THE WINTER NIGHT 359 



And tears of joy thine eyes will rain, 



Tiie day the Fram comes steering 

 Up fjord again to music strain, 



And the roar of thousands cheering. 



"'E, N.' 



" Then I read aloud our last greeting, a telegram we 

 received at Tromso from Moltke Moe : 



"'Luck on the way. 

 Sun on the sea. 

 Sun on your minds. 

 Help from the winds ; 

 May the packed floes 

 Part and unclose 

 Where the ship goes. 

 Forward her progress be, 

 E'en though the silent sea, 



Then 

 After her freeze up again. 



" ' Strength enough, meat enough, 

 Hope enough, heat enough ; 

 The Frain will go sure enough then 

 To the Pole and so back to the dwellings of men. 



Luck on tlie way 

 To thee and thy band, 

 And welcome back to the fatherland !' 



" After this we read some of Vinje's poems, and then 

 sang songs from the Franisjaa and others. 



" 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 4 a.m. now. I had thought 

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

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

 I am at home. 



