with twenty-five milch cows in the shed, and as many sheep as Jacob at
the end of his last year's service?"

"Yes, yes, I remember." Her blue eyes sparkled, and the two young
people's laughter echoed over the hillside.

The forest woke from his dreams, and stopped to listen to the tale of
the children at play.

"And how we played snowballs on the way home from school? And your
hair was all full of snow, and I took it down--do you remember?--and
did it up again in the middle of the road."

"Yes, and did it all wrong; and the others laughed."

The trees winked at one another as if they had never beard such talk
before.

"And the confirmation classes after!" said the girl warmly. "Oh, I
shall never forget that time--the lovely summer days, and the shady
birches near the church...."

The trees nodded. The house with a cross on top--all they had heard of
it was the bell that rang there, and the big firs had wondered what
it was. Now here were human beings themselves telling what went on
inside.

"And you've grown up to a great big girl since then! It seems so
strange--as if you were the same and not the same."