Suddenly the woman felt strongly drawn towards the friendly girl.  She thought she must be a foreigner.  Her way of speaking, her whole appearance had something unusual about it.  Perhaps some one had taken pity on her, and had lent her clothes because she was so good.  So she thanked Elsli and accepted her offer.  Without hesitation Elsli set to work, and it was easy to see that it was not for the first time.  In a trice she had freed Lenchen from her shell, and dressed her in a little jacket that hung on the wall.  Then she took the stiff frock upon her arm and went with the children into the kitchen.  She drew water in a wooden bucket, and put the two pairs of little feet to soak, after removing the dirty shoes and socks.  When they were clean and dried, she sent the children back into the other room, while she washed out the dress.  They went very obediently, but Lucas called back to her to hurry and come to them as soon as the washing was done.  The other boys now came into the kitchen, desirous to scrape acquaintance with this novel visitor.

When Tolf saw how much at home the stranger seemed to be in her work, he said:—­

“Get our supper ready too, won’t you?  If you don’t, we shall have to wait till father comes home; and he doesn’t know how to cook very well, either.”

“Yes,” chimed in Heini; “and once he fell asleep when he was cooking, he was so tired; and the potatoes were all burned up.”

“Yes, and then father has to go fishing after supper,” continued Tolf; “every day, no matter how tired he is, he takes the boat and goes to catch fish to sell.”

“And we’ve got to learn to fish too,” interrupted Heini; “father says the oars are too heavy for us now, but by and by we shall be strong enough, and we must all work as hard as we can, or else we shall have nothing to eat, and our house will be taken away from us.”

These words roused many old memories in Elsli; how well she knew how it all was.  It seemed to her as if she were at home with her father again, and saw his tired face, and heard him say:—­

“If we can only manage so that we shall not have to give up our house!”

When Elsli had finished the washing, she went to the mother’s bedside, and asked if she were willing that she should get the supper ready, and if she would tell her what to do.  The eyes of the sick woman glowed with pleasure.

“Oh!” she cried, “how kind you are! will you really do that for us?” and she seized Elsli’s hand, and grasped it heartily.  Then she told her what she wished to have done.  It was simple enough; Elsli had done the same at home a hundred times.  The boys ran into the kitchen with her.

“I know of something new for you to do,” she said, presently.  “How old are you?”

“I am seven,” “I am eight,” they answered both at once; and Elsli said:—­

“Well, you are old enough.  When I was eight I had to cook the potatoes all by myself.  Now I will show you how to do it, if you like, and then when your father comes home tired, you can say, ’Sit down, dear father, and eat your supper; it is all ready.’”