Page:Pontoppidan - Emanuel, or Children of the Soil (1896).djvu/23

 they met in the street as they fought their way step by step along the road with head bowed down; or flying along with the storm behind them. "Lucky folks who have a roof over their heads," thought those who were sitting at home in their half dark rooms, where even in the middle of the day they could hardly see to read the newspaper; while the wind piped and whistled round them as if all the evil spirits were let loose on the village. The horses stood pricking up their ears in the stables, and shaking with fear; the cows bellowed one against the other as at a fire, even the cats went mewing about in a plaintive manner; and the dogs snuffed round uneasily, with their tails between their legs. When at last the storm subsided a little, the snow came tumbling down in white masses;—and though it was still early winter, the beginning of December, it remained lying on the ground and filling the ditches, hiding the uprooted trees, heaping itself against broken fences, and covering torn thatch.

For full three days and nights heaven and earth were merged in one.

By this time several people had begun to search their innermost hearts, and to make up their accounts with the Almighty in the belief that the Day of Judgment must be at hand. Even on the evening of the third day when the people began shovelling away the snow drifts from the doors, and sweeping the thick cakes of snow from the window panes, more than one man standing