carver, and a very good one."

From that time on Toni looked at every little piece of wood which came in
his way, to see if it would be good for carving, and if so he would
quickly put it away, so that he often brought home all his pockets full of
these pieces, which he then collected like treasures into a pile and spent
every free moment carving them.

Thus the years passed by. Although Elsbeth always had many cares, she
experienced only joy in her Toni. He still clung to her with the same
love, helped her in every way as well as he could and spent his life
beside her, entirely at his quiet occupation, in which he gradually
acquired a quite gratifying skill. Toni was never so content as when he
was sitting in the little stone hut with his carving and his mother came
in and out happily employed, always saying a kindly word to him and
finally sat down beside him at her spinning-wheel.

CHAPTER SECOND

A HARD SENTENCE

Toni was twelve years old in the winter, and now his school days were
over, and the time had come to look about for some kind of work which
would bring him in some money and by which he could learn something
necessary for future years.

Spring had come and work had begun in the fields. His mother thought it
would be best to ask the proprietor of the Matten farm, if he had some
light work for Toni; but every time she spoke about it he would say
beseechingly:

"Oh, Mother, don't do that; let me be a wood-carver!"

She would have had no objection to this, but knew no way to bring it
about, and she had known the farmer up on the Matten farm ever since her
husband had worked there, and ever since his death, from time to time he
had sent her a little wood or meal.

She hoped that he would employ Toni at first for light tasks in the field,
so that he would gradually learn to do the heavier work.

So on Saturday night after the day's work was ended and she sat down with
Toni to their scanty supper, she said once more:

"Toni, now we must take a decided step; I think it is best for me to go up
to the Matten farm to-morrow."

"Oh, Mother, don't do that!" said Toni quite beseechingly. "Don't go to
the farmer! If you will only let me be a wood-carver, I will work so hard,
that I will earn enough, and you will not have to do so much, and then I
can stay at home with you. Besides you would be all alone, and I can't
bear it, if I have to be always away from you. Let me stay with you; don't
send me a