"Oh, Mother, don't do that; let me be a wood-carver!"

She would have had no objection to this, but knew no way to bring it
about, and she had known the farmer up on the Matten farm ever since her
husband had worked there, and ever since his death, from time to time he
had sent her a little wood or meal.

She hoped that he would employ Toni at first for light tasks in the field,
so that he would gradually learn to do the heavier work.

So on Saturday night after the day's work was ended and she sat down with
Toni to their scanty supper, she said once more:

"Toni, now we must take a decided step; I think it is best for me to go up
to the Matten farm to-morrow."

"Oh, Mother, don't do that!" said Toni quite beseechingly. "Don't go to
the farmer! If you will only let me be a wood-carver, I will work so hard,
that I will earn enough, and you will not have to do so much, and then I
can stay at home with you. Besides you would be all alone, and I can't
bear it, if I have to be always away from you. Let me stay with you; don't
send me away, Mother."

"Oh, you good Toni," said his mother, "what wouldn't I give to be able to
keep you always with me! But that really cannot be. I know of no way for
you to be a wood-carver; some one would have to teach you, and when you
had learned, how should we sell the carvings? You would have to know
people and go about, or else your work wouldn't bring any money. If only I
could talk with some one, who could give me good advice!"