HEIDI
looking at the great overshadowing mountains and the green, sunlit valley below before he spoke again—
“Can you understand, Heidi, that a man may sit here with such a shadow over his eyes that he cannot feel and enjoy the beauty around him, while the heart grows doubly sad knowing how beautiful it could be? Can you understand that?”
A pain shot through the child’s young happy heart. The shadow over the eyes brought to her remembrance the grandmother, who would never again be able to see the sunlight and the beauty up here. This was Heidi’s great sorrow, which reawoke each time she thought about the darkness. She did not speak for a few minutes, for her happiness was interrupted by this sudden pang. Then in a grave voice she said,—
“Yes, I can understand it. And I know this, that then one must say one of grandmother’s hymns, which bring the light back a little, and often make it so bright for her that she is quite happy again. Grandmother herself told me this.”
“Which hymns are they, Heidi?” asked the doctor.
“I only know the one about the sun and the beautiful garden, and some of the verses of the long one, which are favorites with her, and she always likes me to read them to her two or three times over,” replied Heidi.
“Well, say the verses to me then—I should like to hear them too,” and the doctor sat up in order to listen better.
Heidi put her hands together and sat collecting her thoughts for a second or two: “Shall I begin at the verse that grandmother says gives her a feeling of hope and confidence?”
The doctor nodded his assent, and Heidi began,—
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