HUNGRY CHILDREN 69 



tism in the evening in the hope we would be able to go further 

 the next day, for we could not stay any longer here if we 

 would not starve. We had a poor resting place. It was not 

 possible to undress ourselves. The whole time we felt the 

 snow on our faces and the wind through the many gaps. We 

 froze very much although the fire was kept on during the 

 night. Not very far from us Mr. and Mrs. Tacque were rest- 

 ing, and we heard how the one said to the other, "I hope Mr. 

 and Mrs. Hansen can go further to-morrow,for we have nothing 

 to eat." That was indeed a very sad prospect, for we heard too 

 well the snow storm was howling outside, and there was no hope 

 for us to go on. And so it was. The next day I gave from 

 our provisions as much as I could, but we had not very much, 

 and I could not give everything away because we might after- 

 wards be caught out in a snowstorm, which often happens, 

 where we then have to live in a snow house until the storm is 

 over. I gave now coffee for 19 persons, bread we had none, 

 for it always freezes so hard that it is useless. The poor 

 woman collected all the bread she had and we took as little as 

 possible. During the day time my dear husband kept different 

 meetings, talked and prayed with them. For dinner I asked 

 for a large pot and put it on the stove. I had happily taken 

 some preserved soups and cooked now for all the people in 

 the house, put all our meat balls and broken biscuits into the 

 same pot, and gave now from this dish a plateful to every per- 

 son in the house. I had also put some "Liebig" in my box, 

 before I left my home, and was now able to make the best use 

 of it. It was something touching to see the many hungry 

 children, how they devoured their portion. Anything like 

 that they have perhaps never tasted before, and would gladly 

 have taken some more, but it was already gone. In the after- 

 noon my dear husband kept school for the children, told nice 

 stories and instructed them about different things, and the 

 children would have gone on for a long time. The smell in 

 the house was not so very pleasant, 19 persons in one room, 

 beside this the men smoked their pipes nearly the whole time. 



