登陆注册
4617200000062

第62章

"Well, Mother, don't cry, HE SHALL HAVE THEM. I shall bring meat and wine before night. Take the cover from my bed. I can sleep in the straw.""Yes, Hans, but it is heavy, scant as it is. The meester said he must have something light and warm. He will perish. Our peat is giving out, Hans. The father has wasted it sorely, throwing it on when I was not looking, dear man.""Never mind, Mother," whispered Hans cheerfully. "We can cut down the willow tree and burn it, if need be, but I'll bring home something tonight. There MUST be work in Amsterdam, though there's none in Broek. Never fear, Mother, the worst trouble of all is past. We can brave anything now that the father is himself again.""Aye!" sobbed Dame Brinker, hastily drying her eyes. "That is true indeed.""Of course it is. Look at him, Mother, how softly he sleeps. Do you think God would let him starve, just after giving him back to us? Why, Mother, I'm as SURE of getting all the father needs as if my pocket were bursting with gold. There, now, don't fret."And, hurriedly kissing her, Hans caught up his skates and slipped from the cottage.

Poor Hans! Disappointed in his morning's errand, half sickened with this new trouble, he wore a brave look and tried to whistle as he tramped resolutely off with the firm intention of mending matters.

Want had never before pressed so sorely upon the Brinker family.

Their stock of peat was nearly exhausted, and all the flour in the cottage was in Gretel's dough. They had scarcely cared to eat during the past few days, scarcely realized their condition.

Dame Brinker had felt so sure that she and the children could earn money before the worst came that she had given herself up to the joy of her husband's recovery. She had not even told Hans that the few pieces of silver in the old mitten were quite gone.

Hans reproached himself, now, that he had not hailed the doctor when he saw him enter his coach and drive rapidly away in the direction of Amsterdam.

Perhaps there is some mistake, he thought. The meester surely would have known that meat and sweet wine were not at our command; and yet the father looks very weak--he certainly does.

I MUST get work. If Mynheer van Holp were back from Rotterdam, Icould get plenty to do. But Master Peter told me to let him know if he could do aught to serve us. I shall go to him at once.

Oh, if it were but summer!

All this time Hans was hastening toward the canal. Soon his skates were on, and he was skimming rapidly toward the residence of Mynheer van Holp.

"The father must have meat and wine at once," he muttered, "but how can I earn the money in time to buy them today? There is no other way but to go, as I PROMISED, to Master Peter. What would a gift of meat and wine be to him? When the father is once fed, I can rush down to Amsterdam and earn the morrow's supply."Then came other thoughts--thoughts that made his heart thump heavily and his cheeks burn with a new shame. It is BEGGING, to say the least. Not one of the Brinkers has ever been a beggar.

Shall I be the first? Shall my poor father just coming back into life learn that his family has asked for charity--he, always so wise and thrifty? "No," cried Hans aloud, "better a thousand times to part with the watch."I can at least borrow money on it, in Amsterdam! he thought, turning around. That will be no disgrace. I can find work at once and get it back again. Nay, perhaps I can even SPEAK TOTHE FATHER ABOUT IT!

This last thought made the lad dance for joy. Why not, indeed, speak to the father? He was a rational being now. He may wake, thought Hans, quite bright and rested--may tell us the watch is of no consequence, to sell it of course! And Hans almost flew over the ice.

A few moments more and the skates were again swinging from his arm. He was running toward the cottage.

His mother met him at the door.

"Oh, Hans!" she cried, her face radiant with joy, "the young lady has been here with her maid. She brought everything--meat, jelly, wine, and bread--a whole basketful! Then the meester sent a man from town with more wine and a fine bed and blankets for the father. Oh! he will get well now. God bless them!""God bless them!" echoed Hans, and for the first time that day his eyes filled with tears.

The Father's ReturnThat evening Raff Brinker felt so much better that he insisted upon sitting up for a while on the rough high-backed chair by the fire. For a few moments there was quite a commotion in the little cottage. Hans was all-important on the occasion, for his father was a heavy man and needed something firm to lean upon.

The dame, though none of your fragile ladies, was in such a state of alarm and excitement at the bold step they were taking in lifting him without the meester's orders that she came near pulling her husband over, even while she believed herself to be his main prop and support.

"Steady, vrouw, steady," panted Raff. "Have I grown old and feeble, or is it the fever makes me thus helpless?""Hear the man!"--Dame Brinker laughed--"talking like any other Christian! Why, you're only weak from the fever, Raff. Here's the chair, all fixed snug and warm. Now, sit thee down--hi-di-didy--there we are!"With these words Dame Brinker let her half of the burden settle slowly into the chair. Hans prudently did the same.

Meanwhile Gretel flew about generally, bringing every possible thing to her mother to tuck behind the father's back and spread over his knees. Then she twitched the carved bench under his feet, and Hans kicked the fire to make it brighter.

The father was sitting up at last. What wonder that he looked about him like one bewildered. "Little Hans" had just been almost carrying him. "The baby" was over four feet long and was demurely brushing up the hearth with a bundle of willow wisps.

Meitje, the vrouw, winsome and fair as ever, had gained at least fifty pounds in what seemed to him a few hours. She also had some new lines in her face that puzzled him. The only familiar things in the room were the pine table that he had made before he was married, the Bible upon the shelf, and the cupboard in the corner.

同类推荐
  • 金匮要略方论

    金匮要略方论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 华严经关脉义记

    华严经关脉义记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 修真十书盘山语录卷

    修真十书盘山语录卷

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Crimson Fairy Book

    The Crimson Fairy Book

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明季三朝野史

    明季三朝野史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 快穿:反派BOSS帅炸天

    快穿:反派BOSS帅炸天

    当三千位面的反派BOSS换了个芯子……上位女配:男主是什么?BOSS求眼熟!重生女主:重生后最幸福的事不是报仇而是遇见你穿书女主:穿书前以为男女主才是真爱,穿书后BOSS才是真绝色!各位面男主:反派放开你手里的女主!某BOSS:长的好看怪我咯?某男主:媳妇看他们不如看我系统:……宿主你踏马能不能别撩女主了!某BOSS:好系统:(受宠若惊)等等,女配也不行!#我家宿主拽上天,实力拆CP#
  • 爱不释手,总裁的刁蛮妻

    爱不释手,总裁的刁蛮妻

    三年前的婚礼,他不只逃婚,而且一句话让他成了整个小区的一个笑话,家庭的耻辱,甚至害的她的姐姐也嫁不出去。宁小可发誓,这辈子要是让她再见到那个杀千刀的,她非剁了他不可。*********转眼再见,他是丰城阔少,她是暴发户的女儿。他陪着朋友来家里相亲,她帮着姐姐做馄饨应付相亲。仇人见面,分外眼红,她愤怒的看向他。某男邪魅开口:“你们认错人了,我是景桁的哥哥景琛。”某女:“……”************渣男“哥哥”大方表示,要帮宁小可收拾那个杀千刀的,而且立即执行,某女瞬间惊呆了。好吧,有人帮忙自己收拾渣男,何乐而不为。绑了揍一顿,可以!玩玩涂鸦,也可以!只要是想玩的,没什么不可以!宁小可觉得自己的日子简直是爽翻天了,对这个突然冒出来的前男友“哥哥”是感恩戴德,涕泪涟涟。景少悠悠开口:“亲爱的,既然那么感动,嫁给我可好!”某女眯眯眼:“等我虐够景桁了再说,明天我要……”某男泪:“……”他们同仇敌忾,臭味相投,齐心合力收拾“景桁”,查清一个个扑朔迷离的谜团,可是后来的后来,宁小可才发现,某景少给她挖了个坑,而且是很大很大一个坑,让她跳进去就再爬不出来了,而这个坑里是……
  • 公司萨满:一个商业寓言

    公司萨满:一个商业寓言

    萨满,是西伯利亚语中的一个词,意为“能在黑暗中看见东西的人”。他是医治者,历史可以追溯到四万年前。萨满能够随意进入另一个精神世界,在不同的精神世界晨游历,并运用魔力、智慧和这些世界里的能量改变周围的人和他们所处的环境。既然萨满法师的实践旨在治疗作为个体的人,而公司个体的组合,那么这些效力显著的方法也可以用来治疗和恢复公司的士气。基于这种想法,就出现了公司萨满。他是顾问,把公司看作一个有机体而不是机器。能够重新建立健康的公司内部环境。
  • 奇特最胜金轮佛顶念诵仪轨法要

    奇特最胜金轮佛顶念诵仪轨法要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 天堂候鸟

    天堂候鸟

    当闷骚男遇到豪放女,当青春期撞上要独立,当亲情、友情、爱情交织,是剪断还是理清? 原名《在十八岁路上》,少云新书,青春校园系。。。候鸟群:113212880
  • 金刚顶经瑜伽文殊师利菩萨法一品

    金刚顶经瑜伽文殊师利菩萨法一品

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 梦境传说

    梦境传说

    传承逆天神力、练成天外化身、手控辟邪神雷、挥手灭杀远古妖兽,抬腿踢飞上古神王,将那些狂傲的天才全部踩在脚下!驯服超级魔兽,一路披荆斩棘,最终踏上终极强者巅峰!杀戮于九天,纵横于苍穹,八荒六合唯我独尊!
  • 莲花仙印

    莲花仙印

    你可知道你的身边,谁是妖,谁是仙,谁是菩萨?他们虽然貌似平凡,或许埋着不为人知的传奇经历。你是否爱过,恨过,见惯了缘起缘灭?善缘也好,恶缘也罢,还不都是一样的好缘分。
  • 方洲杂言

    方洲杂言

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 布衣青云

    布衣青云

    唐玄宗励精图治,用勤奋和节俭开创开天盛世,国运昌隆,闾阎相望,桑麻蔽野,万邦来贺。然而盛世就如瓷器一样,精美而易碎。藩镇节度,安史之乱,土地兼并,胡人踏关。远去的不仅是‘天可汗’时代,也是一个巍巍帝国的背影。李白傲权贵、杜甫凌绝顶、岑参诗边塞,王维画山水、七绝圣手王昌龄、画圣吴道子……王忠嗣、李泌、李光弼、郭子仪、高仙芝、哥舒翰、封常清、李晟、颜真卿、安禄山、史思明、高力士、李林甫、杨国忠……数不尽的千古人物,竞风流。梦回千年,一个人与一个时代相遇。卑微弱小,他能否摇动大势?能否在这文人佩剑的最后时代,翻云覆雨,力挽狂澜?