Book Three — Hoek Matts Ericsson
A peasant and his son walk the length of the parish on a beautiful spring day. The father cannot stop looking at the fields, pricing calves, estimating potato crops. His son keeps reminding him: in the fall we will be in the valley of Sharon.
Summary
A beautiful spring day. Hoek Matts Ericsson and his son Gabriel are walking from the north end of the parish to the great ironworks in the south, traversing almost the entire length of the valley. The fields are newly sown, the grain just showing. Houses are being repainted; gardens are being planted. Everyone they meet has muddy shoes and grimy hands from the soil.
Hoek Matts cannot walk past any of it without stopping. He asks what kind of potatoes are being planted and when the oats were sown. He calculates the number of cows on each farm by looking at the pastures. He prices every calf and foal he sees. His son Gabriel tries repeatedly to redirect him: "I'm thinking that you and I will soon be wandering through the valley of Sharon and the desert of Judea." His father brightens, agrees it will be a blessed privilege to walk in the Lord's footsteps — and immediately notices some quicklime by the road and asks who's hauling it.
The chapter is one of Lagerlöf's most quietly devastating. Hoek Matts is entirely sincere in his faith; he is also entirely sincere in his love for this valley. The two things coexist without resolution. By fall, God willing, he will be in Jerusalem. For now, he is in Dalarna, and the Dalarna is very beautiful.
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