hen Soeren Man
came to the harbor or the inn. His old comrades poked fun at him
good-naturedly and said: "All very well for him--strong as a young
man and all, Soeren, you ought to stand treat all round."

But it had to be borne--and, after all, it could be got over. And
the child was--when one got one's hand in again--a little creature
who recalled so much that otherwise belonged to the past. It was
just as if one had her oneself--in a way she brought youth to the
house.

It was utterly impossible not to care for such a helpless little
creature.

CHAPTER IV

DITTE'S FIRST STEP

Strange how often one bears the child while another cares for it.
For old Maren it was not easy to be a mother again, much as her
heart was in it. The girl herself had got over all difficulties, and
was right away in service in another county; and here was the babe
left behind screaming.

Maren attended to it as well as she could, procured good milk and
gave it soaked bread and sugar, and did all she could to make up for
its mother.

Her daughter she could not make out at all. Soerine rarely came home,
and preferably in the evening when no one could see her; the child
she appeared not to care for at all. She had grown strong and erect,
not in the least like the slender, freckled girl who could stand
next to nothing. Her blood had thickened and her manners were
decided; though that, of course, has happened before,--an ailing
woman transformed by having a child, as one might say, released from
witchcraft.

Ditte herself did not seem to miss a mother's tender care: she grew
well in spite of the artificial food, and soon became so big that
she could keep wooden shoes on her small feet, and, with the help
of old Soeren's hand, walk on the downs. And then she was well looked
after.

However, at times things would go badly. For Maren had quite enough
of her own work to do, which could not be neglected, and the little
one was everywhere. And difficult it was suddenly to throw up what
one had in hand--letting the milk boil over and the porridge
burn--for the sake of running after the little one. Maren took a
pride in her housework and found it hard at times to choose between
the two. Then, God preserve her: the little one had to take her
chance.

Ditte took it as it came and could be thankful that she was with her
grandparents. She was an inquisitive little being, eager to meddle
with everything; and a miracle it was that the fir