Neil's Fiction

Hermand woke up first. He lay a little while looking about.--But there was something he did not understand. "Mother!" he said. If he knew it was Mother, or that is what he believed, he was home then, having traveled there some how;--but Mother was accordingly there and Mother had awakened always when her child called.... The poor widow and the grocer's house wife talked all the while. But Hermand did not follw a word of it; hence, Ernst had begun to tell rare amusing tales, so fine that never... Sign in to see full entry.

Upon the Teigen spread sat Hermand's mother by the route who stared down over the way. She was anxious for the boy, who now had been away for a long time, and she had become restless. She took her old worn out shoes and laced them up, cast an old shawl over her head and went outside the hovel. She waded down away through the deep snow, until she reached the main path--and from here she was able to see the remarkable drifts over and against the houses. Seeing these beaten down, she became... Sign in to see full entry.

Of course, Hermand found it true, there was Christmas even in the homes down in the district, ja, there was light upon light and beam upon beam from every window! He paused outside the large, rich grocer Hansen's house. He could have a moment here on his way--the children to him seemed as angels and their homes he made much of, as paradise. If only he could be in there and his mother be there also! But he dared not.--He could just have a talk with Eivind and Ernst as the quickest interchange, so... Sign in to see full entry.

New snow lay as a white wax over the fields. There was moonshine and glitter and luster. The church bells had chimed and tolled for the coming festival, Christmas Holiday was initiated, and peace sank closely toward earth. The lights streamed through the windows and doors, and the children were the gladdest among the glad. They hopped and sprang into the new clothes and shoes, so for the most part they tore down the Christmas tree. Shortly there were many lighted pine trees, the song took on a... Sign in to see full entry.

No, we shall live a worthy Christian life. Christ does require that we be without shame, that we be not afraid of scorn and mockery of a gentle and slack world spirit and so without fail, that we have an ideal down here. He is our ideal in all our deeds and in our way of thinking! We must open our hearts and doors for his loving kindness! We must be great and good and wise, powerful and rich in our understanding and direction, as he was the one who can be seen with the eye and feeling of the... Sign in to see full entry.

We have churches, we have institutions of mercy and other kinds of institutes--and we call ourselves Christian. But a chief's mind and kind heart we have not at its very entrance; that is, going through the door into our hearts. Kindness one will find not. We the self-righteous, we are great and wise, we are nice, proud, developed, and cultivated, we are mighty and rich--and shortly we will build over Christ! No, not shortly, but just as it is, we are building over him! And with Judas on the... Sign in to see full entry.

He drank-- They said that he drank. Folks in the eight, cold stiff quarters, "The Eight Quarters," knew and could tell that he drank. Both small and great interchanged back and forth that he drank. Some went completely forward, stylishly composed, others more manifestly--but from mouth to mouth it went through day and night that he drank. And it was so true, what was said. He drank constantly. He drank himself drunk and loaded, as it was. He drank until he was almost out of his senses and could... Sign in to see full entry.

When Styrk for the first time after the homecoming met Anna, he did not know what he should say and how he should bring it up. She was as honest, upright and pure as love itself, and when he now once more stood near her, it was as one ashamed of himself. She asked how it had gone with him at school, why he had suddenly stopped writing her and at one time he would be traveling along again. He did not resort to lying this time. It was a little late in the evening in May and a little dim when he... Sign in to see full entry.

The time ambled its regular, accustomed pace and moved further along. There are those who say that they did one thing or the other just for amusement. But such talk about grown people one cannot be wise about. The time passed obviously. Always it passes and ambles along further. It was also thus with Styrk. Every day following the final school hour, he had his amusement. When he went in with friendly company and passed the time and could not sink into thoughts to group them, as this time passed.... Sign in to see full entry.

In May Styrk would travel. And now it would be May shortly, with the sun and hot air and a young awakening with song and joy and feast from morning to evening. He had therefore not terribly many days off now, and he was not at all happy about it. For in the winter's run he had gone thither and sought out love in a certain beautiful farm maiden, so he almost did not catch sight of the miserable conditions. He liked to whisper her name--"Anna"--and she his--"Styrk"--and with this same Anna it was... Sign in to see full entry.