thedumbcreaturemightdemandafuturelifealso,anddeclarethelawunjustthatexcludesitfromtheadvantagesofthehighercreation."
"christsaid:'inmyfather'shousearemanymansions,'"sheanswered."heavenisasboundlessastheloveofourcreator;thedumbanimalisalsohiscreature,andifirmlybelievethatnolifewillbelost,buteachwillreceiveasmuchhappinessashecanenjoy,whichwillbesufficientforhim."
"thisworldissufficientforme,"saidthehusband,throwinghisarmroundhisbeautiful,sweet-temperedwife.hesatbyhersideontheopenbalcony,smokingacigaretteinthecoolair,whichwasloadedwiththesweetscentofcarnationsandorangeblossoms.soundsofmusicandtheclatterofcastanetscamefromtheroadbeneath,thestarsshoneabovethen,andtwoeyesfullofaffection-thoseofhiswife-lookeduponhimwiththeexpressionofundyinglove."suchamoment,"hesaid,"makesitworthwhiletobeborn,todie,andtobeannihilated!"hesmiled-theyoungwiferaisedherhandingentlereproof,andtheshadowpassedawayfromhermind,andtheywerehappy-quitehappy.
everythingseemedtoworktogetherfortheirgood.theyadvancedinhonour,inprosperity,andinhappiness.achangecamecertainly,butitwasonlyachangeofplaceandnotofcircumstances.
theyoungmanwassentbyhissovereignasambassadortotherussiancourt.thiswasanofficeofhighdignity,buthisbirthandhisacquirementsentitledhimtothehonour.hepossessedalargefortune,andhiswifehadbroughthimwealthequaltohisown,forshewasthedaughterofarichandrespectedmerchant.oneofthismerchant'slargestandfinestshipswastobesentthatyeartostockholm,anditwasarrangedthatthedearyoungcouple,thedaughterandtheson-in-law,shouldtravelinittost.thearrangementsonboardwereprincelyandsilkandluxuryoneveryside.
inanoldwarsong,called"thekingofengland'sson,"itsays:
"farewell,hesaid,andsailedaway.
andmanyrecollectthatday.
theropeswereofsilk,theanchorofgold,
andeverywhererichesandwealthuntold."
thesewordswouldaptlydescribethevesselfromspain,forherewasthesameluxury,andthesamepartingthoughtnaturallyarose:
"godgrantthatweoncemoremaymeet
insweetuncloudedpeaceandjoy."
therewasafavourablewindblowingastheyleftthespanishcoast,anditwouldbebutashortjourney,fortheyhopedtoreachtheirdestinationinafewweeks;butwhentheycameoutuponthewideoceanthewinddropped,theseabecamesmoothandshining,andthestarsshonebrightly.manyfestiveeveningswerespentonboard.atlastthetravellersbegantowishforwind,forafavourablebreeze;buttheirwishwasuseless-notabreathofairstirred,orifitdidariseitwascontrary.weekspassedbyinthisway,twowholemonths,andthenatlengthafairwindblewfromthesouth-west.theshipsailedonthehighseasbetweenscotlandandjutland;thenthewindincreased,justasitdidintheoldsongof"thekingofengland'sson."
"'midstormandwind,andpeltinghail,
theireffortswereofnoavail.
thegoldenanchorforththeythrew;
towardsdenmarkthewestwindblew."
thisallhappenedalongtimeago;kingchristianvii,whosatonthedanishthrone,wasstillayoungman.muchhashappenedsincethen,muchhasalteredorbeenchanged.seaandmoorlandhavebeenturnedintogreenmeadows,stretchesofheatherhavebecomearableland,andintheshelterofthepeasant'scottages,apple-treesandrose-bushesgrow,thoughtheycertainlyrequiremuchcare,asthesharpwestwindblowsuponthem.inwestjutlandonemaygobackinthoughttooldtimes,fartherbackthanthedayswhenchristianviiruled.thepurpleheatherstillextendsformiles,withitsbarrowsandaerialspectacles,intersectedwithsandyunevenroads,justasitdidthen;towardsthewest,wherebroadstreamsrunintothebays,aremarshesandmeadowsencircledbylofty,sandyhills,which,likeachainofalps,raisetheirpointedsummitsnearthesea;theyareonlybrokenbyhighridgesofclay,fromwhichthesea,yearbyyear,bitesoutgreatmouthfuls,sothattheoverhangingbanksfalldownasifbytheshockofanearthquake.thusitistheretodayandthusitwaslongago,whenthehappypairweresailinginthebeautifulship.
itwasasunday,towardstheendofseptember;thesunwasshining,andthechimingofthechurchbellsinthebayofnissumwascarriedalongbythebreezelikeachainofsounds.thechurchestherearealmostentirelybuiltofhewnblocksofstone,eachlikeapieceofrock.thenorthseamightfoamoverthemandtheywouldnotbedisturbed.nearlyallofthemarewithoutsteeples,andthebellsarehungoutsidebetweentwobeams.theservicewasover,andthecongregationpassedoutintothechurchyard,wherenotatreeorbushwastobeseen;noflowerswereplantedthere,andtheyhadnotplacedasinglewreathuponanyofthegraves.itisjustthesamenow.roughmoundsshowwherethedeadhavebeenburied,andrankgrass,tossedbythewind,growsthicklyoverthewholechurchyard;hereandthereagravehasasortofmonument,ablockofhalf-decayedwood,rudelycutintheshapeofacoffin;theblocksarebroughtfromtheforestofwestjutland,buttheforestistheseaitself,andtheinhabitantsfindbeams,andplanks,andfragmentswhichthewaveshavecastuponthebeach.oneoftheseblockshadbeenplacedbylovinghandsonachild'sgrave,andoneofthewomenwhohadcomeoutofthechurchwalkeduptoit;shestoodthere,hereyesrestingontheweather-beatenmemorial,andafewmomentsafterwardsherhusbandjoinedher.theywerebothsilent,buthetookherhand,andtheywalkedtogetheracrossthepurpleheath,overmoorandmeadowtowardsthesandhills.foralongtimetheywentonwithoutspeaking.
"itwasagoodsermonto-day,"themansaidatlast."ifwehadnotgodtotrustin,weshouldhavenothing."
"yes,"repliedthewoman,"hesendsjoyandsorrow,andhehasarighttosendthem.to-morrowourlittlesonwouldhavebeenfiveyearsoldifwehadbeenpermittedtokeephim."
"itisnousefretting,wife,"saidtheman."theboyiswellprovidedfor.heiswherewehopeandpraytogoto."
theysaidnothingmore,butwentouttowardstheirhousesamongthesand-hills.allatonce,infrontofoneofthehouseswheretheseagrassdidnotkeepthesanddownwithitstwiningroots,whatseemedtobeacolumnofsmokeroseup.agustofwindrushedbetweenthehills,hurlingtheparticlesofsandhighintotheair;anothergust,andthestringsoffishhunguptodryflappedandbeatviolentlyagainstthewallsofthecottage;theneverythingwasquietoncemore,andthesunshonewithrenewedheat.
themanandhiswifewentintothecottage.theyhadsoontakenofftheirsundayclothesandcomeoutagain,hurryingovertheduneswhichstoodtherelikegreatwavesofsandsuddenlyarrestedintheircourse,whilethesandweedsanddunegrasswithitsbluishstalksspreadachangingcolouroverthem.afewneighboursalsocameout,andhelpedeachothertodrawtheboatshigheruponthebeach.thewindnowblewmorekeenly,itwaschillyandcold,andwhentheywentbackoverthesand-hills,sandandlittlesharpstonesblewintotheirfaces.thewavesrosehigh,crestedwithwhitefoam,andthewindcutofftheircrests,scatteringthefoamfarandwide.
eveningcame;therewasaswellingroarintheair,awailingormoaninglikethevoicesofdespairingspirits,thatsoundedabovethethunderofthewaves.thefisherman'slittlecottagewasontheverymargin,andthesandrattledagainstthewindowpanes;everynowandthenaviolentgustofwindshookthehousetoitswasdark,butaboutmidnightthemoonwouldrise.laterontheairbecameclearer,butthestormsweptovertheperturbedseawithundiminishedfury;thefisherfolkshadlongsincegonetobed,butinsuchweathertherewasnochanceofclosinganeye.presentlytherewasatappingatthewindow;thedoorwasopened,andavoicesaid:
"there'salargeshipstrandedonthefarthestreef."
inamomentthefisherpeoplesprungfromtheirbedsandhastilydressedthemselves.themoonhadrisen,anditwaslightenoughtomakethesurroundingobjectsvisibletothosewhocouldopentheireyesintheblindingcloudsofsand;theviolenceofthewindwasterrible,anditwasonlypossibletopassamongthesand-hillsifonecreptforwardbetweenthegusts;thesaltsprayflewupfromthesealikedown,andtheoceanfoamedlikearoaringcataracttowardsthebeach.onlyapractisedeyecoulddiscernthevesseloutintheoffing;shewasafinebrig,andthewavesnowliftedheroverthereef,threeorfourcables'lengthoutoftheusualchannel.shedrovetowardstheshore,struckonthesecondreef,andremainedfixed.
itwasimpossibletorenderassistance;thesearushedinuponthevessel,makingacleanbreachoverher.thoseonshorethoughttheyheardcriesforhelpfromthoseonboard,andcouldplainlydistinguishthebusybutuselesseffortsmadebythestrandedawavecamerollingonward.itfellwithenormousforceonthebowsprit,tearingitfromthevessel,andthesternwasliftedhighabovethewater.twopeoplewereseentoembraceandplungetogetherintothesea,andthenextmomentoneofthelargestwavesthatrolledtowardsthesand-hillsthrewabodyonthebeach.itwasawoman;thesailorssaidthatshewasquitedead,butthewomenthoughttheysawsignsoflifeinher,sothestrangerwascarriedacrossthesand-hillstothefisherman'scottage.howbeautifulandfairshewas!