The little boys, of course, formed a sort of
pyramid on his shoulders to watch. Whether because his fingers were cold
and so not completely under his control, or because the vibrations of
the human pyramid communicated to his pencil some lucky jerks, the marks
Honnell committed to (or on) his note-book were such as supplied the
simple children of the snow with a clue as to his intentions, and he was
intensely gratified to hear one say to another, "_Tzerhof_!"--knowing
that noise to signify "church" in the local tongue.
Swan, perceiving the moral damage likely to be done to his friend by
this flattering incident, sought to puncture Honnell's unhealthy pride
by saying, "_Plaho?_" (or "bad") as a suggestion to the critics;
but this only caused them to say repeatedly and with emphasis,
"_Dobra_!"--which was one of Honnell's six words and means "good."
Thus the mischief was done. Honnell returned to his billet a man changed
and as it were possessed. To hear him talk now one would suppose culture
had fled from the Temperate to the Arctic zone. Of the Lapps' habits
and their houses he knows nothing, cares nothing; all his enthusiasm is
reserved for the honesty and the innate artistic perception of their
children. So seriously has he been affected by this unaided and
impartial recognition of the subject of his drawing that some of us
wonder if he will not settle down amongst those who alone understand and
appreciate him.
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