One of Life's Slaves

ardship and been neglected in their babyhood, do not remembe

est. His eyes were so wise and watchful, and he could be so craftily cunning and refractory, long before he could speak. She declared that he wa

to them. There were not two opinions as to what an orderly woman Mrs. Holman was, and how strict in the fulfilment of her duty. Tall, thin and neat in her person, even he

d been wrongly and improperly dealt with from the very first, especially his obstinate temper! Now he really could walk quite a good way, but he would do nothing but crawl, and so quickly, that no sooner had she, Mrs. Holman, taken her eyes off him than he might be anywhere, either at the saucepans and pots, or in the water-bucket, or else at the plummets on the bell. And he upset things, and got himself in a mess

rself, from beginning to end, however much it might sting he

she, on her side, might have reason and right to say to Mrs. Veyergang a

for all that Mrs. Holman could do, and Holman had to help too sometimes. This did not happen, however, until hi

le opportunity of seeing in his face. One thing was certain-a wife like Mrs. Holman was a treasure, which could not be sufficiently prized; and if there was not quite so much left of Holman, if, in fact, he had become-with all reverence be it said-something of a fool, yet every one was sensibl

in the gateway in an irresponsible condition, such as no o

change in the household, it was deliberated whether it would not be better to rid the room of other people's

or a little boy, sitting and rocking the cradle w

ding gazing out of the window or from the top of the cellar stairs at the children playing in the square. She had even caught him rig

have to pay for it, as much

he was screaming so-that all the punishment she gave him, and all her attempts, both by letting him hav

the devil sat in the corner behind the bed

pillow. He could not help looking now and again towards the window-there was some one playing outside in the square. And, somehow or other, he came to be s

nt, was impressed upon him with full force. How could Mrs. Holman be sure otherwise that he did not take Silla right up to the basin round the fountain, where all the naughty boys played with their ships, and shouted and made a noise? His poor little body had received so many black and blue

k, than himself, had been driven into him in so many ways ever since she came

ation of her was unqualified; he thought her more than remarkable in her blue bow and an old red stuff rose in her hat, and he submitted to a wilfulness which was quite as despotic as even Mrs. Holman's. When he

ces he continually cast, as if from habit, towards the cellar door-even when his often g

" said Mrs. Holman; and it was true-the quick, watchful look u

e you or on the floor below, or even on the other side of the passage. And so it was that no one in the house had any ear to speak of for Nikola

customs one's self to piano practising or the din of a factory; perhaps too, they comforted themselves with the

llar, the people of the house might often in passing give the little girl a frie

, had naturally no conception of Mrs. Holman's strict, conscientiou

the spring and autumn. In Christiania they are the second F

nting and puffing down the stairs as she used to do; she had a bend in both hips from

ness within. It was as though some one were crying, and now and again sobbin

stood by the chopping-block listening. It seemed to come from one of the coal cellars up the dark

e cried at the door w

sudden compl

terrified scream, which made Maren drop the wood from her apron and p

r little boy in here-in

ern she saw Nikolai star

vil, I did. Yes, for he

ne out of their senses, b

g glance up at Maren he added, "but do you think

hat you ar

he bag and licked when I'd gone for half a pound. But now I'll crunch it so that she'll only have the empty bag left! I'll take! I'll steal!

od hesitating and considering

nd beg him off

beating for that, t

in the coal-hole. So, with eyes closed to the consequences of her own determination, she excl

would say or do; he only took hold of her skirt with both hands. And wi

ng some of the clothes from her own bed, and making it as comfortable and warm as

l over the wall, and then the cat was an old friend. He had seen it many a time down in the yard,

ked down the tin k

ite quietly; there was not a word of scolding, a thing h

e rheumatism in her weary joints, with which she always had to cont

at is it, Niko

andle. He was sitting up

e my head off," he explained, whe

glad she was that she had no child to be responsible for.

her business. She then received such full information, once for all, both as to why Mrs. Holman had shut him in, and what they had to go through daily with that boy, that Maren was completely nonplussed. For this Mrs. Holman could stake her li

y screaming right from the Holmans' room, she was not capable of going upstairs until the worst was over

iet as a mouse in the corner by the wood-box, carving himself boats, which he put u

rom Mrs. Holman's warm hands, would be an exaggeration. He had also his palmy days, when Mrs. Holman overflowed with words of

office in the town. Nikolai, too, often had leave to go out to the country

copper kettle that has been cleaned with sand and lye. He could not sit still a minute; he talked and asked questions-always about the horse, th

d in front of the kitchen door, and he was led thr

sense, Lars, not to bring the boy in that way, with such

milk. But he must wait now until she came in again, for s

been sent out by their mother to play with Nikolai. And they were soon in full gallop round the nursery. Gee-up! gee-up!-Nikolai drew, and Ludvig rode-hi! gee-up! And at las

d boy! How

up on to the bed, behind which Ludvig entrenched himsel

of yourself, Nikolai, behaving like that to the Consul's children! You'd better try it on! Ther

nt over Ludvig's starched co

y. Come now, and then you

it is, who's so good! There, hold his blouse, Nikolai, a

s dresses and sashes and fine underclothes, and to peep into the toy-cupboard to be bewildered by all the old drums and trumpets and headless men

and at this he felt a bitter disappointment-must, in return, be very, very fond of them. They must be very different children to what he was, if they never deserv

y-carriage that fetched the Consul from town at three o'clock. The tw

you hear? Whatever you do, don't forget Mrs. Holman. And-I declare you're kicking the varnish now! You must sit quite still, Nikolai, the whole way. Don't you know tha

ff he

sugared twist to take with him, and it tasted delicious; but

ll confirmation of how

f Silla, he caught fragments of Mrs. Holman's remarks to the housekeeper up stairs,

ust scour the boards over the gutter, so to speak, and put up with them-and I don't mind saying that he showed that he was well cared-for from top to toe." ... "Such an honour! It might have been some respectable child they h

ted cock's head, which lay in the gutter, with the

f keeping Nikolai in order was a threat of sending him to the parish school-an institution which stood before her imagina

t it was something quite indeterminably dreadful was evident from the constantly renewed d

ally carried out: he was

rs-he had all those days left. And how he took care of and pla

s only the Sunda

ol, heard that he was to have his Sunday clothes on to-morrow too, because it was th

Nikolai was n

g liberally both torments and pardon if he would only

m under her bed. She gave him some food and asked him to promise

he was sure that there was no longer any light on the square, and spent the rest of the evening lying peeping over the paling at the light in the two cellar windows at home. He noticed how Holman came slinking cautiously up and stood a little

light was

which were accustomed to look in the dark for all kinds of persons who might think fit to hide themselves in the yard. The lantern wandered

ious looking one, which stood half built with a sloping plank-roof over it. There he lay wedged into the farthest corner, close wrapped in the happy Nirvana of self-forget

hat the timber-yard was really his home, a certain independent, free savage's consciousness in relation to everything that they might afterwards think fit to screw him into, the school no less than Mrs. Hol

hrashing-block with which Mrs. Holman had threatened him. He had pictured it to himself giving blow

forced like a last into a boot; and he was a hard last, which often would not go farther than the leg, and

many explanations were given; the result was a painful consciousness, a continual difference or falling short both in relation to his lessons and his teachers, whic

he endlessly long, dull hours of the evening, when Mrs. Holman, with her own eyes, "watched over

insensible to moral lectures even the most reasonable and impressive. There he stood every evening a quarter of an hour after working-hours, as regular as clockwork, and when the hands