Kaskilde was not more than twenty miles from Copenhagen, and accessible
by rail.
Dolores was surprised to find many of the tombs exquisitely carved with
marble and alabaster. One of the most interesting bore the life-sized
figure of Queen Margaret, who died in 1412. The beautifully-portrayed
features, full of expression, were declared to be a correct likeness of
the fair queen.
In the centre of the church upon a large iron slab set into the floor,
it was recorded that "This spot is purchased by Nils Jurgersen, of the
Church, as a resting place for his posterity for all time to come: in
order that his family need not change their burial-place every twenty
years, _as other people do_." But in spite of this sarcastic reference
to other people, the royal mandate went forth, that no more people not
of royal blood should be buried in the church. And Nils Jurgersen's
descendants are obliged to sleep out of doors, like "other people,"
after all.
High up in the nave of the church stood a huge clock. Before it two
half-sized figures carved in wood. At the end of each hour, the man
struck the time with a hammer upon the face of the clock: while the
quarter-hours were struck by the woman against a small bell.
"This little old couple have been faithful to each other during four
hundred years," said Percy, as he stood beside Dolores watching the
figures. "Is not that a wonderful illustration of constancy?"
"Yes," Dolores answered, laughing. "Such illustrations are readily
found, in wood. But how presumptive of man--to produce such an example,
when the Creator gave him no human precedent!"
"I must tell you about the clock," continued Percy. "Originally, there
were figures of St. George upon a horse, fighting the Dragon. Every time
the clock struck, the Dragon sprang upon the horse, and the latter gave
a wild scream. But there was an old priest who complained that the noise
of this battle disturbed him in his preaching: so the Knight and the
Dragon--wonderful pieces of mechanism--were destroyed to please one
conceited old egotist. And, furthermore, he commanded that the faithful
old couple should be compelled to keep the Sabbath like other people.
The machinery of the clock was so arranged, in accordance with his
wishes, that no hours have been struck on the Sabbath since that time."
Hanging in a prominent part of the church, Mrs. Butler discovered a
painting which amused her greatly. It represented the devil, well horned
and hoofed, gazing sharply at the pews, in his hand a pencil and a
scroll. On the latter was inscribed: "I make a note of all those who
come late or go around and tattle."
"I wish I were able to purchase this painting and send it over to
America," Mrs. Butler remarked. "We need it there, I am sure."
At the expiration of two weeks, the blockade still continued. The whole
Baltic, as well as the North Sea, was one mass of floating ice, which
the powerful currents and tides in the connecting channels kept in
motion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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