IN ALMA'S ROOM.
The day after the Bible lesson Alma threw herself heartily into her
plan for her parterre, at which Pelle and Nono were busily working. In
the midst of a large velvet patch of closely-cut grass she had a great
parallelogram marked out which was to represent the Swedish flag. The
blue ground was to be of the old Emperor William's favourite flower,
while the cross stretching from end to end was to be of yellow pansies.
The Norwegian union mark in the corner was to be outlined in poppies of
the proper colours.
There was a slight twinkle in the old man's eyes as he watched Alma,
all enthusiasm, flitting hither and thither, and ordering and planning
like an experienced general, while it was plain to Pelle that she was
as yet but a novice in the mysteries of gardening. He did venture to
hint modestly that it was late--the middle of July--to begin such an
undertaking. Alma took no notice of his discouraging hints, but went
on expatiating as to how charming it would be to have the Swedish flag
lying there on the green grass, and how her father would enjoy it,
loving his country as he did, and being a real soldier himself. A
soldier the colonel certainly was by profession; but he had had other
enemies to meet than the foes of his native land. He had struggled
long with sorrow and ill-health, his constant portion. Exiled from
Sweden for the sake of his delicate wife, and that he himself might be
under the care of eminent physicians who understood his complicated
difficulties, he had still continued a warm Swede at heart. Now he
considered himself stronger; and did it mean life or death for him, the
north should be his home, and his children should learn to love the
land of their forefathers. His native language he had never allowed
them to lose, even when far away from the bright lakes and clustering
pines of the country so dear to him. A war against all that could
injure his fatherland the colonel had all the time been waging with his
skilful pen. By sharp newspaper articles and spirited papers in
magazines he had cast himself into whatever conflict might be going on
in Sweden, and had so had his own share of influence at home. He had
read the Stockholm journals as faithfully as if he had been living in
sight of the royal palace.
As to her father's being charmed with her plan for her flower-bed, Alma
was confident. She would not listen to Pelle's suggestion that the
flowers would hardly blossom richly at the same time, and those blue
weeds would in the end quite overrun the garden. She had no
misgivings, but walked about with a peculiar air of determination in
her slight, very slight figure.
Alma's whole person gave the impression of extreme fragility, sustained
by strength of will. It was the same with her delicate face, haloed
round by her sunny hair, ready to float in every breeze. The small
mouth was thin and decided, and the large, full blue eyes could be soft
or stern as the passing mood prompted. They were very gentle as she
looked at Nono when the noonday rest came, and told him he might come
into the house with her, as perhaps she could help him a little about
his writing in her own room.
Nono would have preferred at that moment to consume the hearty lunch
Karin had provided for him, but he followed submissively. Pelle looked
after the pair as he went to his favourite seat. Somehow the decided
figure of the young girl always touched him. There was something about
her that made him uneasy for her, body and soul.
Nono looked despairingly at his shoes, fresh from the flower-bed, as he
came to the wide doorway through which Alma had beckoned to him to
follow her. It was in vain he tried to put his feet into proper
condition by gently rubbing them on the mat that he thought fit for a
queen to step on. The colour dashed to his brown cheeks as he saw the
marks he had left on it. He could but tiptoe after Alma as she entered
the, to him, sacred precincts of the "big house" at Ekero.
Alma felt young and guilty as she met a stout, elderly woman on the
stairs, as she went up with Nono.
"It's the little Italian boy I saw baptized," she said apologetically.
"I've seen many children baptized, Miss Alma, and paid respect to what
was doing, I hope, but I don't have them trudging up and down the grand
staircase--no, not even when the colonel is away in foreign parts.
Miss Alma must do as she pleases, but I'd like the colonel to know that
I see things in order as far as I can. I can't be responsible for boys
like that leaving tracks like a bear behind them."
The comparison to the bear was not meant to be personally offensive
towards Nono, though he always felt that with Bruin he was specially
connected. He had indeed, in his caretaking, not left marks like a
human being as he had tiptoed along, leaving round traces on the
shining floor and stairs, as if a four-footed creature had passed.
Nono was not much accustomed to harsh words, and the reproaches of the
faithful housekeeper increased his awe of the place, where he felt
himself a decided intruder, though following the young mistress at her
express command.
Nono was even more disturbed in mind when he was seated at a beautiful
little writing-table, and requested to write on a fair sheet of paper
laid before him. The first verse of a hymn was dictated to him from
the prettiest little psalm book imaginable. His writing was really
wonderful for a boy of his age. The letters were clear and round, and
almost graceful, with here and there a little flourish of his own
invention, added in his desire to do his best.
[Illustration: "The first verse of a hymn was dictated to him."]
Alma was quite disappointed when she saw that there was no field here
for her instructions. She could hardly write better herself, and by no
means as legibly. She was aiming at a flowing hand, and her efforts
but showed that her character was yet too unformed to attempt such a
dashing style with the pen.
On nearer examination, Nono's spelling was found to be most
exceptionable.
"Have you never been taught spelling at school, Nono?" asked Alma, very
seriously.
"Oh yes!" he answered cheerfully, and forthwith drew himself up as he
stood, and recited the rules for the various ways in which the English
sound "oh" may be represented in Swedish, giving the proper examples
under the rule. This little Nono could rattle off in grand
school-recitation style, though these etymological gymnastics never
bore on his practices as a writer.
Of such rules Alma knew nothing. She had learned Swedish spelling on
quite another principle. For years she had copied a Swedish poem every
day for her father (whether with him or away from him), in pretty
little books, which were in due time presented to him with the
inscription at the beginning, "From his devoted daughter."
Alma now gave Nono the "psalm book," and bade him copy the hymn
carefully. He did not dare to touch the dainty little volume, for his
hands were far from immaculate after his morning's work. He managed,
though, with his knuckles to steady it against Baxter's "Saints' Rest"
and "Thomas à Kempis," which in choice bindings found their place among
Alma's devotional books, more in memory of her mother, to whom they had
belonged, than for any special use they were to the present owner.
Nono's copy proved fair and correct, for he had the idea that whatever
he did must be done well. He signed his name, and put the date below,
as he was requested, adding a superfluous supplementary flourish, like
an expression of rejoicing that the trial was over.
On one side of the table was a little porcelain statuette that fixed
his attention. On an oval slab lay a fine Newfoundland dog, while a
boy, evidently just rescued from drowning, was stretched beside him,
the dank hair and clinging clothes of the child telling the story as
well as his closed eyes and limp, helpless hands.
"Is he really drowned? is he dead?" asked Nono, forgetting all about
the spelling, as did his teacher when she heard his question.
"That is one of my treasures, Nono," she said. "The princess gave it
to my mother. She modelled it with her own hands--the group after
which this was made, I mean. You have heard about the good princess,
Nono?"
Nono shook his head and looked very guilty. He knew the king's name,
and believed him to be quite equal to David; but as to the queen and
all the "royal family," he was in most republican ignorance.
Now Alma had something she liked to talk about. Perhaps she was
willing that even Nono should know that her own dear mother had been
intimately acquainted with a princess, and had loved her devotedly, and
been as warmly loved in return. Alma even condescended to tell Nono
that it was the princess who had first led her dear mother to a true
Christian life; which high origin for religious influence Alma seemed
to look upon as if it were a sort of superior aristocratic form of
vaccination. Alma went on to describe the saintly princess as she had
heard her spoken of by both her father and her mother, whose respect
and affection she had so justly won.
How the image grew and fixed itself in Nono's mind of a real, living
princess who sold her rich jewels to build and sustain a home for the
sick poor! He heard how she, in her own illness, surrounded by every
luxury, could have no rest until she had planned a home where they too
could have comfort and tender care. The dark eyes of the listener grew
moist as he heard of the hospital the princess now had for crippled and
diseased children, where they were made happy and had real love as well
as a real home.
Nono was a happy boy when he went out from Alma's room with a little
engraved likeness of the princess in his hand, and a glow of warm
feeling for her in his fresh young heart. For certain private reasons
of his own, she seemed very near to him, and the thought of her was
peculiarly precious.
When old Pelle and Nono were going home that evening, he produced his
little likeness of the princess, and told Pelle all about her.
Pelle's eyes sparkled, and he said as he rubbed his hands together,
"That princess does belong to the royal family! She is a daughter of
the great King!"
"May I put her up in your room, Uncle Pelle?" asked Nono. "I do not
quite like to have her in the cottage, where the children can get at
her. They might not understand that this is not like any other
picture."
"That you may," said Pelle; "and come in to see her, too, as often as
you please. A sick princess and a Christian too! She wouldn't mind
having her likeness put up in my poor place, if she is like what you
say. God bless her!"
Nono had a way of taking what was precious to him to Pelle to keep, and
curious were the boyish treasures he had stored away in Pelle's room.
It had been a bare little home when the old man went into it, but he
had made it a cosy nest in his own fashion. Pelle had been for a time
a sailor in his youth, and had learned to make himself comfortable in
narrow quarters. A fever caught in a foreign port had laid him by, and
left sad traces behind it in his before strong body. Other and better
traces had been left in his life, even repentance for past misdoings
and resolutions for a faithful Christian course. As a gardener's
"helping hand" he had long gotten on comfortably; but illness and old
age had come upon him, and there had seemed no prospect for him but the
poorhouse, when Karin's hospitable door opened for him.
The lawsuit was not settled, but it was well known in the neighbourhood
that Jan Persson had said Uncle Pelle should not go to the poorhouse
while he had a home.
Pelle felt quite independent now, and he held his head straight as he
walked by Nono and talked about the good princess. Had not the young
lady at Ekero said she should need him straight on in the garden? for
she saw he knew all about flowers, and could be of real use to her.
Alma wanted to be a friend to Nono too, but she did not yet exactly see
how. There was something about the boy she did not quite understand.