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[Illustration: In front of him next to the wall, stood a glass case.]

CONTENTS

AT HOME IN THE LITTLE STONE HUT

A HARD SENTENCE

UP IN THE MOUNTAINS

IN THE SANITARIUM

CHAPTER FIRST

AT HOME IN THE LITTLE STONE HUT

High up in the Bernese Oberland, quite a distance above the
meadow-encircled hamlet of Kandergrund, stands a little lonely hut, under
the shadow of an old fir-tree. Not far away rushes down from the wooded
heights of rock the Wild brook, which in times of heavy rains, has carried
away so many rocks and bowlders that when the storms are ended a ragged
mass of stones is left, through which flows a swift, clear stream of
water. Therefore the little dwelling near by this brook is called the
stone hut.

Here lived the honest day-laborer Toni, who conducted himself well in
every farm-house, where he went to work, for he was quiet and
industrious, punctual at his tasks, and reliable in every way.

In his hut at home he had a young wife and a little boy, who was a joy to
both of them. Near the hut in the little shed was the goat, the milk of
which supplied food for the mother and child, while the father received
his board through the week on the farms where he worked from morning until
night. Only on Sunday was he at home with his wife and little Toni. The
wife Elsbeth, kept her little house in good order; it was narrow and tiny,
but it always looked so clean and cheerful that every one liked to come
into the sunny room, and the father, Toni, was never so happy as when he
was at home in the stone hut with his little boy on his knee.

For five years the family lived in harmony and undisturbed peace. Although
they had no abundance and little worldly goods, they were happy and
content. The husband earned enough, so they did not suffer want, and they
desired nothing beyond their simple manner of life, for they loved each
other and their greatest delight was little Toni.

The little boy grew strong and healthy and with his merry ways delighted
his father's heart, when he remained at home on Sundays, and sweetened all
his mother's work on week-days, when his father was away until late in the
evening.

Little Toni was now four years old and already knew how to be helpful in
all sorts of small ways, in the house and the goat's shed and also in the
field behind the hut. From morning until night he tripped happily behind
his mother for he was as content as