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NEIGHBOURS.

A Story of Every-day Life.

BY FREDERIKA BREMER.

TRANSLATED FROM THE SWEDISH,

BY MARY HOW IT T.

NEW-YORK:

PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, 82 CLIFF-ST.

HARVARD
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

PREFACE,

BY THE TRANSLATOR.

Or the rich treasure of intellect and literature in Sweden, little or nothing is known in England. To give a specimen of what exists there, even in the department of living story and scenes of society, I have selected this work of Frederika Bremer, which is one of a series of four: " The Neighbours," ," "The House," "The President's Daughters," and "Nina." "The Neighbours" has not been first chosen on the principle of presenting the best first, in order to excite expectation, but as believing it a fair and average example. Some of the others possess, unquestionably, a stronger interest in the narrative, and, perhaps, more masterly exposition of character. They are, in my opinion, most admirable in their lessons of social wisdom; in their life of relation; in their playful humour; and in all those qualities which can make writing acceptable to the fireside circle of the good and refined. Frederika Bre-me and done my heart good. mer is, indeed, the Miss AUSTEN of Sweden.

since the death of her parents she has resided alternately in Stockholm, and with a female friend in the South of Sweden. She has consequently seen much of the society and scenery of her native land, and no one can sketch these with more graphic truth and vivacity. Since the writings of their great poet Tegnér, no productions have created such a sensation in Sweden; and abroad they have flown far and wide; have been read with avidity in various parts of the Continent, and in Germany alone three editions have appeared in rapid succession.

I take this opportunity to announce, that if my own countrymen, and especially countrywomen, give this work an equal welcome, the others are ready for publication, and will be issued as speedily as may be required. In any case, I shall be grateful to the author for the perusal of them, for they have certainly both highly amused

Her father was an eminent merchant, and Heidelberg, September, 1842.

M. H

J

THE NEIGHBOURS.

CHAPTER I.

FRANZISKA WERNER TO MARIA B-.

Rosenvik, 1st June, 18-. HERE I am now, my dear Maria, under my own roof, at my own writing-table, and sitting by my own Bear. And who is Bear? you ask; who should it be but my own husband, whom I call Bear, because the name suits him so well?

Here, then, I am, sitting by the window; the sun is seuing; two swans swim in the lake, and make furrows in its clear mirror; three cowsmy cows-stand on the green shore quite sleek and reflective, thinking certainly upon nothing. How handsome they are! Now comes the maid with her milk-pail; how rich and good is country milk! But what, in fact, is not good in the Country? Air and rain, food and feeling, heaven and earth, all is fresh and animated.

But now I must conduct you into my dwelling -no, I will begin yet farther off. There, on that hill, in Smaland, several miles off, whence I first looked into the valley where Rosenvik lies, behold a dust-covered carriage, within which sits the Bear and his little wife. That little wife looks forth with curiosity, for before her lies a valley beautiful in the light of evening. Green woods stretch out below, and surround crystal lakes; corn-fields in silken waves encircle gray mountains, and white buildings gleam out with friendly aspects among the trees. Here and there, from the wood-covered heights, pillars of smoke ascend to the clear evening heaven; they might have been mistaken for volcanoes, but they were only peaceful svedjen. Truly it was beautiful, and 1 was charined; I bent myself forward, and was thinking on a certain happy, natural family in Paradise, one Adam and Eve, when suddenly the Bear laid his great paws upon me, and held me so tight, that I was nearly giving up the ghost, while he kissed me, and besought me to find pleasure in what was here. I was the least in the world angry, but, as I knew the heart-impulse of this embrace, I made myself tolerably contented.

Here, then, in this valley lay my stationary home, here lived my new family, here lay Rosenvik, here should I and my husband live together. We descended the hill, and the carriage rolled rapidly along the level road, while, as we advanced, he told whose property was this and whose was that, whether near or remote. All was to me like a dream, out of which I was suddenly awoke by his saying, with a peculiar accent, "Here lives Ma chère mère ;" and at the same moment the carriage drove into a courtyard, and drew up at the door of a large, handsome stone house. "What, must we alight here?" I asked. "Yes, my love," was his reply.

This was to me by no means an agreeable surprise; I would much rather have gone on to my own house; much rather have made some preparation for this first meeting with my husband's stepmother, of whom I stood in great awe, from the anecdotes I had heard of her, and the respect which her stepson had for her. This visit seemed to me quite mal-a-propos; but my husband had his Svedjen, svedjor, svedja, the burning of turf in the fields, which, in many parts of Sweden, is used for dressing the land.

own ideas, and, as I glanced at him, I saw that it was no time for opposition.

It was Sunday, and, as the carriage drew up, I heard the sound of a violin.

"Aha!" said Lars Anders, for such is my husband's Christian name, "so much the better ! he leaped heavily from the carriage, and helped me out also. There was no time to think about boxes or packages; he took my hand and led me up the steps, along the entrance hall, and drew me towards the door, whence proceeded the sounds of music and dancing.

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Only see," thought 1, "how is it possible for me to dance in this costume ?"

Oh, if I could only have gone in somewhere, just to wipe the dust from my face and my bonnet, where, at the very least, I could just have seen myself in a looking-glass! But impossible! Bear led me by the arm, insisting that I looked most charmingly, and beseeching me to make a looking-glass of his eyes. I was obliged to be so very uncourteous as to reply that they were quite too small for that purpose; on which account, he declared they were only the brighter, and then opened the door of the ballroom.

'Now," exclaimed 1, in a kind of lively despair, "if you take me to a ball, you Bear, I'll make you dance with me."

"With a world of pleasure!" cried he; and in the saine moment we two stood in the hall, when my terror was considerably abated by finding that the great room contained merely a number of cleanly-dressed servants, men and women, who leaped about lustily with one another, and who were so occupied with their dancing as scarcely to perceive us. Lars Anders led me to the upper end of the roon, where I saw, sitting upon a high seat, a very tall and strong-built gentlewoman, who was playing with remarkable fervour upon a violin, and beating time to her music with great power. Upon her head was a tall and extraordinary cap, which I may as well call a helmet, because this idea came into my head at the first glance, and, after all, I can find no better naine for it. This was the Generalin (wife of the General) Mansfield, stepmother of my husband, Ma chere mere, of whom I had heard so much.

She turned instantly her large dark brown eyes upon us, ceased playing, laid down her violin, and arose with a proud bearing, but with, at the same tine, a happy and open countenance. I trembled a little, made a deep courtesy, and kissed her hand; in return, she kissed my forehead, and, for a moment, looked on me so keenly as compelled me to cast down my eyes; whereupon she kissed me most cordially on mouth and forehead, and embraced me as warmly as her stepson. And now came his turn; he kissed her hand inost reverentially, but she presented her cheek; they regarded each other with the most friendly expression of countenance, she saying, in a loud, inanly voice, the moment afterward, "You are welcome, my dear friends; it is very handsome of you to come here to me before you have been to your own house; I thank you for it. I might, it is true, have received you better, if I could have made preparations; but, at all events, this I know, that a welcome is the best dish.' I hope, my friends, that you will remain over the evening with me.'

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new-married couple whom you see before you, and wish, not only for them, but for those who come after them, that they may forever have place in the garden of the Lord!"

"Skal! Skal!" resounded on all sides. Lars Anders and I drank, and then went round and shook hands with so many people that my head was quite dizzy.

My husband excused us, saying that we wished to reach home soon; that I was fatigued with the journey; but that we could not pass Carlsfors without paying our respects to Ma chère mère. "Nay, good, good!" said she, apparently satisfied," we will soon have more talk within; but first I must speak a few words with these people here. Listen, good friends!" and Ma chère mère struck the back of the violin with the bow, till a general silence prevailed through the hall. My children," continued she, in a solemn tone, "I have something to say to you-the hangman! wilt thou not be quiet there below-I have to tell you, that my beloved son, Lars Anders Werner, takes home his wife, this Franziska Buren, whom you see standing by his side. Marriages are de-law, don't forget one thing, let me have my naptermined in heaven, my children, and we will now pray Heaven to bless its work in the persons of this couple. This evening we will drink together a skal to their well-being. So now you can dance, my children. Olof, come here and play thy very best."

While a murmur of exultation and good wishes ran through the assembly, Ma chère mère took me by the hand and led me, together with my husband, into another room, into which she ordered punch and glasses to be brought; then placing both her elbows firmly upon the table, and supporting her chin on her closed fists, she looked at me with a gaze which was rather dark than friendly. Lars Anders, who saw that this review was rather embarrassing to me, began to speak of the harvest, and other country affairs; Ma chère mère, however, sighed several times so deeply, that her sighs rather resembled groans; and then, as it were, constraining herself, answered

to his observations.

The punch came, and then, filling the glass, she said, with earnestness in tone and countenance, "Son, and son's wife, your health!"

After this she became more friendly, and said, in a jesting tone, which, by-the-by, suited her extremely well, "Lars Anders, I suppose we must not say, 'You have bought the calf in the sack.' Your wife does not look amiss, and she 'has a pair of eyes fit to buy fish with.' She is little, very little, one must confess, but 'little and bold often push the great ones aside."

I laughed, Ma chère mère did the same, and I began to talk and act quite at my ease. We talked for some time very merrily together, and I related several little travelling adventures, which appeared to amuse her. In an hour's time we rose to take our leave, and Ma chère mère said, with a most friendly smile, "However agreeable it is to me to see you, I will not detain you this evening. I can very well understand how the 'at home' draws you. Remain at home over to-morrow if you will, but the day after come and eat your dinner with me; for the rest, you very well know that you will at all times be welcome. Now fill your glasses, and come and drink with the people. Trouble man may keep to himself, but pleasure he must enjoy in com'pany."

We followed Ma chère mère, who had gone as herald, into the dancing-room; they were all standing, as we entered, with filled glasses, and she spoke something after this manner: "One must never triumph before one is over the brook, but if people sail in the ship of matrimony with prudence, and in the fear of God, there is a proverb which says 'well begun is half won; and therefore, my friends, we will drink a skal to the * Dricka skal, to drink a health.

All this over, we prepared for our departure, and then came Ma chère mère to me on the steps with a packet, or, rather, a bundle, in her hand, saying, in the most friendly manner, "Take these veal cutlets with you, children, for breakfast to-morrow morning. In a while you will fatten and eat your own veal; but, daughter-in

kin back again! Nay, you shall not carry it, dear child, you have quite enough to do with your bag (pirat) and your cloak. Lars Anders must carry the veal cutlets;" and then, as if he were a little boy still, she gave him the bundle, and showed him how he must carry it: all which he did as she bade him, and still her last words were, "Don't forget, now, that I have my napkin back!"

I glanced, full of amazement, at my husband, but he only smiled, and helped me into the carriage. After all, I was quite satisfied to have made the acquaintance of Ma chère mère in so impromptu a manner; for I felt that, if it had been more solemn and premeditated, her bearing and her scrutiny would, perhaps, have had more effect upon me.

As to the veal cutlets, I could not but rejoice over them, for I could not tell in what state 1 might find the provision-room at Rosenvik. Right glad, also, was I to arrive "at home," and to see a maid-servant and a ready-prepared bed, for we had travelled that day ten miles (Swedish), and I was greatly fatigued. I had slept a little on the quarter-of-a-mile way, between Carlsfors and Rosenvik, and the twilight had come on so rapidly that, as about eleven o'clock at night we arrived at home, I was unable to see what my Eden resembled. The house seemed, however, to me somewhat gray, and small in comparison of the one we had just left; but that was of no consequence, Lars Anders was so cordially kind, and I was so cordially sleepy. But, all at once, I was wide awake, for, as I entered, it seemed to me like a fairy tale. I stepped into a handsome, welllighted room, in the middle of which stood a nicely-arranged tea-table, glittering with silver and china, while beside the tea-table stood the very neatest of maid-servants, in that pretty holyday dress which is peculiar to the peasant girls of this country.

I uttered an exclamation of delight, and all sleep at once was gone. In a quarter of an hour I was quite ready, and sat down as hostess at the tea-table, admiring the beautiful table-cloth, the teacups, the teapot, the teaspoons, upon which were engraved our joint initials, and served tea to my husband, who seemed happy to his heart's core.

And thus the morning and the evening were the first day.

The next morning, as I opened my eyes, I saw that my Adam was directing his eyes, with an expression of great devotion, towards the window, where a ray of sunshine streamed in through a hole in the blue-striped window-curtains, while, at the same time, the mewing of a cat might be heard.

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