Jerusalem by Selma Lagerloef

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When Hellgum and Anna Lisa had gone round and shaken hands with
every one, Tims Halvor said:

"We who are assembled here have been thinking over the things
Hellgum has said to us during the summer. Most of us belong to an
old family whose wish it has ever been to walk in the ways of God.
If Hellgum can help us do this, we are ready to follow him."

The next day the news spread like wildfire throughout the parish
that a new religious sect had sprung up on the Ingmar Farm, which
was supposed to embody the only correct and true principles of
Christianity.

THE NEW WAY

In the spring, soon after the snow had disappeared, young Ingmar
and Strong Ingmar returned to the village to start the sawmill.
They had been up in the forest the whole winter cutting timber and
making charcoal. And when Ingmar got back to the lowlands he fell
like a bear that had just crawled out from its lair. He could
hardly accustom himself to the glaring sunlight of an open sky, and
blinked as if the light hurt him. The roaring of the rapids and the
sound of human voices seemed almost intolerable to him, and all the
noises on the farm were a veritable torture to his ears. At the
same time he was glad; heaven knows he did not show it, either in
speech or manner, but that spring he felt as young as the fresh
shoots on the birches.

Oh, but it seemed good to him to sleep once more in a comfortable
bed, and to eat properly cooked food! And then to be at home with
Karin, who looked after his comfort as tenderly as a mother! She
had ordered new clothes for him; and she had a way of coming in
from the kitchen and handing him some dainty or other, as if he
were still a little boy. And what wonderful things had happened at
home while he was up in the forest! Ingmar had heard only a few
vague rumours about Hellgum's teachings; but now Karin and Halvor
told him of the great happiness that had come to them, and of how
they and their friends were trying to help one another to walk in
the ways of God.

"We are sure you will want to join us," said Karin.

Ingmar replied that maybe he would, but that he must think it over
first.

"All winter I longed for you to come home and share our bliss," the
sister went on, "for now we no longer live upon earth, but in 'The
New Jerusalem which is come down from Heaven!'"

Ingmar said he was glad to hear that Hellgum was still in the
neighbourhood. The summer before the preacher had often dropped in
at the mill to chat with Ingmar, and the two had become good
friends. Ingmar thought him the finest chap he had ever met. Never
had he come across any one who was so much of a man, so firm in his
convictions, and so sure of himself. Sometimes, when there had been
a great rush of work at the mill, Hellgum had pulled off his coat
and given them a lift. Ingmar had been amazed at the man's
cleverness; he had never seen any one who was so quick at his work.
Just then Hellgum happened to be away for a few days, but was
Expected back shortly.

"Once you've talked with Hellgum, I think that you will join us,"
Karin said. Ingmar thought so, too, although he felt a little
reluctant about accepting anything which had not been approved by
his father.

"But wasn't it father himself who taught us that we must always
walk in the ways of God?" argued Karin.

Everything seemed to be so bright and so promising! Ingmar had
never dreamed that it would be so delightful to get back among
people once more. There was only one thing wanting: no one ever
spoke of the schoolmaster and his wife, or of Gertrude, which was
most disquieting to him. He had not seen Gertrude for a whole year.
In the summer he had never been without news of her; for then
hardly a day went by that some one did not speak of the Storms. He
thought that perhaps this silence regarding his old friends was
accidental. When one feels timid about asking questions, and when
no one voluntarily speaks of that which one longs above everything
to hear about, it is mighty provoking, to say the least.

But if young Ingmar seemed to be happy and content, the same could
not be said of Strong Ingmar. The old man had of late become sullen
and taciturn and difficult to get on with.

"I believe you are homesick for the forest," Ingmar said to him one
afternoon as they sat on separate logs eating their sandwiches.

"God knows I am!" the old man burst forth. "I only wish I had never
come back at all!"

"Why, what's gone wrong at home?"

"How can you ask! You must know as well as I that Hellgum has been
raising the deuce around here."

Ingmar answered that, on the contrary, he had heard that Hellgum
had become a big man.

"Yes, he has grown so big and strong that he's been able to upset
the whole parish," Strong Ingmar sneered.

It seemed strange to Ingmar that the old man never evinced a
particle of affection for any of his own kin. He cared for nobody
and for nothing save the Ingmarssons and the Ingmar Farm. Therefore
Ingmar felt that he must stand up for the son-in-law.

"I think his doctrine a good one," he said.

"Oh, you do, do you?" snapped the old man; and he gave him a
withering look. "Do you think Big Ingmar would have thought so?"

Ingmar replied that his father would have upheld any one who worked
for righteousness.

"It's your belief, then, that Big Ingmar would have approved of
calling all persons who do not belong to Hellgum's band devils and
anti-Christs, and that he would have refused to associate with his
old friends because they held to their old faith?"

"I hardly think that such people as Hellgum and Halvor and Karin
would behave in that way," said Ingmar.

"Just you try to oppose them once, and you'll soon hear what they
think of you!"

Ingmar cut off a big corner of his sandwich and stuffed his mouth
full, so he would not have to talk. It irritated him to see Strong
Ingmar in such bad humour.

"Heigho, hum! It's a queer world," sighed the old man. "Here you
sit, the son of Big Ingmar, with nothing to say, while my Anna Lisa
and her husband are living on the fat of your land. The best people
in the parish bow and scrape to them, and every day they're being
feted, here, there, and everywhere."

Ingmar kept on munching and swallowing. There was nothing he could
say. Strong Ingmar, however, went at him again.

"Yes, it's a fine doctrine that Hellgum is spreading! That's why
half the parish has gone over to him. No one has ever had such
absolute influence over the people, not even Strong Ingmar himself.
He separates children from their parents by preaching that those
who are of his fold must not live among sinners. Hellgum need only
beckon, and brother leaves brother, friend leaves friend, and the
lover deserts his betrothed. He has used his power to create strife
and dissension in every household. Of course, Big Ingmar would have
been pleased to death with that sort of thing! Doubtless he would
have backed Hellgum up in all this! I can just picture him doing
it!"

Ingmar looked up and down; he wanted to get away. He knew, to be
sure, that the old man had been drawing heavily on his imagination,
but all the same this talk depressed him.

"I don't deny that Hellgum has done wonders," he modified. "The way
in which he manages to hold his people together, and the way he can
get those who formerly would have nothing to do with each other to
live on friendly terms, is certainly remarkable. And look how he
takes from the rich to give to the poor, and how he makes each
person protect the other's welfare. I'm only sorry for those on the
outside, who are called children of the devil and are not allowed
in the game. But, of course, you don't feel that way."

Ingmar was thoroughly put out with the old man for speaking so
disparagingly of Hellgum.

"There used to be such peace and harmony in this parish!" the old
man rattled on. "But that's all past and gone. In Big Ingmar's time
we lived in such unity that we had the name of being the friendliest
people in all Dalecarlia. Now there are angels bucking against
devils, and sheep against goats."

"If we could only get the saws going," thought Ingmar, "I wouldn't
have to hear any more of this talk!"

"It won't be long either till it's all over between you and me,"
Strong Ingmar continued. "For if you join Hellgum's _angels_ it
isn't likely that they will let you associate with me."

With an oath Ingmar jumped to his feet. "If you go on talking in
this strain it may turn out just as you say," he warned. "You may
as well understand, once for all, that it is of no use your trying
to turn me against my own people, or against Hellgum, who is the
grandest man I know."

That silenced the old man. In a little while he left his work,
saying that he was going down to the village to see his friend
Corporal Felt. He had not talked with a sensible person for a long
time, he declared.

Ingmar was glad to have him go. Naturally, when a person has been
away from home for a long time he does not care to be told
unpleasant things, but wants every one around him to be bright and
cheerful.

At five the next morning Ingmar got down to the mill, but Strong
Ingmar was there ahead of him.

"To-day you can see Hellgum," the old man began. "He and Anna Lisa
got back late last night. I think they must have hurried home from
their round of feasts in order to convert you."

"So you're at it again!" scowled Ingmar. The old man's words had
been ringing in his ears all night, and he could not help wondering
who was in the right. But now he did not want to listen to any more
talk against his relatives. The old man held his peace for a time;
presently he began to chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?" Ingmar demanded, his hand on the sluice
gate ready to set the sawmill going.

"I was just thinking of the schoolmaster's Gertrude."

"What about her?"

"They said down at the village yesterday that she was the only
person who had any influence over Hellgum--"

"What's Gertrude got to do with Hellgum?"

Ingmar, meanwhile, had not opened the sluice gate, for with the
saws going he could not have heard a word. The old man eyed him
questioningly. Ingmar smiled a little. "You always manage somehow
to have your own way," he said.

"It was that silly goose, Gunhild, Councillor Clementsson's
daughter, who--"

"She's no silly goose!" Ingmar broke in.

"Oh, call it anything you like, but she happened to be at the
Ingmar Farm when this new sect was founded. As soon as she got
home, she informed her parents that she had accepted the only true
faith, and that she would there fore have to leave them and make
her home at the Ingmar Farm. Her parents asked her, of course, why
she wanted to leave home. So she'd be able to lead a righteous
life, she up and told them. But they seemed to think that could be
done just as effectively at home with them. Oh, no, that wouldn't
be possible, she declared, unless one could live with those who
were of the same faith. Her father then asked her if all of them
were going to live on the Ingmar Farm. No, only herself; the others
had true Christians in their own homes. Now Clementsson is a pretty
good sort, as you know, and both he and his wife tried to reason
with Gunhild in all kindness, but she stood firm. At last her
father became so exasperated that he just took her and locked her
up in her room, telling her she'd have to stay there till this
crazy fit had passed."

"I thought you were going to tell me about Gertrude," Ingmar
reminded him.

"I'll get round to her by and by, if you'll only have patience. I
may as well tell you at once that early the next morning, while
Gertrude and Mother Stina were sitting in the kitchen spinning,
Mrs. Clementsson called to see them. When they saw her they became
alarmed. She, who was usually so happy and light of heart, now
looked as if she'd been crying her eyes out. 'What's the matter?
What has happened? And why do you look so forlorn?' they asked.
Then Mother Clementsson answered that when one has lost one's
dearest treasure, one can't very well look cheerful. I'd like to
give them a good beating!" said the old man.

"Who?" asked Ingmar.

"Why, Hellgum and Anna Lisa. They marched themselves down to
Clementsson's in the night and kidnapped Gunhild."

A cry of amazement escaped Ingmar.

"I'm beginning to think my Anna Lisa is married to a brigand!" said
the old man. "In the middle of the night they came and tapped on
Gunhild's window, and asked her why she wasn't at the Ingmar Farm.
She told them about her parents having locked her in. "'Twas Satan
who made 'em do it,' said Hellgum. All this her father and mother
overheard."

"Did they really?"

"Yes, they slept in the next room, and the door between was partly
open; so they heard all that Hellgum said to entice their daughter."

"But they could have sent him away."

"They felt that Gunhild should decide for herself. How could they
think she would want to leave them, after all they had done for
her? They lay there expecting her to say that she would never
desert her old parents."

"Did she go?"

"Yes, Hellgum wouldn't budge till the girl went along with them.
When Clementsson and his wife realized that she couldn't resist
Hellgum, they let her go. Some folks are like that, you see. In the
morning the mother regretted it, and begged the father to drive
down to the Ingmar Farm and get their daughter. 'No indeed!' he
said, 'I'll do nothing of the sort, and what's more, I never want
to set eyes on her again unless she comes home of her own accord.'
Then Mrs. Clementsson hurried down to the school to see if Gertrude
wouldn't go and talk to Gunhild."

"Did Gertrude go?"

"Yes; she tried to reason with Gunhild, but Gunhild wouldn't
listen."

"I have not seen Gunhild at our house," said Ingmar thoughtfully.

"No, for now she is back with her parents. It seems that when
Gertrude left Gunhild she met Hellgum. 'There stands the one who is
to blame for all this,' she thought, and then she went straight up
to him, and gave him a tongue lashing. She wouldn't have minded
striking him."

"Oh, Gertrude can talk all right," said Ingmar approvingly.

"She told Hellgum that he had behaved like a heathen warrior and
not as a Christian preacher, in skulking about like that in the
night and abducting a young girl."

"What did Hellgum say to that?"

"He stood quietly listening for a while; then he said as meek as
you please that she was right, he had acted in haste. And in the
afternoon he took Gunhild back to her parents and made everything
right again."

Ingmar glanced up at the old man with a smile. "Gertrude is
splendid," he said, "and Hellgum is a fine fellow, even if he is a
little eccentric."

"So that's the way you take it, eh? I thought you would wonder why
Hellgum had given in like that to Gertrude."

Ingmar did not reply to this.

After a moment's reflection the old man began again. "There are
many in the village who want to know on which side you stand."

"I don't see as it matters which party I belong to."

"Let me remind you of one thing," said the old man: "In this parish
we are accustomed to having somebody that we can look up to as a
leader. But now that Big Ingmar is gone, and the schoolmaster has
lost his power over the people, while the pastor, as you know, was
never any good at ruling, they run after Hellgum, and they're going
to follow him just as long as you choose to remain in the
background."

Ingmar's hands dropped; he looked quite worn out. "But I don't know
who is in the right," he protested.

"The people are looking to you for deliverance from Hellgum. You
may be sure that we were spared a lot of unpleasantness by being
away from home all winter. It must have been something dreadful in
the beginning, before people had got used to this converting craze
and to being called devils and hellhounds. But the worst of all was
when the converted children started in to preach!"

"You don't mean to tell me that even the children preached," said
Ingmar doubtingly.

"Oh, yes!" the old man returned. "Hellgum told them that they
should serve the Lord instead of playing, so they started in to
convert their elders. They lay in ambush along the roadside, and
pounced upon innocent passers-by with such ravings as these:
'Aren't you going to begin the fight against the devil? Shall you
continue to live in sin?'"

Young Ingmar did not want to believe what Strong Ingmar was
recounting. "Old man Felt must have put all that into your head,"
he concluded.

"By the way, this was what I wanted to tell you," said Strong
Ingmar: "Felt is done for, too! When I think that all this mischief
has been hatched on the Ingmar Farm, I feel ashamed to look people
in the face."

"Have they wronged Felt in any way?" asked Ingmar.

"It was the work of those youngsters, drat them! One evening, when
they had nothing else to do, they took it into their heads to go
and convert Felt, for of course they had heard that he was a great
sinner."

"But in the old days all the children were as afraid of Felt as
they were of witches and trolls," Ingmar reminded.

"Oh, these youngsters were scared, too, but they must have had
their hearts set upon doing something very heroic. So one evening,
as Felt sat stirring his evening porridge, they stormed his cabin.
When they opened the door and saw the old Corporal, with his
bristling moustaches, his broken nose, and his game eye, sitting
before the fire, they were terribly frightened, and two of the
littlest ones ran away. The dozen or so that went in knelt in a
circle around the old man, and began to sing and pray."

"And didn't he drive them out?" asked Ingmar.

"If only he had!" sighed the old man. "I don't know what had come
over the Corporal. The poor wretch must have been sitting there
brooding over the loneliness and desolation of his old age. And
then I suppose it was because those who had come to him were
children. The fact that children had always been afraid of him must
have been a source of grief to the old man; and when he saw all
those baby faces, with their upturned eyes filled with shining
tears, he was powerless. The children were only waiting for him to
rush at them and strike them. Although they kept right on singing
and praying, they were ready to cut and run the instant he made a
move. Presently a pair of them noticed that Felt's face was
beginning to twitch. 'Now he'll go for us,' they thought, getting
up to flee. But the old man blinked his one good eye, and a tear
rolled down his cheek. 'Hallelujah!' the youngsters shouted, and
now, as I've already told you, it's all up with Felt. Now he does
nothing but run about to meetings, and fasts and prays, and fancies
he hears the voice of God."

"I don't see anything hurtful in all that," said Ingmar. "Felt was
killing himself with drink when the Hellgumists took him into
camp."

"Well, you've got so many friends to lose that a little thing like
this wouldn't matter to you. No doubt you would have liked it if
the children had succeeded in converting the schoolmaster."

"I can't imagine those poor little kids trying to tackle Storm!"
Ingmar was dumfounded. What Strong Ingmar had said about the parish
being turned upside down must be true after all, he thought.

"But they did, though," Strong Ingmar replied. "One evening, as
Storm was sitting in the classroom writing, a score of them came
in and began preaching to him."

"And what did Storm do?" asked Ingmar, unable to keep from laughing.

"He was so astounded at first that he couldn't say or do a thing.
But, as luck would have it, Hellgum had arrived a few moments
before and was in the kitchen talking with Gertrude."

"Was Hellgum with Gertrude?"

"Yes; Hellgum and Gertrude have been friends ever since the day
that he acted upon her advice in the little matter with Gunhild.
When Gertrude heard the racket in the schoolroom, she said: 'You're
just in time to see something new, Hellgum. It would seem that
henceforth the children are to instruct the schoolmaster.' Then
Hellgum laughed, for he comprehended that this sort of thing was
ludicrous. He promptly drove the children out, and abolished the
nuisance."

Ingmar noticed that the old man was eying him in a peculiar way;
it was as if a hunter were looking at a wounded bear and wondering
whether he should give it another shot.

"I don't know what you expect of me," said Ingmar.

"What could I expect of you, who are only a boy! Why, you haven't a
penny to your name. All you've got in the world are your two empty
hands."

"I verily believe you want me to throttle Hellgum!"

"They said down at the village that this would soon blow over if
you could only induce Hellgum to leave these parts."

"Whenever a new religious sect springs up there's always strife and
dissension," said Ingmar. "So this is nothing out of the common."

"All the same, this will be a good way for you to show people what
sort of stuff you're made of," the old man persisted.

Ingmar turned away and set the saws going. He would have liked
above everything to ask how Gertrude was getting along, and whether
she had already joined the Hellgumists; but he was too proud to
betray his fears.

At eight o'clock he went home to his breakfast. As usual, the table
was heaped with tempting dishes, and both Halvor and Karin were
especially nice to him. Seeing them so kind and gentle, he could
not believe a word of Strong Ingmar's chatter. He felt light of
heart once more, and positive that the old man had exaggerated. In
a little while his anxiety about Gertrude returned, with a force so
overwhelming that it took away his appetite, and he could not touch
his food. Suddenly he turned to Karin and said abruptly:

"Have you seen anything of the Storms lately?"

"No!" replied Karin stiffly. "I don't care to associate with such
ungodly people."

Here was an answer that set Ingmar thinking. He wondered whether he
had better speak or be silent. If he were to speak it might end in
a break with his family; at the same time he did not want them to
think that he up held them in matters that were altogether wrong.
"I have never seen any signs of ungodliness about the schoolmaster's
folks," he retorted. "And yet I have lived with them for four
years."

The very thought that had occurred to Ingmar the moment before, now
came to Karin. She, too, wondered whether she should or should not
speak. But she felt that she would have to hold to the truth, even
if it hurt Ingmar; therefore she said that if people would not
hearken to the voice of God, one could not help but think them
ungodly.

Then Halvor joined in. "The question of the children is a vital
one," he said. "They should be given the right kind of training."

"Storm has trained the entire parish, and you, too, Halvor," Ingmar
reminded him.

"But he has not taught us how to live rightly," said Karin.

"It seems to me that you have always tried to do that, Karin."

"Let me tell you how it was to live by the old teaching. It was
like trying to walk upon a round beam: one minute you were up, the
next you were down. But when I let my fellow-Christians take me by
the hand and support me, I can tread the straight and narrow path
of Righteousness without stumbling."

"I dare say," Ingmar smiled; "but that's too easy."

"Even so, it's quite difficult enough, but no longer impossible."

"But what about the Storms?"

"Those who belong with us took their children out of the school.
You see we didn't want the children to absorb any of the old
teaching."

"What did the schoolmaster say to that?"

"He said it was against the law to take children away from school,
and promptly sent a constable over to Israel Tomasson's and Krister
Larsson's to fetch their children."

"And now you are not on friendly terms with the Storms?"

"We simply keep to ourselves."

"You seem to be at odds with every one."

"We only keep away from those who would tempt us to sin."

As the three went on talking, they lowered their voices. They were
all very fearful of every word they let drop, for they felt that
the conversation had taken a painful turn.

"But I can give you greetings from Gertrude," said Karin, trying to
assume a more cheerful tone. "Hellgum had many talks with her last
winter; he says that she expects to join us this evening."

Ingmar's lips began to quiver. It was as if he had been going about
blindfolded all day, expecting to be shot, and now the shot had
come; the bullet had pierced his heart.

"So she wants to become one of you!" he murmured faintly. "Many
things can happen here while one is up in the dark forest." Ingmar
seemed to think that all this time Hellgum had been ingratiating
himself with Gertrude, and had laid snares to catch her. "But
what's to become of me?" he asked suddenly. And there was a
strange, helpless appeal in his voice.

"You must embrace our faith," said Halvor decisively. "Hellgum is
back now, and if he talks to you once, you'll soon become
converted."

"But maybe I don't care to be converted!"

Halvor and Karin stared at Ingmar in speechless amazement.

"Maybe I don't want any faith but my father's."

"Don't say anything until you have had a talk with Hellgum," begged
Karin.

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