mother's arms. But neither she nor any one else could wring from me
what was amiss with me.

"He has certainly seen a ghost," said one of the women; and I almost
believed so myself.

My mother married a second time, a young handicraftsman; but his
family, who also belonged to the handicraft class, thought that he had
married below himself, and neither my mother nor myself were permitted
to visit them. My step-father was a young, grave man, who would have
nothing to do with my education. I spent my time, therefore, over my
peep show and my puppet theatre, and my greatest happiness consisted in
collecting bright colored pieces of cloth and silk, which I cut out
myself and sewed. My mother regarded it as good exercise preparatory to
my becoming a tailor, and took up the idea that I certainly was born
for it. I, on the contrary, said that I would go to the theatre and be
an actor, a wish which my mother most sedulously opposed, because she
knew of no other theatre than those of the strolling players and the
rope-dancers. No, a tailor I must and should be. The only thing which
in some measure reconciled me to this prospect was, that I should then
get so many fragments to make up for my theatre.

My passion for reading, the many dramatic scenes which I knew by heart,
and my remarkably fine voice, had turned upon me in some sort the
attention of several of the more influential families of Odense. I was
sent for to their houses, and the peculiar characteristics of my mind
excited their interest. Among others who noticed me was the Colonel
Hoegh-Guldberg, who with his family showed me the kindest sympathy; so
much so, indeed, that he introduced me to the present king, then Prince
Christian.