SUNDAY BELLS
tone of exultation, “Now, grandmother can have a roll every day and will grow quite strong again-and, Oh, grandmother,” she suddenly exclaimed with an increase of jubilation in her voice, “if you get strong everything will grow light again for you; perhaps it’s only because you are weak that it is dark.” The grandmother said nothing, she did not wish to spoil the child’s pleasure. As she went jumping about Heidi suddenly caught sight of the grandmother’s song book, and another happy idea struck her, “Grandmother, I can also read now, would you like me to read you one of your hymns from your old book?”
“Oh, yes,” said the grandmother, surprised and delighted; “but can you really read, child, really?”
Heidi had climbed on to a chair and had already lifted down the book, bringing a cloud of dust with it, for it had lain untouched on the shelf for a long time. Heidi wiped it, sat herself down on a stool beside the old woman, and asked her which hymn she should read.
“What you like, child, what you like,” and the grandmother pushed her spinning-wheel aside and sat in eager expectation waiting for Heidi to begin. Heidi turned over the leaves and read a line out softly to herself here and there. At last she said, “Here is one about the sun, grandmother, I will read you that.” And Heidi began, reading with more and more warmth of expression as she went on,—
The morning breaks,
And warm and bright
The earth lies still
In the golden light—
For Dawn has scattered the clouds of night.
[221]
