Little Frida: A Tale of the Black Forest

LITTLE FRIDA A TALE OF THE BLACK FOREST BY THE AUTHOR OF LITTLE HAZEL, THE KING'S MESSENGER UNDER THE OLD OAKS; OR, WON BY LOVE ETC. ETC. THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, Ltd. LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK
When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.
SEE, Hans, how dark it gets, and thy father not yet home! What keeps him, thinkest thou? Supper has been ready for a couple of hours, and who knows what he may meet with in the Forest if the black night fall! and the speaker, a comely German peasant woman, crossed herself as she spoke. I misdoubt me something is wrong. The saints preserve him!
The boy, who looked about ten years old, was gazing in the direction of a path which led through the Forest, but, in answer to this appeal, said, Never fear, Mütterchen; father will be all right. He never loses his way, and he whistles so loud as he walks that I am sure he will frighten away all the bad—
But here his mother laid her hand on his mouth, saying, Hush, Hans! never mention them in the twilight; 'tis not safe. Just run to the opening in the wood and look if ye see him coming; there is still light enough for that. It will not take you five minutes to do so. And then come back and tell me, for I must see to the pot now, and to the infant in the cradle.
The night, an October one, was cold, and the wind was rising and sighing amongst the branches of the pine trees. Darker and darker gathered the shades, as mother and son stood again at the door of their hut after Hans had returned from his useless quest. No sign of his father had he seen, and boy though he was, he knew too much of the dangers that attend a wood-cutter's life in the Forest not to fear that some evil might have befallen his father; but he had a brave young heart, and tried to comfort his mother.
He'll be coming soon now, Mütterchen, he said; and won't he laugh at us for being so frightened?
But the heart of the wife was too full of fear to receive comfort just then from her boy's words.