JUHANI AHO
In spite of ethnological and philological distinctions, geographical association makes it more natural to include a Finnish tale in the volume with Scandinavian stories than in any other volume of this collection.
From "Squire Hellman." Translated by R. Nisbet Bain. Published by the
Cassell Publishing Co.
WHEN FATHER BROUGHT HOME THE LAMP
BY
JUHANI AHO
When father bought the lamp, or a little before that, he said to mother:
"Hark ye, mother—oughtn't we to buy us a lamp?"
"A lamp? What sort of a lamp?"
"What! Don't you know that the storekeeper who lives in the market town has brought from St. Petersburg lamps that actually burn better than ten PAREA? [Footnote: A pare (pr. payray; Swed., perta; Ger., pergei) is a resinous pine chip, or splinter, used instead of torch or candle to light the poorer houses in Finland.] They've already got a lamp of the sort at the parsonage."