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974 GODFATHER'S PICTURE-BOOK
1 The enemy made for Copenhagen ; the town went up in flames, and we lost our fleet, but not our courage and our faith in God ; He casteth down, but He raiseth up again. Our wounds were healed as in the battles of Valhalla. Copenhagen's history is rich in consolation.
Our faith has been from times of old
That God is ever Denmark's friend. If we hold firm, He too will hold,
And still the sun shine in the end.
' And soon the sun shone on the rebuilt city, on the rich cornfields, on the workers' skill and art; a blessed summer day of peace, where poetry raised her Fata Morgana so rich in colour, with the coming of Oehlenschlager.
' And in science a discovery was made, far greater than that of a goldhorn in olden days, a bridge of gold was
found: .,.,.,.
A bridge for thought to dart
At all times into other lands and nations.
* Hans Christian Oersted wrote his name there. And see ! beside the church by the castle was raised a building to which the poorest man and woman gave gladly their mite.
1 You remember from the first part of the picture-book,' said Godfather, ' the old stone-blocks, which rolled down from the mountains of Norwray, and were carried down here on the ice; they are lifted again from the sandy bottom at Thorwaldsen's bidding, in marble beauty, lovely to see ! Remember what I have shown you and what I have told you ! The sand-bank in the sea raised itself up and became a breakwater for the harbour, bore Axel's house, bore the bishop's mansion and the king's castle, and now it bears the temple of the beautiful. The words of the curse have blown away, but what the children of the sunlight sang in their gladness, about the coming time, has been fulfilled. So many storms have gone past, but may come again and will again pass. The true and the good and the beautiful have the victory.
' And with this the picture-book is finished; but not the history of Copenhagen—far from it. Who knows what you yourself may yet live to see ! It has often looked black and blown a gale, but the sunshine is not yet blown away—that remains ; and stronger yet than the strongest |
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