Page:Cornelia Meigs-The Pirate of Jasper Peak.djvu/126

 money he had from selling his farm in Sweden to buy a few stony acres—where now Linda and  her children work all day long to cut the  hay.”

“And there were no mines?”

“A few, one or two that were worth working if one had the money to put into them. Some millionaire or other owns what there are, and  those Swedes who spent everything they had to  buy themselves a hole in the ground, they work  for him and live as best they can.”

“Why didn’t they all go back to Sweden again?” Hugh inquired.

“They were too proud,” said Oscar. “Would it be easy, do you think, after your whole village  had turned out to do you honor, after your gateway had been dressed with wreaths and branches  and all your neighbors had come in to wish you  good-by and good luck and to envy you a little,  in a friendly way, for your boldness and spirit in  going to America to make your fortune, would  it be easy to go back and say you were ruined? No, one and all of them went stubbornly to work