ment, and answered at once: "How can you even think of such a
thing! In the first place; we must wait for the answer from Denmark,
before we do anything; and secondly, the whole Christmas joy would be
spoiled completely for the children, through such news; thirdly, we
ourselves, you and I, could not separate ourselves so suddenly and
unprepared from a child who is as dear to us as one of our own--"

"Fourthly, 'Lizebeth will give notice at once," continued the pastor,
"for she now is the worst of all, from all that I see. One thing is
sure, dear wife, if the little fellow was not so guileless and had not
such an exceptionally good disposition, you women would have ruined him
so that he never could get straightened again, for you, one and all,
spoil him quite terribly."

"It is just this harmless and exceptionally well-disposed character of
the child which wins all hearts, so that one cannot help treating him
with peculiar love. No talk of sending Erick away before Easter can be
considered, and much can happen before then, my dear husband."

"Oh, yes," the latter agreed, "only do not look for an answer from
Denmark, for it would be in vain. The guilelessness in that address went
a little too far."

But the pastor's wife was contented that another respite had been
granted, and she hoped on.

The winter passed, Easter was approaching, but no answer came. This time
the pastor's wife got ahead of her husband. When shortly before Easter a
belated April frost set in, she explained to him that new winter wraps
had to be made for all the children, and before one could think of
sending Erick away, summer clothing had to be prepared for him; his good
velvet suit looked, indeed, still very fine, and would last some time
yet, but her husband knew it was his only suit, and for mid-summer
another must absolutely be procured for him, and for that, time and
leisure were needed.

The pastor gave his consent to the postponement without opposition. In
his heart he was heartily glad for the good excuse; for he, like all the
rest, had learned to love Erick so much that the thought of his
departure was very painful to him.

His wife was contented again and thought in her heart: "Who knows what
may happen before summer."

But something did happen which seemed to destroy with one blow all her
hopes. The warm June had come and on the sunny hillsides around Upper
Wood the strawberries, which grew there in plenty, were beginning to
give