PARTI
TheWildLandI
OneJanuaryday,thirtyyearsago,thelittletownofHanover,anchoredonawindyNe—
braskatableland,wastryingnottobeblownaway。Amistoffinesnowflakeswascurlingandeddyingabouttheclusteroflowdrabbuildingshuddledonthegrayprairie,underagraysky。Thedwelling—housesweresetabouthaphazardonthetoughprairiesod;someofthemlookedasiftheyhadbeenmovedinovernight,andothersasiftheywerestrayingoffbythemselves,headedstraightfortheopenplain。Noneofthemhadanyappearanceofpermanence,andthehowlingwindblewunderthemaswellasoverthem。Themainstreetwasadeeplyruttedroad,nowfrozenhard,whichranfromthesquatredrailwaystationandthegrain\"elevator\"atthenorthendofthetowntothelumberyardandthehorsepondatthesouthend。Oneithersideofthisroadstraggledtwounevenrowsofwoodenbuildings;thegeneralmerchandisestores,thetwobanks,thedrugstore,thefeedstore,thesaloon,thepost—office。Theboardsidewalksweregraywithtrampledsnow,butattwoo’clockintheafternoontheshopkeepers,hav—
ingcomebackfromdinner,werekeepingwellbehindtheirfrostywindows。Thechildrenwereallinschool,andtherewasnobodyabroadinthestreetsbutafewrough—lookingcountry—
menincoarseovercoats,withtheirlongcapspulleddowntotheirnoses。Someofthemhadbroughttheirwivestotown,andnowandthenaredoraplaidshawlflashedoutofonestoreintotheshelterofanother。Atthehitch—barsalongthestreetafewheavywork—horses,har—
nessedtofarmwagons,shiveredundertheirblankets。Aboutthestationeverythingwasquiet,fortherewouldnotbeanothertraininuntilnight。
OnthesidewalkinfrontofoneofthestoressatalittleSwedeboy,cryingbitterly。Hewasaboutfiveyearsold。Hisblackclothcoatwasmuchtoobigforhimandmadehimlooklikealittleoldman。Hisshrunkenbrownflanneldresshadbeenwashedmanytimesandleftalongstretchofstockingbetweenthehemofhisskirtandthetopsofhisclumsy,copper—toedshoes。Hiscapwaspulleddownoverhisears;
hisnoseandhischubbycheekswerechappedandredwithcold。Hecriedquietly,andthefewpeoplewhohurriedbydidnotnoticehim。
Hewasafraidtostopanyone,afraidtogointothestoreandaskforhelp,sohesatwringinghislongsleevesandlookingupatelegraphpolebesidehim,whimpering,\"Mykitten,oh,mykitten!Herwillfweeze!\"Atthetopofthepolecrouchedashiveringgraykitten,mewingfaintlyandclingingdesperatelytothewoodwithherclaws。Theboyhadbeenleftatthestorewhilehissisterwenttothedoctor’soffice,andinherabsenceadoghadchasedhiskit—
tenupthepole。Thelittlecreaturehadneverbeensohighbefore,andshewastoofrightenedtomove。Hermasterwassunkindespair。Hewasalittlecountryboy,andthisvillagewastohimaverystrangeandperplexingplace,wherepeopleworefineclothesandhadhardhearts。
Healwaysfeltshyandawkwardhere,andwantedtohidebehindthingsforfearsomeonemightlaughathim。Justnow,hewastooun—
happytocarewholaughed。Atlastheseemedtoseearayofhope:hissisterwascoming,andhegotupandrantowardherinhisheavyshoes。
Hissisterwasatall,stronggirl,andshewalkedrapidlyandresolutely,asifsheknewexactlywhereshewasgoingandwhatshewasgoingtodonext。Sheworeaman’slongulster(notasifitwereanaffliction,butasifitwereverycomfortableandbelongedtoher;carrieditlikeayoungsoldier),andaroundplushcap,tieddownwithathickveil。Shehadaserious,thoughtfulface,andherclear,deepblueeyeswerefixedintentlyonthedistance,withoutseemingtoseeanything,asifshewereintrouble。Shedidnotnoticethelittleboyuntilhepulledherbythecoat。Thenshestoppedshortandstoopeddowntowipehiswetface。
\"Why,Emil!Itoldyoutostayinthestoreandnottocomeout。Whatisthematterwithyou?\"
\"Mykitten,sister,mykitten!Amanputherout,andadogchasedherupthere。\"Hisforefinger,projectingfromthesleeveofhiscoat,pointeduptothewretchedlittlecreatureonthepole。
\"Oh,Emil!Didn’tItellyoushe’dgetusintotroubleofsomekind,ifyoubroughther?
Whatmadeyouteasemeso?Butthere,I
oughttohaveknownbettermyself。\"Shewenttothefootofthepoleandheldoutherarms,crying,\"Kitty,kitty,kitty,\"butthekittenonlymewedandfaintlywaveditstail。Alex—
andraturnedawaydecidedly。\"No,shewon’tcomedown。Somebodywillhavetogoupafterher。IsawtheLinstrums’wagonintown。I’llgoandseeifIcanfindCarl。Maybehecandosomething。Onlyyoumuststopcrying,orI
won’tgoastep。Where’syourcomforter?Didyouleaveitinthestore?Nevermind。Holdstill,tillIputthisonyou。\"
Sheunwoundthebrownveilfromherheadandtieditabouthisthroat。Ashabbylittletravelingman,whowasjustthencomingoutofthestoreonhiswaytothesaloon,stoppedandgazedstupidlyattheshiningmassofhairshebaredwhenshetookoffherveil;twothickbraids,pinnedaboutherheadintheGermanway,withafringeofreddish—yellowcurlsblow—
ingoutfromunderhercap。Hetookhiscigaroutofhismouthandheldthewetendbetweenthefingersofhiswoolenglove。\"MyGod,girl,whataheadofhair!\"heexclaimed,quiteinnocentlyandfoolishly。ShestabbedhimwithaglanceofAmazonianfiercenessanddrewinherlowerlip——mostunnecessaryseverity。Itgavethelittleclothingdrummersuchastartthatheactuallylethiscigarfalltotheside—
walkandwentoffweaklyintheteethofthewindtothesaloon。Hishandwasstillunsteadywhenhetookhisglassfromthebartender。Hisfeebleflirtatiousinstinctshadbeencrushedbefore,butneversomercilessly。Hefeltcheapandill—used,asifsomeonehadtakenadvan—
tageofhim。Whenadrummerhadbeenknock—
ingaboutinlittledrabtownsandcrawlingacrossthewintrycountryindirtysmoking—
cars,washetobeblamedif,whenhechanceduponafinehumancreature,hesuddenlywishedhimselfmoreofaman?
Whilethelittledrummerwasdrinkingtorecoverhisnerve,AlexandrahurriedtothedrugstoreasthemostlikelyplacetofindCarlLinstrum。Therehewas,turningoveraport—
folioofchromo\"studies\"whichthedruggistsoldtotheHanoverwomenwhodidchina—
painting。Alexandraexplainedherpredica—
ment,andtheboyfollowedhertothecorner,whereEmilstillsatbythepole。
\"I’llhavetogoupafterher,Alexandra。I
thinkatthedepottheyhavesomespikesIcanstraponmyfeet。Waitaminute。\"Carlthrusthishandsintohispockets,loweredhishead,anddartedupthestreetagainstthenorthwind。Hewasatallboyoffifteen,slightandnarrow—chested。Whenhecamebackwiththespikes,Alexandraaskedhimwhathehaddonewithhisovercoat。
\"Ileftitinthedrugstore。Icouldn’tclimbinit,anyhow。CatchmeifIfall,Emil,\"hecalledbackashebeganhisascent。Alexandrawatchedhimanxiously;thecoldwasbitterenoughontheground。Thekittenwouldnotbudgeaninch。Carlhadtogototheverytopofthepole,andthenhadsomedifficultyintear—
ingherfromherhold。Whenhereachedtheground,hehandedthecattohertearfullittlemaster。\"Nowgointothestorewithher,Emil,andgetwarm。\"Heopenedthedoorforthechild。\"Waitaminute,Alexandra。Whycan’tIdriveforyouasfarasourplace?It’sget—
tingcoldereveryminute。Haveyouseenthedoctor?\"
\"Yes。Heiscomingoverto—morrow。Buthesaysfathercan’tgetbetter;can’tgetwell。\"
Thegirl’sliptrembled。Shelookedfixedlyupthebleakstreetasifsheweregatheringherstrengthtofacesomething,asifsheweretry—
ingwithallhermighttograspasituationwhich,nomatterhowpainful,mustbemetanddealtwithsomehow。Thewindflappedtheskirtsofherheavycoatabouther。
Carldidnotsayanything,butshefelthissympathy。He,too,waslonely。Hewasathin,frailboy,withbroodingdarkeyes,veryquietinallhismovements。Therewasadelicatepallorinhisthinface,andhismouthwastoosensitiveforaboy’s。Thelipshadalreadyalittlecurlofbitternessandskepticism。Thetwofriendsstoodforafewmomentsonthewindystreetcorner,notspeakingaword,astwotravelers,whohavelosttheirway,sometimesstandandadmittheirperplexityinsilence。WhenCarlturnedawayhesaid,\"I’llseetoyourteam。\"
Alexandrawentintothestoretohaveherpur—
chasespackedintheegg—boxes,andtogetwarmbeforeshesetoutonherlongcolddrive。
WhenshelookedforEmil,shefoundhimsit—
tingonastepofthestaircasethatleduptotheclothingandcarpetdepartment。Hewasplay—
ingwithalittleBohemiangirl,MarieTovesky,whowastyingherhandkerchiefoverthekit—
ten’sheadforabonnet。Mariewasastrangerinthecountry,havingcomefromOmahawithhermothertovisitheruncle,JoeTovesky。Shewasadarkchild,withbrowncurlyhair,likeabrunettedoll’s,acoaxinglittleredmouth,andround,yellow—browneyes。Everyonenoticedhereyes;thebrownirishadgoldenglintsthatmadethemlooklikegold—stone,or,insofterlights,likethatColoradomineralcalledtiger—eye。
Thecountrychildrenthereaboutsworetheirdressestotheirshoe—tops,butthiscitychildwasdressedinwhatwasthencalledthe\"KateGreenaway\"manner,andherredcashmerefrock,gatheredfullfromtheyoke,camealmosttothefloor。This,withherpokebonnet,gaveherthelookofaquaintlittlewoman。ShehadawhitefurtippetaboutherneckandmadenofussyobjectionswhenEmilfingereditadmiringly。Alexandrahadnotthehearttotakehimawayfromsoprettyaplayfellow,andsheletthemteasethekittentogetheruntilJoeToveskycameinnoisilyandpickeduphislittleniece,settingheronhisshoulderforeveryonetosee。Hischildrenwereallboys,andheadoredthislittlecreature。Hiscroniesformedacircleabouthim,admiringandteasingthelittlegirl,whotooktheirjokeswithgreatgoodnature。Theywerealldelightedwithher,fortheyseldomsawsoprettyandcarefullynur—
turedachild。Theytoldherthatshemustchooseoneofthemforasweetheart,andeachbeganpressinghissuitandofferingherbribes;
candy,andlittlepigs,andspottedcalves。Shelookedarchlyintothebig,brown,mustachedfaces,smellingofspiritsandtobacco,thensheranhertinyforefingerdelicatelyoverJoe’sbristlychinandsaid,\"Hereismysweetheart。\"
TheBohemiansroaredwithlaughter,andMarie’sunclehuggedheruntilshecried,\"Pleasedon’t,UncleJoe!Youhurtme。\"EachofJoe’sfriendsgaveherabagofcandy,andshekissedthemallaround,thoughshedidnotlikecoun—
trycandyverywell。PerhapsthatwaswhyshebethoughtherselfofEmil。\"Letmedown,UncleJoe,\"shesaid,\"IwanttogivesomeofmycandytothatnicelittleboyIfound。\"ShewalkedgraciouslyovertoEmil,followedbyherlustyadmirers,whoformedanewcircleandteasedthelittleboyuntilhehidhisfaceinhissister’sskirts,andshehadtoscoldhimforbeingsuchababy。
Thefarmpeopleweremakingpreparationstostartforhome。Thewomenwerecheckingovertheirgroceriesandpinningtheirbigredshawlsabouttheirheads。Themenwerebuy—
ingtobaccoandcandywithwhatmoneytheyhadleft,wereshowingeachothernewbootsandglovesandblueflannelshirts。ThreebigBohemiansweredrinkingrawalcohol,tincturedwithoilofcinnamon。Thiswassaidtofortifyoneeffectuallyagainstthecold,andtheysmackedtheirlipsaftereachpullattheflask。
Theirvolubilitydrownedeveryothernoiseintheplace,andtheoverheatedstoresoundedoftheirspiritedlanguageasitreekedofpipesmoke,dampwoolens,andkerosene。
Carlcamein,wearinghisovercoatandcarry—
ingawoodenboxwithabrasshandle。\"Come,\"
hesaid,\"I’vefedandwateredyourteam,andthewagonisready。\"HecarriedEmiloutandtuckedhimdowninthestrawinthewagon—
box。Theheathadmadethelittleboysleepy,buthestillclungtohiskitten。
\"Youwereawfulgoodtoclimbsohighandgetmykitten,Carl。WhenIgetbigI’llclimbandgetlittleboys’kittensforthem,\"hemur—
mureddrowsily。Beforethehorseswereoverthefirsthill,Emilandhiscatwerebothfastasleep。
Althoughitwasonlyfouro’clock,thewinterdaywasfading。Theroadledsouthwest,towardthestreakofpale,waterylightthatglimmeredintheleadensky。Thelightfelluponthetwosadyoungfacesthatwereturnedmutelytowardit:upontheeyesofthegirl,whoseemedtobelookingwithsuchanguishedperplexityintothefuture;uponthesombreeyesoftheboy,whoseemedalreadytobelookingintothepast。
Thelittletownbehindthemhadvanishedasifithadneverbeen,hadfallenbehindtheswelloftheprairie,andthesternfrozencountryreceivedthemintoitsbosom。Thehomesteadswerefewandfarapart;hereandthereawind—
millgauntagainstthesky,asodhousecrouch—
inginahollow。Butthegreatfactwasthelanditself,whichseemedtooverwhelmthelittlebeginningsofhumansocietythatstruggledinitssombrewastes。Itwasfromfacingthisvasthardnessthattheboy’smouthhadbecomesobitter;becausehefeltthatmenweretooweaktomakeanymarkhere,thatthelandwantedtobeletalone,topreserveitsownfiercestrength,itspeculiar,savagekindofbeauty,itsuninterruptedmournfulness。
Thewagonjoltedalongoverthefrozenroad。
Thetwofriendshadlesstosaytoeachotherthanusual,asifthecoldhadsomehowpene—
tratedtotheirhearts。
\"DidLouandOscargototheBluetocutwoodto—day?\"Carlasked。
\"Yes。I’malmostsorryIletthemgo,it’sturnedsocold。Butmotherfretsifthewoodgetslow。\"Shestoppedandputherhandtoherforehead,brushingbackherhair。\"Idon’tknowwhatistobecomeofus,Carl,iffatherhastodie。Idon’tdaretothinkaboutit。I
wishwecouldallgowithhimandletthegrassgrowbackovereverything。\"
Carlmadenoreply。JustaheadofthemwastheNorwegiangraveyard,wherethegrasshad,indeed,grownbackovereverything,shaggyandred,hidingeventhewirefence。Carlreal—
izedthathewasnotaveryhelpfulcompanion,buttherewasnothinghecouldsay。
\"Ofcourse,\"Alexandrawenton,steadyinghervoicealittle,\"theboysarestrongandworkhard,butwe’vealwaysdependedsoonfatherthatIdon’tseehowwecangoahead。Ialmostfeelasiftherewerenothingtogoaheadfor。\"
\"Doesyourfatherknow?\"
\"Yes,Ithinkhedoes。Heliesandcountsonhisfingersallday。Ithinkheistryingtocountupwhatheisleavingforus。It’sacom—
forttohimthatmychickensarelayingrightonthroughthecoldweatherandbringinginalittlemoney。Iwishwecouldkeephismindoffsuchthings,butIdon’thavemuchtimetobewithhimnow。\"
\"Iwonderifhe’dliketohavemebringmymagiclanternoversomeevening?\"
Alexandraturnedherfacetowardhim。\"Oh,Carl!Haveyougotit?\"
\"Yes。It’sbackthereinthestraw。Didn’tyounoticetheboxIwascarrying?Itrieditallmorninginthedrug—storecellar,anditworkedeversowell,makesfinebigpictures。\"
\"Whataretheyabout?\"
\"Oh,huntingpicturesinGermany,andRobinsonCrusoeandfunnypicturesaboutcannibals。I’mgoingtopaintsomeslidesforitonglass,outoftheHansAndersenbook。\"
Alexandraseemedactuallycheered。Thereisoftenagooddealofthechildleftinpeoplewhohavehadtogrowuptoosoon。\"Dobringitover,Carl。Icanhardlywaittoseeit,andI’msureitwillpleasefather。Arethepicturescol—
ored?ThenIknowhe’lllikethem。HelikesthecalendarsIgethimintown。IwishIcouldgetmore。Youmustleavemehere,mustn’tyou?It’sbeennicetohavecompany。\"
Carlstoppedthehorsesandlookeddubi—
ouslyupattheblacksky。\"It’sprettydark。
Ofcoursethehorseswilltakeyouhome,butI
thinkI’dbetterlightyourlantern,incaseyoushouldneedit。\"
Hegaveherthereinsandclimbedbackintothewagon—box,wherehecroucheddownandmadeatentofhisovercoat。Afteradozentrialshesucceededinlightingthelantern,whichheplacedinfrontofAlexandra,halfcoveringitwithablanketsothatthelightwouldnotshineinhereyes。\"Now,waituntilIfindmybox。Yes,hereitis。Good—night,Alexandra。
Trynottoworry。\"CarlsprangtothegroundandranoffacrossthefieldstowardtheLinstrumhomestead。\"Hoo,hoo—o—o—o!\"hecalledbackashedisappearedoveraridgeanddroppedintoasandgully。Thewindansweredhimlikeanecho,\"Hoo,hoo—o—o—o—o—o!\"Alexandradroveoffalone。Therattleofherwagonwaslostinthehowlingofthewind,butherlantern,heldfirmlybetweenherfeet,madeamovingpointoflightalongthehighway,goingdeeperanddeeperintothedarkcountry。
II
OnoneoftheridgesofthatwintrywastestoodthelowloghouseinwhichJohnBergsonwasdying。TheBergsonhomesteadwaseasiertofindthanmanyanother,becauseitover—
lookedNorwayCreek,ashallow,muddystreamthatsometimesflowed,andsometimesstoodstill,atthebottomofawindingravinewithsteep,shelvingsidesovergrownwithbrushandcottonwoodsanddwarfash。Thiscreekgaveasortofidentitytothefarmsthatbordereduponit。Ofallthebewilderingthingsaboutanewcountry,theabsenceofhumanlandmarksisoneofthemostdepressinganddisheartening。
ThehousesontheDivideweresmallandwereusuallytuckedawayinlowplaces;youdidnotseethemuntilyoucamedirectlyuponthem。
Mostofthemwerebuiltofthesoditself,andwereonlytheunescapablegroundinanotherform。Theroadswerebutfainttracksinthegrass,andthefieldswerescarcelynoticeable。
Therecordoftheplowwasinsignificant,likethefeeblescratchesonstoneleftbyprehistoricraces,soindeterminatethattheymay,afterall,beonlythemarkingsofglaciers,andnotarec—
ordofhumanstrivings。
InelevenlongyearsJohnBergsonhadmadebutlittleimpressionuponthewildlandhehadcometotame。Itwasstillawildthingthathaditsuglymoods;andnooneknewwhentheywerelikelytocome,orwhy。Mischancehungoverit。ItsGeniuswasunfriendlytoman。Thesickmanwasfeelingthisashelaylookingoutofthewindow,afterthedoctorhadlefthim,onthedayfollowingAlexandra’striptotown。
Thereitlayoutsidehisdoor,thesameland,thesamelead—coloredmiles。Hekneweveryridgeanddrawandgullybetweenhimandthehorizon。Tothesouth,hisplowedfields;totheeast,thesodstables,thecattlecorral,thepond,——andthenthegrass。
Bergsonwentoverinhismindthethingsthathadheldhimback。Onewinterhiscattlehadperishedinablizzard。Thenextsummeroneofhisplowhorsesbrokeitsleginaprairie—
dogholeandhadtobeshot。Anothersummerhelosthishogsfromcholera,andavaluablestalliondiedfromarattlesnakebite。Timeandagainhiscropshadfailed。Hehadlosttwochildren,boys,thatcamebetweenLouandEmil,andtherehadbeenthecostofsicknessanddeath。Now,whenhehadatlaststruggledoutofdebt,hewasgoingtodiehimself。Hewasonlyforty—six,andhad,ofcourse,counteduponmoretime。
BergsonhadspenthisfirstfiveyearsontheDividegettingintodebt,andthelastsixgettingout。Hehadpaidoffhismortgagesandhadendedprettymuchwherehebegan,withtheland。Heownedexactlysixhundredandfortyacresofwhatstretchedoutsidehisdoor;hisownoriginalhomesteadandtimberclaim,makingthreehundredandtwentyacres,andthehalf—
sectionadjoining,thehomesteadofayoungerbrotherwhohadgivenupthefight,gonebacktoChicagotoworkinafancybakeryanddis—
tinguishhimselfinaSwedishathleticclub。SofarJohnhadnotattemptedtocultivatethesecondhalf—section,butuseditforpastureland,andoneofhissonsrodeherdthereinopenweather。
JohnBergsonhadtheOld—Worldbeliefthatland,initself,isdesirable。Butthislandwasanenigma。Itwaslikeahorsethatnooneknowshowtobreaktoharness,thatrunswildandkicksthingstopieces。Hehadanideathatnooneunderstoodhowtofarmitproperly,andthisheoftendiscussedwithAlexandra。Theirneighbors,certainly,knewevenlessaboutfarmingthanhedid。Manyofthemhadneverworkedonafarmuntiltheytookuptheirhomesteads。TheyhadbeenHANDWERKERS
athome;tailors,locksmiths,joiners,cigar—
makers,etc。Bergsonhimselfhadworkedinashipyard。
Forweeks,JohnBergsonhadbeenthinkingaboutthesethings。Hisbedstoodinthesitting—
room,nexttothekitchen。Throughtheday,whilethebakingandwashingandironingweregoingon,thefatherlayandlookedupattheroofbeamsthathehimselfhadhewn,oroutatthecattleinthecorral。Hecountedthecattleoverandover。Itdivertedhimtospeculateastohowmuchweighteachofthesteerswouldprobablyputonbyspring。Heoftencalledhisdaughterintotalktoheraboutthis。BeforeAlexandrawastwelveyearsoldshehadbeguntobeahelptohim,andasshegrewolderhehadcometodependmoreandmoreuponherresourcefulnessandgoodjudgment。Hisboyswerewillingenoughtowork,butwhenhetalkedwiththemtheyusuallyirritatedhim。ItwasAlexandrawhoreadthepapersandfol—
lowedthemarkets,andwholearnedbythemis—
takesoftheirneighbors。ItwasAlexandrawhocouldalwaystellaboutwhatithadcosttofat—
teneachsteer,andwhocouldguesstheweightofahogbeforeitwentonthescalescloserthanJohnBergsonhimself。LouandOscarwerein—
dustrious,buthecouldneverteachthemtousetheirheadsabouttheirwork。
Alexandra,herfatheroftensaidtohimself,waslikehergrandfather;whichwashiswayofsayingthatshewasintelligent。JohnBergson’sfatherhadbeenashipbuilder,amanofconsid—
erableforceandofsomefortune。Lateinlifehemarriedasecondtime,aStockholmwomanofquestionablecharacter,muchyoungerthanhe,whogoadedhimintoeverysortofextrava—
gance。Ontheshipbuilder’spart,thismarriagewasaninfatuation,thedespairingfollyofapowerfulmanwhocannotbeartogrowold。
Inafewyearshisunprincipledwifewarpedtheprobityofalifetime。Hespeculated,losthisownfortuneandfundsentrustedtohimbypoorseafaringmen,anddieddisgraced,leav—
inghischildrennothing。Butwhenallwassaid,hehadcomeupfromtheseahimself,hadbuiltupaproudlittlebusinesswithnocapitalbuthisownskillandforesight,andhadprovedhimselfaman。Inhisdaughter,JohnBergsonrecog—
nizedthestrengthofwill,andthesimpledirectwayofthinkingthingsout,thathadcharac—
terizedhisfatherinhisbetterdays。Hewouldmuchrather,ofcourse,haveseenthislikenessinoneofhissons,butitwasnotaquestionofchoice。Ashelaytheredayafterdayhehadtoacceptthesituationasitwas,andtobethank—
fulthattherewasoneamonghischildrentowhomhecouldentrustthefutureofhisfamilyandthepossibilitiesofhishard—wonland。
Thewintertwilightwasfading。Thesickmanheardhiswifestrikeamatchinthekitchen,andthelightofalampglimmeredthroughthecracksofthedoor。Itseemedlikealightshin—
ingfaraway。Heturnedpainfullyinhisbedandlookedathiswhitehands,withalltheworkgoneoutofthem。Hewasreadytogiveup,hefelt。Hedidnotknowhowithadcomeabout,buthewasquitewillingtogodeepun—
derhisfieldsandrest,wheretheplowcouldnotfindhim。Hewastiredofmakingmistakes。Hewascontenttoleavethetangletootherhands;
hethoughtofhisAlexandra’sstrongones。
\"DOTTER,\"hecalledfeebly,\"DOTTER!\"Heheardherquickstepandsawhertallfigureappearinthedoorway,withthelightofthelampbehindher。Hefeltheryouthandstrength,howeasilyshemovedandstoopedandlifted。Buthewouldnothavehaditagainifhecould,nothe!Heknewtheendtoowelltowishtobeginagain。Heknewwhereitallwentto,whatitallbecame。
Hisdaughtercameandliftedhimuponhispillows。ShecalledhimbyanoldSwedishnamethatsheusedtocallhimwhenshewaslittleandtookhisdinnertohimintheshipyard。
\"Telltheboystocomehere,daughter。I
wanttospeaktothem。\"
\"Theyarefeedingthehorses,father。TheyhavejustcomebackfromtheBlue。ShallI
callthem?\"
Hesighed。\"No,no。Waituntiltheycomein。Alexandra,youwillhavetodothebestyoucanforyourbrothers。Everythingwillcomeonyou。\"
\"IwilldoallIcan,father。\"
\"Don’tletthemgetdiscouragedandgoofflikeUncleOtto。Iwantthemtokeeptheland。\"
\"Wewill,father。Wewillneverlosetheland。\"
Therewasasoundofheavyfeetinthekitchen。Alexandrawenttothedoorandbeck—
onedtoherbrothers,twostrappingboysofseventeenandnineteen。Theycameinandstoodatthefootofthebed。Theirfatherlookedatthemsearchingly,thoughitwastoodarktoseetheirfaces;theywerejustthesameboys,hetoldhimself,hehadnotbeenmistakeninthem。
ThesquareheadandheavyshouldersbelongedtoOscar,theelder。Theyoungerboywasquicker,butvacillating。
\"Boys,\"saidthefatherwearily,\"Iwantyoutokeepthelandtogetherandtobeguidedbyyoursister。IhavetalkedtohersinceIhavebeensick,andsheknowsallmywishes。I
wantnoquarrelsamongmychildren,andsolongasthereisonehousetheremustbeonehead。Alexandraistheoldest,andsheknowsmywishes。Shewilldothebestshecan。Ifshemakesmistakes,shewillnotmakesomanyasIhavemade。Whenyoumarry,andwantahouseofyourown,thelandwillbedividedfairly,accordingtothecourts。Butforthenextfewyearsyouwillhaveithard,andyoumustallkeeptogether。Alexandrawillmanagethebestshecan。\"
Oscar,whowasusuallythelasttospeak,repliedbecausehewastheolder,\"Yes,father。
Itwouldbesoanyway,withoutyourspeaking。
Wewillallworktheplacetogether。\"
\"Andyouwillbeguidedbyyoursister,boys,andbegoodbrotherstoher,andgoodsonstoyourmother?Thatisgood。AndAlexandramustnotworkinthefieldsanymore。Thereisnonecessitynow。Hireamanwhenyouneedhelp。Shecanmakemuchmorewithhereggsandbutterthanthewagesofaman。ItwasoneofmymistakesthatIdidnotfindthatoutsooner。Trytobreakalittlemorelandeveryyear;sodcornisgoodforfodder。Keepturningtheland,andalwaysputupmorehaythanyouneed。Don’tgrudgeyourmotheralittletimeforplowinghergardenandsettingoutfruittrees,evenifitcomesinabusyseason。Shehasbeenagoodmothertoyou,andshehasalwaysWhentheywentbacktothekitchentheboyssatdownsilentlyatthetable。Throughoutthemealtheylookeddownattheirplatesanddidnotlifttheirredeyes。Theydidnoteatmuch,althoughtheyhadbeenworkinginthecoldallday,andtherewasarabbitstewedingravyforsupper,andprunepies。
JohnBergsonhadmarriedbeneathhim,buthehadmarriedagoodhousewife。Mrs。Berg—
sonwasafair—skinned,corpulentwoman,heavyandplacidlikeherson,Oscar,buttherewassomethingcomfortableabouther;perhapsitwasherownloveofcomfort。Forelevenyearsshehadworthilystriventomaintainsomesem—
blanceofhouseholdorderamidconditionsthatmadeorderverydifficult。HabitwasverystrongwithMrs。Bergson,andherunremittingeffortstorepeattheroutineofheroldlifeamongnewsurroundingshaddoneagreatdealtokeepthefamilyfromdisintegratingmorallyandget—
tingcarelessintheirways。TheBergsonshadaloghouse,forinstance,onlybecauseMrs。
Bergsonwouldnotliveinasodhouse。Shemissedthefishdietofherowncountry,andtwiceeverysummershesenttheboystotheriver,twentymilestothesouthward,tofishforchannelcat。Whenthechildrenwerelittlesheusedtoloadthemallintothewagon,thebabyinitscrib,andgofishingherself。
Alexandraoftensaidthatifhermotherwerecastuponadesertisland,shewouldthankGodforherdeliverance,makeagarden,andfindsomethingtopreserve。PreservingwasalmostamaniawithMrs。Bergson。Stoutasshewas,sheroamedthescrubbybanksofNorwayCreeklookingforfoxgrapesandgooseplums,likeawildcreatureinsearchofprey。Shemadeayel—
lowjamoftheinsipidground—cherriesthatgrewontheprairie,flavoringitwithlemonpeel;andshemadeastickydarkconserveofgardentoma—
toes。Shehadexperimentedevenwiththerankbuffalo—pea,andshecouldnotseeafinebronzeclusterofthemwithoutshakingherheadandmurmuring,\"Whatapity!\"Whentherewasnothingmoretopreserve,shebegantopickle。
Theamountofsugarsheusedintheseprocesseswassometimesaseriousdrainuponthefamilyresources。Shewasagoodmother,butshewasgladwhenherchildrenwereoldenoughnottobeinherwayinthekitchen。ShehadneverquiteforgivenJohnBergsonforbringinghertotheendoftheearth;but,nowthatshewasthere,shewantedtobeletalonetoreconstructheroldlifeinsofarasthatwaspossible。Shecouldstilltakesomecomfortintheworldifshehadbaconinthecave,glassjarsontheshelves,andsheetsinthepress。Shedisap—
provedofallherneighborsbecauseoftheirslovenlyhousekeeping,andthewomenthoughtherveryproud。OncewhenMrs。Bergson,onherwaytoNorwayCreek,stoppedtoseeoldMrs。Lee,theoldwomanhidinthehaymow\"forfearMis’Bergsonwouldcatchherbare—
foot。\"
III
OneSundayafternooninJuly,sixmonthsafterJohnBergson’sdeath,CarlwassittinginthedoorwayoftheLinstrumkitchen,dreamingoveranillustratedpaper,whenheheardtherattleofawagonalongthehillroad。LookingupherecognizedtheBergsons’team,withtwoseatsinthewagon,whichmeanttheywereoffforapleasureexcursion。OscarandLou,onthefrontseat,woretheirclothhatsandcoats,neverwornexceptonSundays,andEmil,onthesecondseatwithAlexandra,satproudlyinhisnewtrousers,madefromapairofhisfather’s,andapink—stripedshirt,withawideruffledcollar。OscarstoppedthehorsesandwavedtoCarl,whocaughtuphishatandranthroughthemelonpatchtojointhem。
\"Wanttogowithus?\"Loucalled。\"We’regoingtoCrazyIvar’stobuyahammock。\"
\"Sure。\"Carlranuppanting,andclamber—
ingoverthewheelsatdownbesideEmil。\"I’vealwayswantedtoseeIvar’spond。Theysayit’sthebiggestinallthecountry。Aren’tyouafraidtogotoIvar’sinthatnewshirt,Emil?
Hemightwantitandtakeitrightoffyourback。\"
Emilgrinned。\"I’dbeawfulscaredtogo,\"
headmitted,\"ifyoubigboysweren’talongtotakecareofme。Didyoueverhearhimhowl,Carl?PeoplesaysometimesherunsaboutthecountryhowlingatnightbecauseheisafraidtheLordwilldestroyhim。Motherthinkshemusthavedonesomethingawfulwicked。\"
LoulookedbackandwinkedatCarl。\"Whatwouldyoudo,Emil,ifyouwasoutontheprairiebyyourselfandseenhimcoming?\"
Emilstared。\"MaybeIcouldhideinabadger—hole,\"hesuggesteddoubtfully。
\"Butsupposetherewasn’tanybadger—hole,\"
Loupersisted。\"Wouldyourun?\"
\"No,I’dbetooscaredtorun,\"Emilad—
mittedmournfully,twistinghisfingers。\"I
guessI’dsitrightdownonthegroundandsaymyprayers。\"
Thebigboyslaughed,andOscarbrandishedhiswhipoverthebroadbacksofthehorses。
\"Hewouldn’thurtyou,Emil,\"saidCarlpersuasively。\"Hecametodoctorourmarewhensheategreencornandswelledupmostasbigasthewater—tank。Hepettedherjustlikeyoudoyourcats。Icouldn’tunderstandmuchhesaid,forhedon’ttalkanyEnglish,buthekeptpattingherandgroaningasifhehadthepainhimself,andsaying,’Therenow,sister,that’seasier,that’sbetter!’\"
LouandOscarlaughed,andEmilgiggleddelightedlyandlookedupathissister。
\"Idon’tthinkheknowsanythingatallaboutdoctoring,\"saidOscarscornfully。\"Theysaywhenhorseshavedistemperhetakesthemedicinehimself,andthenpraysoverthehorses。\"
Alexandraspokeup。\"That’swhattheCrowssaid,buthecuredtheirhorses,allthesame。Somedayshismindiscloudy,like。Butifyoucangethimonaclearday,youcanlearnagreatdealfromhim。Heunderstandsani—
mals。Didn’tIseehimtakethehornofftheBerquist’scowwhenshehadtornitlooseandwentcrazy?Shewastearingallovertheplace,knockingherselfagainstthings。Andatlastsheranoutontheroofoftheolddugoutandherlegswentthroughandthereshestuck,bel—
lowing。Ivarcamerunningwithhiswhitebag,andthemomenthegottohershewasquietandlethimsawherhornoffanddaubtheplacewithtar。\"
Emilhadbeenwatchinghissister,hisfacereflectingthesufferingsofthecow。\"Andthendidn’tithurtheranymore?\"heasked。
Alexandrapattedhim。\"No,notanymore。
Andintwodaystheycouldusehermilkagain。\"
TheroadtoIvar’shomesteadwasaverypoorone。Hehadsettledintheroughcountryacrossthecountyline,wherenoonelivedbutsomeRussians,——halfadozenfamilieswhodwelttogetherinonelonghouse,dividedofflikebarracks。Ivarhadexplainedhischoicebysayingthatthefewerneighborshehad,thefewertemptations。Nevertheless,whenoneconsideredthathischiefbusinesswashorse—
doctoring,itseemedrathershort—sightedofhimtoliveinthemostinaccessibleplacehecouldfind。TheBergsonwagonlurchedalongovertheroughhummocksandgrassbanks,fol—
lowedthebottomofwindingdraws,orskirtedthemarginofwidelagoons,wherethegoldencoreopsisgrewupoutoftheclearwaterandthewildducksrosewithawhirrofwings。
Loulookedafterthemhelplessly。\"IwishI’dbroughtmygun,anyway,Alexandra,\"hesaidfretfully。\"Icouldhavehiddenitunderthestrawinthebottomofthewagon。\"
\"Thenwe’dhavehadtolietoIvar。Besides,theysayhecansmelldeadbirds。Andifheknew,wewouldn’tgetanythingoutofhim,notevenahammock。Iwanttotalktohim,andhewon’ttalksenseifhe’sangry。Itmakeshimfoolish。\"
Lousniffed。\"Whoeverheardofhimtalkingsense,anyhow!I’dratherhaveducksforsup—
perthanCrazyIvar’stongue。\"
Emilwasalarmed。\"Oh,but,Lou,youdon’twanttomakehimmad!Hemighthowl!\"
Theyalllaughedagain,andOscarurgedthehorsesupthecrumblingsideofaclaybank。
Theyhadleftthelagoonsandtheredgrassbehindthem。InCrazyIvar’scountrythegrasswasshortandgray,thedrawsdeeperthantheywereintheBergsons’neighborhood,andthelandwasallbrokenupintohillocksandclayridges。Thewildflowersdisappeared,andonlyinthebottomofthedrawsandgulliesgrewafewoftheverytoughestandhardiest:
shoestring,andironweed,andsnow—on—the—
mountain。
\"Look,look,Emil,there’sIvar’sbigpond!\"
Alexandrapointedtoashiningsheetofwaterthatlayatthebottomofashallowdraw。
Atoneendofthepondwasanearthendam,plantedwithgreenwillowbushes,andaboveitadoorandasinglewindowweresetintothehillside。Youwouldnothaveseenthematallbutforthereflectionofthesunlightuponthefourpanesofwindow—glass。Andthatwasallyousaw。Notashed,notacorral,notawell,notevenapathbrokeninthecurlygrass。Butforthepieceofrustystovepipestickingupthroughthesod,youcouldhavewalkedovertheroofofIvar’sdwellingwithoutdreamingthatyouwerenearahumanhabitation。Ivarhadlivedforthreeyearsintheclaybank,with—
outdefilingthefaceofnatureanymorethanthecoyotethathadlivedtherebeforehimhaddone。
WhentheBergsonsdroveoverthehill,Ivarwassittinginthedoorwayofhishouse,readingtheNorwegianBible。Hewasaqueerlyshapedoldman,withathick,powerfulbodysetonshortbow—legs。Hisshaggywhitehair,fallinginathickmaneabouthisruddycheeks,madehimlookolderthanhewas。Hewasbarefoot,butheworeacleanshirtofunbleachedcotton,openattheneck。HealwaysputonacleanshirtwhenSundaymorningcameround,thoughheneverwenttochurch。Hehadapeculiarreligionofhisownandcouldnotgetonwithanyofthedenominations。Oftenhedidnotseeanybodyfromoneweek’sendtoanother。Hekeptacalendar,andeverymorninghecheckedoffaday,sothathewasneverinanydoubtastowhichdayoftheweekitwas。Ivarhiredhim—
selfoutinthreshingandcorn—huskingtime,andhedoctoredsickanimalswhenhewassentfor。Whenhewasathome,hemadeham—
mocksoutoftwineandcommittedchaptersoftheBibletomemory。
Ivarfoundcontentmentinthesolitudehehadsoughtoutforhimself。Hedislikedthelitterofhumandwellings:thebrokenfood,thebitsofbrokenchina,theoldwash—boilersandtea—kettlesthrownintothesunflowerpatch。
Hepreferredthecleannessandtidinessofthewildsod。Healwayssaidthatthebadgershadcleanerhousesthanpeople,andthatwhenhetookahousekeeperhernamewouldbeMrs。
Badger。HebestexpressedhispreferenceforhiswildhomesteadbysayingthathisBibleseemedtruertohimthere。Ifonestoodinthedoorwayofhiscave,andlookedoffattheroughland,thesmilingsky,thecurlygrasswhiteinthehotsunlight;ifonelistenedtotherapturoussongofthelark,thedrummingofthequail,theburrofthelocustagainstthatvastsilence,oneunderstoodwhatIvarmeant。
OnthisSundayafternoonhisfaceshonewithhappiness。Heclosedthebookonhisknee,keepingtheplacewithhishornyfinger,andHesendeththespringsintothevalleys,whichrunamongthehills;
Theygivedrinktoeverybeastofthefield;thewildassesquenchtheirthirst。
ThetreesoftheLordarefullofsap;thecedarsofLebanonwhichhehathplanted;
Wherethebirdsmaketheirnests:asforthestork,thefirtreesareherhouse。
Thehighhillsarearefugeforthewildgoats;andtherocksfortheconies。
repeatedsoftly:——
BeforeheopenedhisBibleagain,IvarheardtheBergsons’wagonapproaching,andhesprangupandrantowardit。
\"Noguns,noguns!\"heshouted,wavinghisarmsdistractedly。
\"No,Ivar,noguns,\"Alexandracalledreas—
suringly。
Hedroppedhisarmsandwentuptothewagon,smilingamiablyandlookingatthemoutofhispaleblueeyes。
\"Wewanttobuyahammock,ifyouhaveone,\"Alexandraexplained,\"andmylittlebrother,here,wantstoseeyourbigpond,wheresomanybirdscome。\"
Ivarsmiledfoolishly,andbeganrubbingthehorses’nosesandfeelingabouttheirmouthsbehindthebits。\"Notmanybirdsjustnow。
Afewducksthismorning;andsomesnipecometodrink。Buttherewasacranelastweek。
Shespentonenightandcamebackthenextevening。Idon’tknowwhy。Itisnothersea—
son,ofcourse。Manyofthemgooverinthefall。Thenthepondisfullofstrangevoiceseverynight。\"
AlexandratranslatedforCarl,wholookedthoughtful。\"Askhim,Alexandra,ifitistruethataseagullcamehereonce。Ihaveheardso。\"
Shehadsomedifficultyinmakingtheoldmanunderstand。
Helookedpuzzledatfirst,thensmotehishandstogetherasheremembered。\"Oh,yes,yes!Abigwhitebirdwithlongwingsandpinkfeet。My!whatavoiceshehad!Shecameintheafternoonandkeptflyingaboutthepondandscreaminguntildark。Shewasintroubleofsomesort,butIcouldnotunderstandher。
Shewasgoingovertotheotherocean,maybe,anddidnotknowhowfaritwas。Shewasafraidofnevergettingthere。Shewasmoremournfulthanourbirdshere;shecriedinthenight。Shesawthelightfrommywindowanddarteduptoit。Maybeshethoughtmyhousewasaboat,shewassuchawildthing。Nextmorning,whenthesunrose,Iwentouttotakeherfood,butsheflewupintotheskyandwentonherway。\"Ivarranhisfingersthroughhisthickhair。\"Ihavemanystrangebirdsstopwithmehere。Theycomefromveryfarawayandaregreatcompany。Ihopeyouboysnevershootwildbirds?\"
LouandOscargrinned,andIvarshookhisbushyhead。\"Yes,Iknowboysarethoughtless。
ButthesewildthingsareGod’sbirds。Hewatchesoverthemandcountsthem,aswedoourcattle;ChristsayssointheNewTesta—
ment。\"
\"Now,Ivar,\"Louasked,\"maywewaterourhorsesatyourpondandgivethemsomefeed?It’sabadroadtoyourplace。\"
\"Yes,yes,itis。\"Theoldmanscrambledaboutandbegantoloosethetugs。\"Abadroad,eh,girls?Andthebaywithacoltathome!\"
Oscarbrushedtheoldmanaside。\"We’lltakecareofthehorses,Ivar。You’llbefindingsomediseaseonthem。Alexandrawantstoseeyourhammocks。\"
IvarledAlexandraandEmiltohislittlecavehouse。Hehadbutoneroom,neatlyplas—
teredandwhitewashed,andtherewasawoodenfloor。Therewasakitchenstove,atablecov—
eredwithoilcloth,twochairs,aclock,acalen—
dar,afewbooksonthewindow—shelf;nothingmore。Buttheplacewasascleanasacup—
board。
\"Butwheredoyousleep,Ivar?\"Emilasked,lookingabout。
Ivarunslungahammockfromahookonthewall;initwasrolledabuffalorobe。\"There,myson。Ahammockisagoodbed,andinwinterIwrapupinthisskin。WhereIgotowork,thebedsarenothalfsoeasyasthis。\"
BythistimeEmilhadlostallhistimidity。
Hethoughtacaveaverysuperiorkindofhouse。TherewassomethingpleasantlyunusualaboutitandaboutIvar。\"Dothebirdsknowyouwillbekindtothem,Ivar?Isthatwhysomanycome?\"heasked。
Ivarsatdownonthefloorandtuckedhisfeetunderhim。\"See,littlebrother,theyhavecomefromalongway,andtheyareverytired。
Fromuptherewheretheyareflying,ourcoun—
trylooksdarkandflat。Theymusthavewatertodrinkandtobatheinbeforetheycangoonwiththeirjourney。Theylookthiswayandthat,andfarbelowthemtheyseesomethingshining,likeapieceofglasssetinthedarkearth。Thatismypond。Theycometoitandarenotdisturbed。MaybeIsprinklealittlecorn。Theytelltheotherbirds,andnextyearmorecomethisway。Theyhavetheirroadsupthere,aswehavedownhere。\"
Emilrubbedhiskneesthoughtfully。\"Andisthattrue,Ivar,abouttheheadducksfallingbackwhentheyaretired,andthehindonestakingtheirplace?\"
\"Yes。Thepointofthewedgegetstheworstofit;theycutthewind。Theycanonlystandtherealittlewhile——halfanhour,maybe。
Thentheyfallbackandthewedgesplitsalittle,whiletherearonescomeupthemiddletothefront。Thenitclosesupandtheyflyon,withanewedge。Theyarealwayschanginglikethat,upintheair。Neveranyconfusion;justlikesoldierswhohavebeendrilled。\"
Alexandrahadselectedherhammockbythetimetheboyscameupfromthepond。Theywouldnotcomein,butsatintheshadeofthebankoutsidewhileAlexandraandIvartalkedaboutthebirdsandabouthishousekeeping,andwhyheneveratemeat,freshorsalt。
Alexandrawassittingononeofthewoodenchairs,herarmsrestingonthetable。Ivarwassittingontheflooratherfeet。\"Ivar,\"shesaidsuddenly,beginningtotracethepatternontheoilclothwithherforefinger,\"Icameto—daymorebecauseIwantedtotalktoyouthanbe—
causeIwantedtobuyahammock。\"
\"Yes?\"Theoldmanscrapedhisbarefeetontheplankfloor。
\"Wehaveabigbunchofhogs,Ivar。I
wouldn’tsellinthespring,wheneverybodyadvisedmeto,andnowsomanypeoplearelosingtheirhogsthatIamfrightened。Whatcanbedone?\"
Ivar’slittleeyesbegantoshine。Theylosttheirvagueness。
\"Youfeedthemswillandsuchstuff?Ofcourse!Andsourmilk?Oh,yes!Andkeeptheminastinkingpen?Itellyou,sister,thehogsofthiscountryareputupon!Theybe—
comeunclean,likethehogsintheBible。Ifyoukeptyourchickenslikethat,whatwouldhap—
pen?Youhavealittlesorghumpatch,maybe?
Putafencearoundit,andturnthehogsin。
Buildashedtogivethemshade,athatchonpoles。Lettheboyshaulwatertotheminbar—
rels,cleanwater,andplenty。Getthemofftheoldstinkingground,anddonotletthemgobackthereuntilwinter。Givethemonlygrainandcleanfeed,suchasyouwouldgivehorsesorcattle。Hogsdonotliketobefilthy。\"
Theboysoutsidethedoorhadbeenlistening。
Lounudgedhisbrother。\"Come,thehorsesaredoneeating。Let’shitchupandgetoutofhere。He’llfillherfullofnotions。She’llbeforhavingthepigssleepwithus,next。\"
Oscargruntedandgotup。Carl,whocouldnotunderstandwhatIvarsaid,sawthatthetwoboysweredispleased。Theydidnotmindhardwork,buttheyhatedexperimentsandcouldneverseetheuseoftakingpains。EvenLou,whowasmoreelasticthanhisolderbro—
ther,dislikedtodoanythingdifferentfromtheirneighbors。Hefeltthatitmadethemconspicuousandgavepeopleachancetotalkaboutthem。
Oncetheywereonthehomewardroad,theboysforgottheirill—humorandjokedaboutIvarandhisbirds。Alexandradidnotproposeanyreformsinthecareofthepigs,andtheyhopedshehadforgottenIvar’stalk。Theyagreedthathewascrazierthanever,andwouldneverbeabletoproveuponhislandbecauseheworkeditsolittle。AlexandraprivatelyresolvedthatshewouldhaveatalkwithIvaraboutthisandstirhimup。TheboyspersuadedCarltostayforsupperandgoswimminginthepasturepondafterdark。
Thatevening,aftershehadwashedthesup—
perdishes,Alexandrasatdownonthekitchendoorstep,whilehermotherwasmixingthebread。Itwasastill,deep—breathingsummernight,fullofthesmellofthehayfields。Soundsoflaughterandsplashingcameupfromthepasture,andwhenthemoonroserapidlyabovethebarerimoftheprairie,thepondglitteredlikepolishedmetal,andshecouldseetheflashofwhitebodiesastheboysranabouttheedge,orjumpedintothewater。Alexandrawatchedtheshimmeringpooldreamily,buteventuallyhereyeswentbacktothesorghumpatchsouthofthebarn,whereshewasplanningtomakehernewpigcorral。
IV
ForthefirstthreeyearsafterJohnBergson’sdeath,theaffairsofhisfamilyprospered。ThencamethehardtimesthatbroughteveryoneontheDividetothebrinkofdespair;threeyearsofdrouthandfailure,thelaststruggleofawildsoilagainsttheencroachingplowshare。ThefirstofthesefruitlesssummerstheBergsonboysborecourageously。Thefailureofthecorncropmadelaborcheap。LouandOscarhiredtwomenandputinbiggercropsthaneverbefore。Theylosteverythingtheyspent。Thewholecountrywasdiscouraged。Farmerswhowerealreadyindebthadtogiveuptheirland。Afewforeclosuresdemoralizedthecounty。Thesettlerssataboutonthewoodensidewalksinthelittletownandtoldeachotherthatthecountrywasnevermeantformentolivein;thethingtodowastogetbacktoIowa,toIllinois,toanyplacethathadbeenprovedhabitable。TheBergsonboys,certainly,wouldhavebeenhappierwiththeiruncleOtto,inthebakeryshopinChicago。Likemostoftheirneighbors,theyweremeanttofollowinpathsalreadymarkedoutforthem,nottobreaktrailsinanewcountry。Asteadyjob,afewholidays,nothingtothinkabout,andtheywouldhavebeenveryhappy。Itwasnofaultoftheirsthattheyhadbeendraggedintothewildernesswhentheywerelittleboys。A
pioneershouldhaveimagination,shouldbeabletoenjoytheideaofthingsmorethanthethingsthemselves。
Thesecondofthesebarrensummerswaspassing。OneSeptemberafternoonAlexandrahadgoneovertothegardenacrossthedrawtodigsweetpotatoes——theyhadbeenthrivingupontheweatherthatwasfataltoeverythingelse。ButwhenCarlLinstrumcameupthegardenrowstofindher,shewasnotworking。
Shewasstandinglostinthought,leaninguponherpitchfork,hersunbonnetlyingbesideherontheground。Thedrygardenpatchsmelledofdryingvinesandwasstrewnwithyellowseed—cucumbersandpumpkinsandcitrons。
Atoneend,nexttherhubarb,grewfeatheryasparagus,withredberries。Downthemiddleofthegardenwasarowofgooseberryandcur—
rantbushes。AfewtoughzeniasandmarigoldsandarowofscarletsageborewitnesstothebucketsofwaterthatMrs。Bergsonhadcarriedthereaftersundown,againsttheprohibitionofhersons。Carlcamequietlyandslowlyupthegardenpath,lookingintentlyatAlexandra。
Shedidnothearhim。Shewasstandingper—
fectlystill,withthatseriouseasesocharacter—
isticofher。Herthick,reddishbraids,twistedaboutherhead,fairlyburnedinthesunlight。