From the Swedish of Victor Rydbera. UNKNOWN

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 328, 26 December 1888, Page 3

From the Swedish of Victor Rydbera. UNKNOWN

The ho/on miow I,i> r«!iimi-u «vcr ihe henth, on the whole extern, oi w inch only one single human dwclhu'j wa- to!'O?een, and thao was n Iltalo cottage, old ntul pen. They mil-!; load a lonely life, the poor things" iliafc dwell inside it, thought mauy a passing ti.nellei, undid cannot be denied that Uie hea h looked lotscly even in the summer. Ling and ea^lc stone, dry bhri^b* and crooked firs were all thab it presented to the cyo : Imb the cottage itself was good enough in it- way. The moss-grown bimboi* oi the wall? were sound and strong, and held we'l together against, the cold and Mind. Ts.e ehinmoy rose large and imposing over tho turf roof, which in summer resembled green velvet, and was decorated with yellow (lowers. In the small enclosure at the cable there then grew potatoes, carrots, and cabbage?-, and ab the fence poppies, min£old s », and i o^c. The window had a curtain, 1 which was always very white. The cottage .;nd the small unclosusts were owned by Dame Gertrude, who lived there with a little boy named Vigu;. It was early in the morning when Damo Gertrude went out to make a bargain with the shopkeeper in the distant village. Now the sun wa^ about to set, and she had not yet come hick. Vigg way alone in the cottage. The rao'l perfect silence reigned over the wide heath. During the whole day nob a single bell had been heard, nor a wayfarer -eon. x *igg was on his knees, with his cibows on t.he table, looking out throuah Lie window. It had four panes ; three of themwerceovered with frost flowers, but on the fourth he had breathed so that the ice thawed. He was waiting for Dame Gertrude w \v> hid j romiacd to come with a wheaten loaf, a cake of gingerbread, and a branched candle, for it >vas Christmas Eve ; but she was not to be seen. The sun was setting, and ihe sky at the horizon beamed like the fairest loses. Over the snow of the heath a pink hue was sproad. -Sooii all the tints changed into a cold, bluish grey, and the tivmamenb darkened. Ib grew Ftill dai ker in the cottage. Vigg went to the health, where some dying embers were lying among the ashes, It was so silent that^when the wooden shoes on his. feet elatteied against the floor he thought it might be heard over the whole heath. He sat down on the hearth wondering whether bhe gingerbread he expected would have a head, gilt horns, and tour legs. He wondered, too, how bhe sparrows were getting on with their Chribtmas Eve. Ib would be difHcull to tell how long Vigor had been sitting thus when he heard the sound of bells. He ran to the win dow, pressing his nose against the pane.", to see who it might be, for surely Dame Gertrude could not be coming with jingling bells. All the heavenly lights were kindling, beaming, and shining. Far away something black was moving on the snow. It came nearer and nearer, and more and more clearly was heard the joyous jingling of the bells. ' Who is coming there ?' He does nob keep do bhe road, bub comes across the heath. Vigg knew well where the road was, he who in the summer had picked blueberries and whortleberries on the heath, and roved far away, many hundred yai'ds in all directions from the cottage. Fancy, to be permitted to take a drive with such bells, and to drive myself ! Vigg had hardly wished it before the vehicle was at the door, and stopped outside the window. It was a sledge with four horses, smaller bhan bhe smallest colts. They had stopped, for he who sat in bhe sledge held in the reins : but they could nob have caved about taking breath, for they were snorting and neighing, shaking their manes and kicking the snow high in the air. ' Don't be naughty, Frisky ; be quiet, Brisky ; remember, FJeet ; Neat, do nob i jump oub of your skin, keep quiet,' cried j bhe man in the sledge. After that he leapt out and came to the window. Vigg had never seen anybhing like him ; bub, of oourse, ho had not seen much of the world. He was a little olding, just made for such horse 3. His face was full of wrinkles, and his long 1 beard resembled the moss on the roof of the cottage. His clothes were of fur from head to foot. In one corner of his mouth he had a cutty, and out of the other there went up a curling wreath of "jmoke. ' Good evening, snub nose,' said he. Vigg felt his nose, and said, c Good even1 Is anybody at home V asked the olding. ' Don't you see I am at home ?' ' Yes, you are right ; that was a foolish question that I asked ; but it is so dark in your cottage though it is Christmas Eve.' ' I am to have both a Christmas fire and a candle when mother come 3 home. A candle with three branches, too.' • { Hem ! Dame Gertrude has not yet come home and you are alone, and you will have to remain so for another full hour. Are you nob afraid ?' 'I am a Swedish boy,' replied Vigg. He had been taught to say so by Dame Gertrude. • Swedish boy,' repeated the olding. rubbing his mittens and taking the pipe out- of his mouth. 'Well, my fine fellow, do you know who I am ?' ' No,' replied Vigg ; { but do you know who I am ?' The olding took off his fur cap, bowed, and said, ' I have the honour to speak to Vigg, the magnanimous wrestler of the heabh, who has just put on 1 his first pair of breeches, the hero that is nob frightened at the longest beard. Y.ou are Vigg, and lam Father Christmas. Have I the honour of being known to you ?' *Ah ! are you Father Christmas 1 Then you are a good olding. Mother has often told me about you.' ' Thanks for the praise, bub opinions differ bhab poinfe. Well, Vigg, will you take a drive with me V 1 1 should like to, bub I musb not, I suppose ; for, if mother comes home and I am away, what will happen ?' 'I promise you shall be home before .mother. ' A man sticks to his word and an old woman to her bag ' is the saying. Come along I' Vigg ran out ; bub how cold ib was, and Vigg so thinly dressed ! His homespun jacket waB so scanty, and the wooden shoes had again worn out the heels of his stockings that had been "so often darned by mofcher Gertrude ; bub Father Christmas shut the door, lifted Vigg into the sledge, wrapped the sledge-rug around him, puffed ihe smoke of his pipe on his nose, which made him sneeze. Smack ! and off they went over the heath.

Brisky, Frisky, Neat and Fleet flew over the snow in flashing haste, and the- silver bells rang over the heath as if all fche bells of Heaven had been ringing. • May I drive ?' asked Vigg. '•No,- you must cab more pudding before you can do that,' said Father Christmas. 1 Perhaps so,' said Vigg.

,I,* Smith : ' My wife wants a new drees f 'every day i» the year.' Jones : ' She must Jje'awfuUy exbravagant. Does she gel it.' : * No, that's the reason she is comjjelled to wanb ifc." i Two Melbourne men, Messrs Burston and bokes, l^ave,, jstarfced to, ride round, the jorl'd' on bicycles. Their immediate course ik overland from Melbourne to Sydney,' and tnence by steamer to Calcutta. *|Some idea ,of the extent of the small-bird ! f|pst in the N T t aieri d.istriqtimay be gathered j fjoni the fact tliab during tWlasb twelve nlonths the County' Council paid JCIOO for birds' headi and eggs.

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