the sea and the forest and the hills, and peer into her son's
face. And as she did so, even the mist begotten of tears of
suffering could not dim the wonderful brilliancy and clearness
of her eyes. For with the sombre fire of inexhaustible love were
those eyes aflame.

Once, as she halted, she exclaimed:

"0 God, 0 Mother of God, how good it all is! Would that for
ever I could walk thus, yes, walk and walk unto the very end of
the world! All that I should need would be that thou, my son, my
darling son, shouldst, borne upon thy mother's breast, grow and
wax strong!"

And the sea murmured and murmured.



THE ICEBREAKER

On a frozen river near a certain Russian town, a gang of seven
carpenters were hastily repairing an icebreaker which the
townsfolk had stripped for firewood.

That year spring happened to be late in arriving, and youthful
March looked more like October, and only at noon, and that not
on every day, did the pale, wintry sun show himself in the
overcast heavens, or, glimmering in blue spaces between clouds,
contemplate the earth with a squinting, malevolent eye.