itmustbedone,forveryshame;youaresuretobeaskedwhenyoucomebackifyouhaveseeneverything,andwillmostlikelybetoldthatyou'veomittedtoseewhatwasbestworthseeingofall.igottiredatlastofthoseendlessmadonnas;ibegantothinkiwasturningintoamadonnamyself."

"andthentheliving,mamma,"saidkaela.

"yes,indeed,"shereplied,"nosuchathingasarespectablemeatsoup-theircookeryismiserablestuff."

thejourneyhadalsotiredkaela;butshewasalwaysfatigued,thatwastheworstofit.sotheysentforsophy,andshewastakenintothehousetoresidewiththem,andherpresencetherewasagreatadvantage.mamma-in-lawacknowledgedthatsophywasnotonlyacleverhousewife,butwell-informedandaccomplished,thoughthatcouldhardlybeexpectedinapersonofherlimitedmeans.shewasalsoagenerous-hearted,faithfulgirl;sheshowedthatthoroughlywhilekaelalaysick,fadingaway.whenthecasketiseverything,thecasketshouldbestrong,orelseallisover.andallwasoverwiththecasket,forkaeladied.

"shewasbeautiful,"saidhermother;"shewasquitedifferentfromthebeautiestheycall'antiques,'fortheyaresodamaged.abeautyoughttobeperfect,andkaelawasaperfectbeauty."

alfredwept,andmammawept,andtheybothworemourning.theblackdresssuitedmammaverywell,andsheworemourningthelongest.shehadalsotoexperienceanothergriefinseeingalfredmarryagain,marrysophy,whowasnothingatalltolookat."he'sgonetotheveryextreme,"saidmamma-in-law;"hehasgonefromthemostbeautifultotheugliest,andhehasforgottenhisfirstwife.menhavenoconstancy.myhusbandwasaverydifferentman,-butthenhediedbeforeme."

"'pygmalionlovedhisgalatea,'wasinthesongtheysungatmyfirstwedding,"saidalfred;"ioncefellinlovewithabeautifulstatue,whichawoketolifeinmyarms;butthekindredsoul,whichisagiftfromheaven,theangelwhocanfeelandsympathizewithandelevateus,ihavenotfoundandwontillnow.youcame,sophy,notinthegloryofoutwardbeauty,thoughyouareevenfairerthanisnecessary.thechiefthingstillremains.youcametoteachthesculptorthathisworkisbutdustandclayonly,anoutwardformmadeofamaterialthatdecays,andthatwhatweshouldseektoobtainistheetherealessenceofmindandspirit.poorkaela!ourlifewasbutasameetingbytheway-side;inyonderworld,whereweshallknoweachotherfromaunionofmind,weshallbebutmereacquaintances."

"thatwasnotalovingspeech,"saidsophy,"norspokenlikeachristian.inafuturestate,wherethereisneithermarryingnorgivinginmarriage,butwhere,asyousay,soulsareattractedtoeachotherbysympathy;thereeverythingbeautifuldevelopsitself,andisraisedtoahigherstateofexistence:hersoulwillacquiresuchcompletenessthatitmayharmonizewithyours,evenmorethanmine,andyouwillthenoncemoreutteryourfirstrapturousexclamationofyourlove,'beautiful,mostbeautiful!'"

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

bythealmshousewindow

byhanschristianandersen

nearthegrass-coveredrampartwhichencirclescopenhagenliesagreatredhouse.balsamsandotherflowersgreetusfromthelongrowsofwindowsinthehouse,whoseinteriorissufficientlypoverty-stricken;andpoorandoldarethepeoplewhoinhabitbuildingisthewartonalmshouse.

look!atthewindowthereleansanoldmaid.sheplucksthewitheredleaffromthebalsam,andlooksatthegrass-coveredrampart,onwhichmanychildrenareplaying.whatistheoldmaidthinkingof?