The Winter Night. 319 



It seems strange that we should have seen the New 

 Year in already, and that it will not begin at home for 

 eight hours yet. It is almost 4a.m. now. I had thought 

 of sitting up tilt it was New Year in Norway too ; but 

 no, I will rather go to bed and sleep, and dream that I 

 am at home. 



" Monday, January ist, 1894. The year began well. 

 I was awakened by Juell's cheerful voice wishing me a 

 Happy New Year. He had come to give me a cup of 

 coffee in bed delicious Turkish coffee, his Christmas 

 present from Miss Fougner. It is beautiful clear 

 weather, with the thermometer at 36 below zero 

 (_ 38 C.). It almost seems to me as if the twilight in 

 the south were beginning to grow ; the upper edge of it 

 to-day was 14 above the horizon." 



An extra good dinner at 6 p.m. 



1. Tomato soup. 



2. Cod roe with melted butter and potatoes. 



3. Roast reindeer, with green peas, potatoes, and cranberry jam. 



4. Cloudberries with milk. 



Ringnes beer. 



I clo not know if this begins to give any impression of 

 great sufferings and privations ? I am lying in my berth, 

 writing, reading, and dreaming. It is always a curious 

 feel i no- to write for the first time the number of a New 



O 



Year. Not till then does one grasp the fact that the old 

 year is a thing of the past ; the new one is here, and one 

 must prepare to wrestle with it. Who knows what it is 



