CHAPTER VIII
What Happens on Organ-Sunday
Early in the morning, long before the nine o'clock church service, largecrowds of people were walking toward Upper Wood, for everybody wanted tohear the new organ. It was a beautiful Sunday and everyone preferred togo to Upper Wood to church. The women all carried a few beautifulflowers on their hymnbooks, and when they had arrived at the open placebefore the church they stopped and greeted each other and stood talkingin different groups. Gradually the men came along and did the same.
The Mayor was standing a little on one side with the Justice of Peace.They were in deep conversation in which many threats occurred, for theMayor several times held up his finger and waved it threateningly in theair.
Kaetheli stood close beside her father and pricked up her ears. Now thechurch bells began to ring. Soon after the pastor's wife and Sally cameout of their house door, and behind them quiet, devout Edi and Ritz withhymn-books under their arms. After a few steps they all stopped to waitfor the pastor. Now the old wife of the sexton ran to the pastor's wife;she always had to report something as soon as she caught sight of her.Kaetheli took advantage of the opportunity. Like a flash she was fromher father's side and whispered with the greatest rapidity in Sally'sear: "Just think what I know now. Last evening Neighbor Rudi, whobelongs to Churi's officers, told me that it was not on account of thefight that they were going away in the morning; but that they were goinginto the Mayor's vineyard and were going to take his early grapes; thatChuri had persuaded Erick to come along, because he wants to send himahead through the vineyard, because a trap might be set there. Of courseErick would be caught and the others could be warned and pass by,without harm. But imagine what the Mayor has just told father: he hashad something placed in the narrow pathway which leads through the grapevines which no one can see; but if anyone steps on it, it discharges ashot in the face and burns it so that no one could recognize him anymore, for it would mar him so badly. Just think, Erick's curls will beburned off and his handsome face will be so marred that we shall notknow him."
Sally had become as white as snow from fright. "Come quickly, Kaetheli,"she said urgently, "we will run after Erick and tell him everything,come!"
"It is much too late, why, what do you think," Kaetheli said, "theystarted early this morning. Erick is already burned."
Now the pastor came out. The mother turned and took Sally's hand, whotried to stay behind. Kaetheli went toward the church, and Sally knewthat she too had to go in; but she could hardly walk from fear andanguish, and as she sat on her bench within, she saw and heard nothingof the whole organ festivities, for she only saw the disfigured Erickbefore her, how he was sitting in the vineyard and moaning, and hertears fell so plentifully that she could no longer look up.
Churi and his officers had assembled at the set time. Erick also hadkept his word and was there. Although the companions had started early,they met single churchgoers on their way to Upper Wood, for these peoplewanted to look around on their way to church, to see how things were inthe fields and gardens, and so they had set off in good time.
Now Churi had commanded his officers that they must each bring a basket,for there was no time to eat the grapes in the vineyard; they must cutthem quickly and throw them into their baskets, then they would go intothe woods, to a safe place, and eat them in peace. But armed withbaskets the officers appeared somewhat suspicious; Churi himself thoughtso and he now ordered, when they arrived at Upper Wood, that hisofficers should hide the baskets behind a barn, until all the church-goershad entered the church and the roads were safe.
Erick had already asked twice what the baskets were needed for on aninspection march, but he had received no answer. As now the warriors sathidden behind the heap of straw and had time for questions and answers,Erick asked again: "What are you going to put in the baskets?"
"Grapes, if you insist on knowing!" Churi shouted at him, "and you toowill find them good when you eat them."
After the bells had stopped ringing and all was quiet round about, Churicommanded them to start. "But you will be very quiet when you pass thechurch, do you hear?" he ordered; "for the doors are still open."
Full, bright organ tones came through the opened doors toward the boyswhen they silently approached the church, and now, suddenly, the wholecongregation joined with the tones of the organ and sang in loud, fullchorus:
"How shall I then receive Thee? And how shall I then meet Thee? Oh, Thou, the world's desire Who set'st my heart on fire!"
Like lightning Erick was away out of the midst of his companions to thechurch-door and into the church.
Churi grew pale from fright; he believed nothing less than that Erickhad rushed into the church to betray publicly to the whole congregationthe intended grape-theft. Instantly he turned around and ran away like amadman, for he firmly believed that half the congregation was on hisheels, since he heard a crowd running after him. But the runners werehis companions, who followed him in greatest haste, for since they sawthe brave Churi run like fire, they thought that there must be greatdanger, and they rushed with always longer and longer leaps after him.
Erick had run into the midst of a crowd of people, who all stood in thepassage of the church because there were no more seats on the benches,so full was the church. Now the hymn, accompanied by the organ, rushedlike a big, full stream on through the church:
"Thy Zion scatters palms And greening twigs for Thee, But I in glorious psalms Will lift my soul to Thee! My heart be overflowing In constant love and praise In service will be growing, Will Thy dear name then grace."
In breathless attention Erick stood there, for it was his mother's song!He was trembling in every limb and large tears ran down his cheeks. Awoman who sat near him noticed the trembling little fellow; she drew himcompassionately close to her and made a little room for him, so that hecould sit down.
The singing had stopped and the pastor began to preach. During thesermon Erick recovered a little from the strong emotion which had quiteoverpowered him when he suddenly heard in such powerful tones his lostsong again.
He now looked round and saw that he was firmly wedged in and could notmove, for two more women had forced themselves between the sitters, andthe whole passage the full length of the church was densely throngedwith people. So Erick sat, quiet as a mouse, and did not stir until thesermon and prayer were at an end. Then once more the full tones of theorgan sounded and the congregation rose and sang:
"I lay in heaviest fetters, Thou com'st and set'st me free; I stood in shame and sorrow, Thou callest me to Thee; And lift'st me up to honor And giv'st me heavenly joys Which cannot be diminished By earthly scorn and noise."
His mother had sung that at the very last. Erick saw her again beforehim, as she had sat the last evening at the piano and had spoken to himwith words so full of love; and then, in the morning, she had lain thereso still and pale. He laid his head on the arm of the bench and sobbedas if his heart would break. The people passed by him, and here andthere one woman said to another: "The poor little fellow, he has no oneon this earth," and then they went out.
The pastor in the pulpit had seen Erick rush into church. He now lookedagain in that direction, and noticed the little chap, how he sat thereon the empty bench, so forsaken, his head resting on his arm. The pastornow walked behind the last of the congregation toward the bench. Hestepped into the pew and put his hand on Erick's shoulder and askedkindly: "Why are you weeping so hard, my boy?"
"Because--because--because they sang Mother's song," sobbed Erick.
"What is your name?" the pastor asked again.
"Erick Dorn," was the answer.
Now the pastor knew what to do. He took the boy's hand in his fatherlyhand, pulled him down from the high bench and said: "Come with me, myboy!"
At the parsonage the three children stood waiting for the father'sreturn, as they did every Sunday. Sally had not said a word since theyhad left c
hurch; now she came close to her mother and said, quiteexcited: "Please, please, Mamma, may I go now at once to Kaetheli? Ihave to talk over something with her, really I must."
Sally had made up her mind to go out into the vineyards to look forErick, but she did not know the way, so Kaetheli was to go with her. Butthe mother opposed Sally's urging and said: "You know, dear, that wehave dinner at once, and father does not allow such running away onSunday. There he comes now. Who is the little boy whose hand he isholding?"
Sally uttered a loud shout of joy and tore away. "Oh, Erick! you are notburnt!" she cried, beside herself with joy, when she now saw Erickbefore her with his abundant curls and bright eyes.
"Of course not," said Erick, politely lifting his little cap andoffering his hand to her, a little surprised, for he did not know whenhe could have burned himself. Quickly she took his hand and so the threemet the surprised mother who, however, at the sight of Erick, guessed atonce who the fine boy in the velvet jacket was. She greeted him lovinglyand stroked his tear-stained eyes and flushed cheeks.
Sally would have liked to ask at once how all had happened, and wouldhave urged him to tell everything; but when she saw how he must havewept, she shrank from enquiring and held his hand quietly. Edi and Ritzalso noticed at once the traces of tears and greeted him quite calmly.
The pastor left his family to go to his room and the mother took hisplace and conducted Erick, whom Sally on the other side held firmly bythe hand, up the stairs; Ritz and Edi followed. When 'Lizebeth, who wasstanding in the kitchen door, saw the procession come and noticed thatthe mother held the little stranger so tenderly by his hand, as thoughhe were her own small Ritz, then 'Lizebeth at once shut the kitchendoor, and grumbled: "There is something wrong about this!"
Soon after, the whole family sat around the noonday table, and if Sallycould not eat yesterday from sorrow, today she could not swallowanything from pure joy, not even the apple cake, which surprised Ritzvery much. But he was glad that the sad Erick also got some, for hethought that that must comfort him.
In the evening of this Sunday, Erick sat in the midst of the pastor'sfamily around the four-cornered sitting-room table, as snugly andfamiliarly as if he long since belonged there. He had been treated, thewhole afternoon, with such kindness by all, that his whole heart, whichhad been accustomed to a mother's great love, opened, and he felt morehappy than he had in all the sad days since he had had to miss thislove. Sally did not know how she could do enough to give him pleasure.Now she had brought the most beautiful picture book that she owned, andErick looked with her at the pictures, which she eagerly explained tohim; all the time beaming with joy that everything, she had believedlost, had come to her; that Erick was in the midst of them at home likea near friend, and was to stay over the night, for the father hadarranged that at once.
Edi sat over his history book and Ritz had a book of his own before him,but looked over it at Sally and listened to her explanation. Now Edilifted his head--he must have come upon something very particular.
"Papa," he said, "now I know for certain what I want to be: asea-captain. Then I can sail around the world, for _sometime_ I must seeall the lands where all these things have happened."
"So, I thought you wanted to be a professor of history," remarked thefather, not much disturbed by this piece of news.
"I want to be that, too," said Ritz, "I, too, want to sail in ships."
"No, you see, Ritz, two brothers must not be the same thing, else theyget in each other's way," instructed Edi.
"Then I will be a sea-robber, they too sail in ships," Ritz comfortedhimself.
"We will not hope anything of the kind," said the father behind hischurch paper.
"And do you remember, Ritz, what I once told you about Julius Caesar?"Edi reminded him. "If I were to catch you like that, then I should beobliged to have you killed."
"No, I do not want that! But what can one be with ships?" Ritz askedplaintively, for if Edi expressed a thought, then it usually remainedfirmly in Ritz's head.
"One can be also something very good without ships, my dear Ritz," themother said comfortingly, "and that is much safer; then one stays onfirm land, and I should advise you to stay. And what does our Erick wantto be? Has he too thought of that?"
"I must become an honorable man," answered Erick at once.
"That is no calling," instructed Edi.
But the father put down his book and said, nodding at the boy: "That isright, Erick, go toward that goal: first, and above all, an honorableman; after that, every calling is all right."
Now the mother rose, for it was time to go to bed. Edi and Ritz tookErick between them and thus marched ahead of the mother to conduct himto his little room which was beside their bedroom, so that the doorbetween could be left open, with the advantage that Erick also could bedrawn into the nightly conversation. Both Edi and Ritz were delightedwith that.
So the Organ-Sunday, which had begun so hostilely, ended quitepeacefully.