Page:Popular Tales and Romances of the Northern Nations (Volume 2).djvu/44

32 to consult with her daughter, on his proposal; and to give him, as she hoped, a favourable answer at the end of eight days. With this, he seemed very well pleased, and politely took his leave.

He had scarcely turned his back, when the spinning-wheel, the reel and heckel, in spite of their faithful services, were banished as useless articles to the lumber room. When Mela returned from church, she was astonished at observing this sudden alteration in their parlour, where every thing had been put in order, as if it were one of the three high festivals of the church. But she was still more astonished at observing her mother, who was usually industrious, sitting idle on a week-day, and smiling in such a way as to shew she had not met with any disaster. Before she could ask her, howverhowever [sic], about this change in the house, the latter gave an explanation of the miracle. Conviction was in her own heart, and a stream of female eloquence flowed from her lips, as she described, in the most glowing colours she could find in the range of her imagi-