t they gave their promise to do as he wished, and
promises were held sacred at the golden house.

One morning, early in February, Nono had gone out early to "the
watch-house," and had removed the curtain, as the sheet was
respectfully called. The family had finished their breakfast, and were
just breaking up to set off in different directions, when there was a
sound of sleigh-bells stopping at the gate.

The colonel and a gentleman who was staying at Ekero had started out
for a morning drive, "Shall we pass near the post-office?" said the
gentleman, taking a letter from his pocket. "I forgot to say before we
left the house that I had a letter I was anxious to have mailed at
once. It is my wife's name-day, and I want her to get a few words from
me."

"We shall not pass the post-office," said the colonel, "but I can get a
trusty messenger here;" and the coachman drew up at once at the cottage.

The gentleman started, and the colonel sprang to his feet in surprise.

"How wonderful! so like her! I almost thought I had seen a spectre!"
said the stranger. "And her name-day, too. My wife was named after
the princess."

Yes! There stood the princess in white garments, seemingly coming
forward, her figure gracefully bowed, as it was in life, as if by a
loving, unconscious desire of the heart to draw near to all who
approached her. A fleecy shawl seemed to lie lightly over her
shoulders. Snow-white coils of hair crowned her head, and her fair
face had a pure sweetness of its own.

"It is wonderfully like her!" said the stranger.

The family from the cottage now came out, Nono leading Karin, who had
all the while been in the secret, and the rest eagerly following.

"Is this your work, Nono?" said the colonel.

Nono modestly bowed, and murmured an answer, while his eyes glowed as
if they were on fire.

The sound of little Decima sobbing broke in on the conversation. "That
is a cold white princess!" she said. "She can't take me on her knee
and tell me pretty stories. I don't like the cold white princess!"

Jan took Decima in his arms, while the colonel said pleasantly: "But we
like her, Decima; and we loved the princess, both of us; and this
gentleman's wife has her name; and he has written a letter to her that
we want taken to the post-office at once, that she may get it on her
name-day.--Can you go, Nono?"

Nono was glad to spring away with the letter, full of happy
thoughts--that every one knew that i