﻿NO. 19 NORSE VISITS TO NORTH AMERICA — BABCOCK 83 



her in Iceland by her foster mother ; yet it was of such nature that 

 she must not sing it now, being a Christian. Thorbiorg made answer 

 that she might sing it nevertheless to aid her friends and be no 

 worse woman for that ; yet left the matter in the hands of Thorkel. 

 Under this urgency and in plain contrast to her father's course, for 

 he had withdrawn altogether, Gudrid admitted at last that she felt 

 bound to do her part for those about her ; and all, as they listened to 

 her singing, felt that they had never heard the mystical song 

 rendered so sweetly. Thorbiorg was very gracious in requital, 

 thanking her for luring among them divers spirits which most often 

 held aloof and would answer nothing, but loved such a treat. With 

 this aid, she promised improved conditions for the colony ; and for 

 Gudrid, abundant prosperity and distinction, ranging beyond her, in 

 Iceland, to her lucky descendants. Then she departed and the 

 scandalized Thorbiorn returned. 



Not very long afterward the ice broke up along shore with the 

 opening spring and Thorbiorn and Gudrid were free to sail to 

 Ericsfirth and Brattahlid, where the redoubtable ruddy Eric met 

 them " with both hands " of welcome. They made their home with 

 him until another could be provided on one of the nesses protruding 

 like that of Heriolf . 



That autumn Leif appeared among them with his inspiring tale 

 of a fruitful Wineland in the southwest and certain valued products 

 to make his words good; also with a priest and teachers to Chris- 

 tianize the people and some men whom he had rescued from a wreck 

 at sea. Seldom have so many welcome sensations been presented at 

 once to a people hungry for tidings. Except a minority, including 

 Eric himself, Thorhall the Huntsman, and Thorstein the Swarthy of 

 Lysufirth, all were in the best of mood to receive his religious message 

 favorably and this work seems fully to have claimed him. His 

 mother was his first convert and made his father sufficiently uncom- 

 fortable. They acclaimed him " Leif the Lucky " ; and so he is 

 commonly called, with great justice, to this day. 



That winter there was a great buzz and stir. Eric held out in his 

 paganism with a genial scorn for novelties, and when his wife with- 

 drew her countenance, he determined to withdraw himself bodily, 

 and to accompany his son Thorstein, a fine specimen of a man, if not 

 over successful, on a voyage of exploration to this tempting new 

 country the next spring. Eric was the very leader for the voyage, 

 having so thoroughly done the work along 300 miles of Greenland 

 coast and through the most forbidding water gates to the deeply 



