He preferred to go straight to bed, for he was too tired to eat. But he
couldn't go to sleep. He had received so many new impressions, he had
borne so much anguish, and had to do so much work besides, he could think
of nothing else. But now his grandmother came before his eyes again as
she had prayed with him at evening and had been so kind to him, and
everything she had told him. He wanted so much to pray, it seemed to him
as if his grandmother was near and told him the dear Lord would always
comfort him if he prayed, and that comfort he was so anxious to have.

He was so troubled, when he wondered if he could do his work the next
day, so that the farmer would not be cross, and how his wife would be,
for he was very much afraid of her, and how it would be with the boys,
who forced him to make everything appear contrary to the truth.

Then Sami began to pray and prayed for a long time, for he already began
to feel comforted, because he could take refuge with the dear Lord and
ask Him to help him, now that he had no one left in the world to whom he
could speak and who could assist him. When at last his eyes closed from
great weariness he dreamed he was sitting with his grandmother on the
wall and above them all the birds were singing so loud and so joyfully
that he had to sing with them: "Only trust the dear Lord!"




CHAPTER FOURTH

HARD TIMES