"You cannot help him, he is--he is already dead," said the messenger in an
unsteady voice. Then he turned and ran back again, glad to have the
message off his mind.

Elsbeth threw herself down on a stone by the way, unable to stand or to
walk. She held her apron before her face and burst into weeping and
sobbing, so that Toneli was distressed and frightened. He pressed close
to his mother and began to cry too.

It was already dark, when Elsbeth finally came to herself and could think
of her child. The little one was still sitting beside her on the ground,
with both hands pressed to his eyes, and sobbing pitifully. His mother
lifted him up.

"Come, Toneli, we must go home; it is late," she said, taking him by the
hand.

But he resisted.

"No, no, we must wait for Father!" he said and pulled his mother back.

Again she could not keep back the tears. "Oh, Toneli, Father will come no
more," she said, stifling her sobs; "he is already enjoying the blessed
Sunday, we prayed for, for the weary. See, the dear Lord has taken him to
Heaven; it is so beautiful there, he will prefer to stay there."

"Then we will go too," replied Toneli, starting

"Yes, yes, we shall go there too," promised his mother, "but now we must