es nothing but
play all the evening, and I must attend to setting the table and
the food. The children are quite forsaken. You must look after
these two smallest."

Children were the kind of people with whom little Ruster had had
least intercourse. He had met them neither in the bachelor's wing
nor in the campaign tent, neither in wayside inns nor on the
highways. He was almost shy of them, and did not know what he ought
to say that was fine enough for them.

He took out his flute and taught them how to finger the stops and
holes. There was one of four years and one of six. They had a
lesson on the flute and were deeply interested in it. "This is A,"
he said, "and this is C," and then he blew the notes. Then the
young people wished to know what kind of an A and C it was that was
to be played.

Ruster took out his score and made a few notes.

"No," they said, "that is not right." And they ran away for an A B C book.

Little Ruster began to hear their alphabet. They knew it and they
did not know it. What they knew was not very much. Ruster grew
eager; he lifted the little boys up, each on one of his knees, and
began to teach them. Liljekrona's wife went out and in and listened
quite in amazement. It sounded like a game, and the children were
laughing the whole time, but they learned.

Ruster kept on for a while, but he was absent from what he was
doing. He was turning over the old thoughts from out in the storm.
It was good and pleasant, but nevertheless it was the end of him.
He was worn .out. He ought to be thrown away. And all of a sudden
he put his hands before his face and began to weep.

Liljekrona's wife came quickly up to him.

"Ruster," she said, "I can understand that you think that all is
over for you. You cannot make a living with your music, and you are
destroying yourself with brandy. But it is not the end, Ruster."

"Yes," sobbed the little flute-player.

"Do you see that to sit as to-night with the children, that would
be something for you? If you would teach children to read and
write, you would be welcomed everywhere. That is no less important
an instrument on which to play, Ruster, than flute and violin. Look
at them, Ruster!"

She placed the two children in front of him, and he looked up,
blinking as if he had looked at the sun. It seemed as if his
little, blurred eyes could not meet those of the children, which
were big, clear and innocent.

"Look at them, Ruster!" repeated Liljekrona