to a man to manage for himself if he can," said he
slowly. He spoke in no angry tone, but with a stern approval.

The boy stood thinking for a moment.

"Good-bye, father."

His father did not answer, but stared fixedly before him, and his eyes
hardened.

His mother had seated herself on a bench beside the window, her face
turned away, looking out--and warm drops fell on the sill.

The young man moved towards her slowly, as if questioning. She turned
towards him, and their eyes met--then they passed out of the room
together.

The old man remained seated, a sharp pain at his breast. A flush of
anger rose to his cheeks, and his lips trembled, but he could not
speak, and sat still, staring at the floor.

In the next room, the mother turned anxiously to her son, and grasped
his hand. "Olof!"

"Mother!" The boy was trembling. And fearing to lose control of his
feelings, he went on hastily: "Mother, I know, I know. Don't say any
more."

But she took both his hands in hers, and looked earnestly into his
eyes.

"I must say it--I couldn't before. Olof--you are your father's son,
and 'tis not your way, either of you, to care much what you do--if
it's building or breaking." And with intense earnestness, as if
concentrating all her being in her eyes and voice, she went on:
"_Never deceive, Olof; stand by your promise and word to all--whatever
their station_."

The boy pressed her hands with emotion, almost in fear, unable to
speak a word.

"God keep you safe from harm, my son." The mother's voice broke.
"Don't forget this is your home. Come back when, when...."

The boy pressed her hands once more, and turned hastily away. He must
go now, if he would have the strength to go at all.

PANSY

The clouds raced over the night sky; the riverbanks gazed at the
flowing water, at the heavy timber floating slowly over its surface.
"Let it come!" cried the long stretch of wild rapids below.

Under the lee of a steep bank, just at the point where the eddy
begins, flickered a small camp-fire. The lumbermen sat round it--four
of them there were. The boom had just been drawn aside, the baulks
from above came floating down in clean rows, needing no helping hand,
and for the past two hours there had been no block in the river. The
lumbermen were having an easy time to-night.

"The farmer he sleeps in a cosy cot,
With a roof above his head;
The lumberman lies out under the stars,
With the dew to sof