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198
VOSBORG.
Chap. XLIII.
penniless; but I will aid you with my counsels and
experience; and while you are absent about your
commercial affairs will manage the estate for you.”
Peter consented, so the noble lady and the peasant
worked together hand in hand, and Vosborg was
put into repair—new farm-buildings built-—you may
see them now. Old peasant Tang was still alive ; and
Peter’s first act was to return the meadow exacted to
procure his freedom; but his father refused to accept
it. “ Keep it,” he said, “ you deserve it.” The poverty
of the peasantry at that season was fearful:
succeeding years of bad harvests had produced a famine
over all Europe—those terrible years which preceded
the first outburst of the French resolution. Peter
receives no money from his peasants ; he sends ships to
Dantzic and Amsterdam to procure corn to keep them
from starving. The second year is worse than the first,
and Peter’s heart fails him—the purchase of Vosborg
will prove his ruin. He now brings over potatoes for
then’ subsistence, but they do not much like them.
Matters come to the worst—at last improve, and all
prospers.
Some years later, old Peter now, but hearty still,
walked, as usual, stick in hand, over from Ringkjøbing
on the Saturday, after closing time, to stay till Monday
at Vosborg. While standing on a hill he observes a
narrow strip of dark-green foliage among the meadows;
he turns to observe it; finds it to be a ridge of
potatoes, preserved by an old woman, and planted since
the time of famine. From this ridge dates the
introduction of the potato-plant into the west provinces
of Jutland. At the death of their father the five
brothers and two sisters found themselves possessors
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