaintiveness, and describes
how a peasant girl had expected her lover, but he came not, and her
grief at seeing him with a rival. The ballad is touching to a degree,
and the verse--
"Hvor kan man plukker Roser
Hvor ingen Roser groer?
Hvor kan man finde Kjaerlighed
Hvor Kjaerlighed ej boer?"
"Where can one pluck roses
Where no roses grow?
Where can one find affection
Where no affection lives?"
is exquisitely tender. Helga had heard the song often, and sang it
herself, but it had never seemed to possess such a depth of feeling.
Hardy got up from the piano, and saw that Helga's eyes were tearful.
"I thank you, Hardy," said the Pastor. "No man can sing like that
unless his heart is true."
"I am sure of it, father," said Helga. "I never heard anything so
beautiful in my life!"
"But, Hardy, you are going away; and how will you take the piano?"
asked Pastor Lindal.
"If you would allow it to remain with you, Herr Pastor, during the
autumn and winter, I should be much indebted to you," said Hardy. "But
if Froken Helga would accept it as a recollection of a cool and
calculating Englishman, I will give it her with pleasure."
Before the Pastor could reply, his daughter had.
"I will accept it gratefully;" and she rose up and, after the Danish
manner, gave her hand to Hardy, and said, using a Danish expression,
"a thousand thanks."
"Thank you, Hardy, very much," said the Pastor. "You have done us many
kindnesses; but after visiting the poor and the sick in my parish, the
knowledge that I shall hear my daughter's voice, that is so like my
wife's, singing in the winter evenings, will be a comfort to me."
The next day they went to Rosendal, and met Macdonald with his plans.
The being on the spot and understanding what was proposed to be done
was a different thing to seeing the plans at the parsonage. The
reality struck Helga. She was much interested, and Hardy saw that she
understood and entered into everything. There was nothing to suggest
or to alter in Macdonald's plans, and Hardy at once arranged for their
execution. The Danish bailiff was at first obstructive, but Hardy's
quiet, decisive manner changed the position, and gradually it dawned
upon him that the place would be greatly improved, and that the
residence of an English family for part of the year at Rosendal would
not prejudice him.
Karl and Axel had been on the lake trolling, but they had caught
nothing, and came back disappointed to the mansion, and begged Hardy
to fish, if but to catch one pike.
Hardy said he could not leave the Pastor and his daughter while he
went fishing with them.
"We must have a pike for dinner," said the Pastor, "and as the boys
cannot catch one, you must, Hardy."
"May I go in the boat?" asked Helga. "I have never seen Herr Hardy
fish."
"Oh, pike-fishing is nothing," said Karl "It is trout-fishing with a
fly that Herr Hardy does so well."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account