WEXIO 37 



the trees a vista of white pyramids, each tree topped 

 with a pinnacle of snow! He rides wearily home 

 beneath the ' querulous fraternity of pines ' ; the light 

 dies out of the landscape for him now Carl is gone ; the 

 boy is a child no longer ; it is almost like losing him to 

 feel that the loved babe is gone, changed into another 

 form improved, it may be, but the same no longer. 

 He is a son gone out in the world. Henceforward, the 

 pastor must enjoy his flowers alone ; yet he will enjoy 

 Carl's interest in their growth in the rare periodical 

 visits home rare of necessity because the family is poor 

 and journeys long and Hope shines at the end of a 

 long vista of years. The pastor is not a great man, 

 though he had youthful aspirations ; but Carl will be 

 great, and make a name that will be known throughout 

 the province throughout Sweden, it may be. He may 

 even rise to be a bishop in the Church, for he is a lad of 

 noble promise. These duties of weaning oneself from a 

 parent's joys are painful from the pang of shearing a 

 boy's golden locks to the greater grief of his severance 

 from the home world. Perhaps one feels these most 

 with the first and the last to go. 



Wexio was a large world to Carl : the school and 

 gymnasium had in his time 210 scholars. 1 His progress 

 in the Latin school was not satisfactory as to Latin ; 

 yet everyone spoke well of his good conduct and pleasing 

 manners ; but he was inattentive, and he took every 

 opportunity of escaping out into the country to collect 

 1 Linnaeus mentions this in his SkSne Journey. 



