rge shawl and
placed myself beside the big stove I was still freezing. Some windows
were broken, the opening filled with rags. My dear husband asked why
they had not nailed a board on the place instead of rags; they
answered, "We have got none." But my husband said "You could easily
have made a nail of wood," which they promised to do. We could only
get a very little bread, because they had only one small piece. I gave
the tea. My dear husband spent the Sacrament, communion and baptism
in the evening in the hope we would be able to go further the next
day, for we could not stay any longer here if we would not starve. We
had a poor resting place. It was not possible to undress ourselves.
The whole time we felt the snow on our faces and the wind through the
many gaps. We froze very much although the fire was kept on during the
night. Not very far from us Mr. and Mrs. Tacque were resting, and we
heard how the one said to the other, "I hope Mr. and Mrs. Hansen can
go further to-morrow, for we have nothing to eat." That was indeed a
very sad prospect, for we heard too well the snow storm was howling
outside and there was no hope for us to go on. And so it was. The next
day I gave from our provisions as much as I could, but we had not very
much, and I could not give everything away because we might afterwards
be caught out in a snowstorm, which often happens, where we then have
to live in a snow house until the storm is over. I gave now coffee for
19 persons, bread we had none, for it always freezes so hard that it
is useless. The poor woman collected all the bread she had and we took
as little as possible. During the day time my dear husband kept
different meetings, talked and prayed with them. For dinner I asked
for a large pot and put it on the stove. I had happily taken some
preserved soups and cooked now for all the people in the house, put
all our meat balls and broken biscuits into the same pot, and gave now
from this dish a plateful to every person in the house. I had also put
some "Liebig" in my box, before I left my home, and was now able to
make the best use of it. It was something touching to see the many
hungry children, how they devoured their portion. Anything like that
they have perhaps never tasted before, and would gladly have taken
some more, but it was already gone. In the afternoon my dear husband
kept school for the children, told nice stories and instructed them
about different things, and the children w