Henrik was silent. sincerity and earnestness, they will in their turn bring forth fruit. I confess to you, Henrik, that it was, and still is, one of my most lively wishes that one of my children might distinguish themselves in the fields of literature. Literature has furnished to me my most beautiful enjoyments, and in my younger years I myself was not without my ambition in this way. I see in you my own powers more richly blossoming. I myself bloom forth in them, my Henrik, and in my hopes of you. Ah! might I live to the day in which I saw you honoured by your native land; in which I saw your father proud of his son, and I myself able to gladden my heart with the fruit of your mind, your work-O then I would gladly die !" Enthusiastic fire flamed in Henrik's looks, and "But," said Gabriele, with all her natural re- on his cheeks, as while, embracing his mother, finement, "to be happy in these homes, they must he said, "No, you shall live, mother, to be honbe able to read a pleasant book or to sing a beau- oured on account of your son. He promises that tiful song, else their lives, spite of all their water-you shall have joy in him!" falls, would be very dry!" The Judge smiled, kissed his little daughter, and tears of delight filled his eyes. Henrik, in the mean time, had gone into another room, and seated himself at the window. His mother followed him. The sunbeam which just then streamed into the room fell upon Henrik's beautiful hair, which shone like gold. The mother saw it-saw silently a prophesying in it, and a sunbright smile diffused itself over her countenance. "How do you feel, my Henrik?" said she, af- Petrea read the "Magic Ring." She ought fectionately, gently taking away the hand which properly to have read it aloud to the family cirshaded his eyes. His hand was concealing his cle in an evening, and then its dangerous magic tears. "My good, good youth!" exclaimed she, would have been decreased; but she read it beher eyes also overflowing with tears, and throw- forehand, privately to herself during the night, ing her arms around him; "Now see!" began and it drew her into the bewildering magic circle. she consolingly, "you should not distress your-She thought of nothing, dreamed of nothing, but self when your father speaks in a somewhat one- wonderful adventures; wonderfully beautiful sided manner. You know perfectly well how ladies, and wonderfully brave heroes! She was infinitely good and just he is, and that if he be herself always one of them, worshipped or woronly once convinced of the genuineness of your shipping: now combating, cross in hand, against poetic talent, he will be quite contented. He is witches and dragons; now wandering in dreamy only now afraid of your stopping short in medio- moonlight among lilies in the Lady Minnetrost's crity. He would be pleased and delighted if you castle. It seemed as if the chaotic confusion of obtained honour in your own peculiar way." Petrea's brain had here taken shape and stature, "Ah!" said Henrik, "if I only knew whether and she now took possession with redoubled or not I had a peculiar way-a peculiar voca- force of the phantasy world, which once before, tion. But since Sternhok has been here, and I under the guile of the wood-god, had carried have talked with him, everything, both external- away her childish mind and conducted her into ly and internally, seems altered. Sternhok has false tracks; and it was so even now; for while shown me how very little I know of what I sup- she moved night and day in a dream-world in posed myself to know a great deal, and what which she luxuriated to exultation, in magnifibungling my work is! I see it now perfectly, cent and wonderful scenes, in which she herself and it distresses me. How strong-minded and always played a part, she got on but lamentably powerful Sternhok is! I wish I were able to re-in real and everyday life. The head in which semble him! But it is impossible, I feel myself such a mere nothing beside him! And yet, when I am alone either with my books, or out in the free air with the trees, the rocks, the waters, the winds around me, and with heaven above, thoughts arise in me, feelings take possession of me, nameless sweet feelings, and then expressions and words speak in me which affect me deeply, and give me inexpressible delight; then all that is great and good in humanity is so present with me; then I have a foretaste of harmony in everything, of God in everything; and it seems to me as if words thronged themselves to my lips to sing forth the gloriousness of what I perceive. In such moments I feel something great within me, and I fancy that my songs would find an echo in every heart. Yes, it is thus, that I feel sometimes; but when I see Sternhok, all is vanished, and I feel so little, so poor, I am compelled to believe that I am a dreamer and a fool!" "My good youth," said the mother, "you mistake yourself. Your gifts and Sternhok's are so dissimilar: but if you employ your talents with L so many splendid pictures and grand schemes were agitating, looked generally something like a bundle of flax; she never noticed the holes and specks in her dress, nor her ragged stockings and trodden-down shoes; she forgot all her little, everyday business, and whatever she had in her hand, she either lost or dropped. She had besides, a passion for oracking almonds. "A passion," Louise said, "as expensive as it was noisy, and which never was stronger than when she went about under the influence of the magic ring; and that perpetual crack, crack, which was heard wherever she went, and the almond shells on which people trod, or which hung to the sleeve of hoever came to the window, were anything but agreeable." Whenever Petrea was deservedly reproved or admonished for these things, she fell out of the clouds, or rather out of her hoven, down to the earth, which seemed to her scarcely anything else than a heap of nettles and brambles, and very gladly indeed would she have bought 1 with ten years of her life, one year of the magic, at myself this morning in the glass-no satirical power of the "Magic Ring," together with beau-looks, my love! and it seemed to me as if I ty, magic charms, power, and such-like things, which she did not possess, except in her dreams. Petrea's life was a cleft between an ideal and a real world, of both of which she knew nothing truly, and which on that account became amalgamated for the first time in her soul. Rivers of tears flowed into the separating gulf, while she now complained of circumstances, and now of her ownself, for being the cause of what she endured. appeared strong and healthy. I thought of you, thought how good and kind you were, and how, whilst I had walked by your side, I had been strengthened both in body and mind; how I must still love you more and more, and how we had become happier and happier together. I thought of your activity, so rich in blessing both for home and for the general good; thought on the children, how healthy and good they are, and how their characters have unfolded so hapIt was at this time that, partly at the wish of pily under our hands. I thought of our new the parents, and partly also out of his own kind-house which you have built so comfortable and heartedness, Jacobi began seriously to occupy himself with Petrea; and he occupied her mind in such a manner as strengthened and practised her thinking powers, whereby the fermentation in her feelings and imagination was in some measure abated. All this was indescribably beneficial to her, and it would have been still more so had not the teacher been too but we will leave the secret to future years. convenient for us all, and just then the sun shone cheerfully into my little, beloved boudoir, and I felt myself so fortunate in my lot! thanked God for it and for you! I would willingly live and die in this sphere—in this house. Let us then remain here." "God bless you for these words, Elise!" said he. "But the children: the children! Our decision will influence their future; we must also hear what they have got to say; we must lay the matter before them: not that I fear their having. if they were aware of our mode of reasoning, any wish different to ours, but at all events they must have a voice in the business. Come, Elise! I shall have no rest till it is all talked The Judge received one day a large letter out of Stockholm, which, after he had read, he silently laid before his wife. It came from the highest quarter, contained most honourable and flattering praise of the services of Judge Frank, of which the government had long been observ-over, and decided." ant, and now offered him elevation to the highest regal court. When Elise had finished the letter she looked up inquiringly to her husband, who stood beside her. "What think you of it, Ernst ?" asked she, with a constrained and uneasy glance. The Judge walked more quickly up and down the room, as was his custom when any thing excited him. "I cannot feel indifferent," said he; "I am affected by this mark of confidence in my sovereign. I have long expected this occurrence, but I feel, I see that I cannot leave my present sphere of operation. My activity is suited to it; I know that I am of service here, and the confidence of the Sheriff gives me unrestrained power to work according to my ability and views. It is possible that he, instead of me, may get the credit of the good which is done in the province; but, in God's name, let it be so! I know that what is good and beneficial is actually done, and that is enough; but there is a great deal which is only begun which must be completed, and a great deal, an infinite great deal remains yet to be done. I cannot leave a half-finished work-I cannot and I will not! One must complete one's work, else it is good for nothing! And I know that here I am-but I am talking only of myself. Tell me, Elise, what you wish; what you would like." "Let us remain here!" said Elise, giving her hand to her husband, and seating herself beside him. "I know that you would have no pleasure in a higher rank, in a larger income, if you on that account must leave a sphere where you feel yourself in your place, and where you can work according to the desire of your own heart, and where you are surrounded by persons who esteem and love you! No; let us remain here!" "But you, you, Elise," said he, "speak of yourself, not of me." "Yes, you!" answered she, with the smile of a happy heart, "that is not so easy to do-for you see all that belongs to the one is so interwoven with what belongs to the other. But I will tell you something about myself. I looked When the Judge laid the affair before the family council, it occasioned a great surprise; on which a general silence ensued, and attractive visions began to swarm before the eyes of the young people, not exactly of the highest Court of Judicature, but of the seat of the same-of the Capital. Louise looked almost like a Counsellor of Justice herself. But when her father had made known his and his wife's feelings on the subject, he read in their tearful eyes gratitude for the confidence he had placed in them, and the most entire acquiescence with his will. No one spoke, however, till "the little one"the father had not said to her, "go out for a while, Gabriele dear;" "let her stop with us," he said on the contrary, "she is a prudent little girl!" No one spoke till Gabriele threw her arms about her mother's neck, and exclaimed, "Ah, don't let us go away from here-here we are so happy!" This exclamation was echoed by all. "Well, then, here we remain, in God's name!" said the Judge, rising up and extending his arms, with tears in his eyes, towards the beloved circle. "Here we remain, children! But this shall not prevent your seeing Stockholm, and enjoying its pleasures! I thank God, my children, that you are happy here; it makes me so too, I assure you!" On this day, for the first time for long, Leonore dined with the family. Everybody rejoiced on that account; and as her countenance had a brighter and more kindly expression than common, everybody thought her pretty. Eva, who had directed and assisted her toilette, rejoiced over her from the bottom of her heart. "Don't you see, Leonore," said she, pointing up to heaven, where light blue openings were visible between clouds, which for the greater part of the day had poured down rain, "don't you see it is clearing up, Leonore, and then we will go out together and gather flowers and fruit." And as she said this her blue eyes · "AND are you coming home? Come really home soon, dear Eva? Ah! I am so happy, so joyful on that account, and yet a little anxious: but don't mind that; come, only come, and all will be right! When I can only look inte your eyes, I feel that all will be clear. Your good eyse! Gabriele and I call them our blue ones.' How long it is that I have not seen you -two long years! I cannot conceive, dear Eva, how I have lived so long without seeing you; but then it is true that we have not been in reality separated. I have accompanied you into the great world; I have been with you to balls and concerts; I have enjoyed with you your pleasures and the homage which has been paid to you. Ah! what joy for me that I have learned to love you! Since then I have lived two-fold, and felt myself so rich in you! And now you are coming back, and then, shall we be as happy as before? "We will again read books together, and think about and talk about them together. We will again go out together and enjoy all the freshness and quiet of the woods. And would it not be a blessed thing to wander thus calmly through life, endeavouring to improve ourselves, and to make all those around us happier; to admire the works of God, and humbly to thank Him for all that he has given to us and others? Should we not then have lived and flourished enough on earth? Truly I know that a life quiet as this might not satisfy every one; neither can it accord with all seasons of life. Storms will come; even I have had my time of unrest, of suffering, and of combat. But, thank God! that is now past, and the sensibility which destroyed my peace is now become as a light to my path; it has extended my world; it has made me better: and now that I no longer covet to enjoy the greater and stronger pleasures of life, I learn now, each passing day, to prize yet higher the treasures which surround quiet every-day life. O, no one can be happy on earth till he has learned the worth of little things, and to attend to them! When once he has learned this, he may make each day not only happy, but find in it cause of thankfulness. But he must have peace-peace both within himself and without himsek; for peace is the sun in which every dewdrop of life glitters! "Would that I could but call back peace into a heart which—but I must prepare you for a change, for a great void in the house. You will not find Petrea here. You know the state of things which so much distressed me for some time. It would not do to let it go on any longer either for Louise or Jacobi's sake, or yet for her own, and therefore Petrea must go, otherwise they all would have become unhappy. She herself saw it; and as we had tidings of Jacobi's speedy arrival here, she opened her heart to her parents. It was noble and right of her, and they were as good and prudent as ever; and now our father is gone with her to his friend Bishop B. May God preserve her, and give her peace! I shed many tears over her; but I hope all may Forgive, forgive this note of interrogation! turn out well. Her lively heart has a freshBut sometimes a disquiet overcomes me. You flowing fountain of health in it; and certainly speak so much of the great world, of joys, and her residence in the country, which she likes so enjoyments, which-it is not in home to afford much, new circumstances, new interestsyou. And your grand new acquaintance-ah, Eva! let them be ever so agreeable and interesting, it cannot be that they love as we do, as I do! And then this Major R! I am afraid of him, Eva. It appears to me the most natural thing in the world that he should love you, but -ah, Eva! it grieves me that you should feel such affection for him. My dear, good Eva, attach yourself not too closely to him before-but I distress you, and that I will not. Come, only come to us; we have so much to say to you, so much to hear from you! "I was interrupted: Jacobi is come! It is a good thing that Petrea is now whiling away her time in the shades of Furndal; good for her poor heart, and good too for the betrothed pair, who otherwise could not have ventured to have been happy in their presence. But now they are entirely so. "Now, after six years' long waiting, sighing, and hoping, Jacobi sees himself approaching the goal of his wishes-marriage and a parsonage! And the person who helps him to all this, to say nothing of his own individual deserts, is his beloved patron the excellent Excellence D. Through his influence two important landedproprietors in the parish of Great T. have been induced to give their votes to Jacobi, who, though yet young, has been proposed; and thus he will receive one of the largest and most beautiful livings in the bishoprick, and Louise will become a greatly honoured pastor's wife-'provost's wife' she herself says prophetically. "The only but in this happiness is, that it will while he abuses our rusks, out notwithstanding devours a great quantity of them. For some time he has appeared to me to have become more amiable than formerly; his temper is friend and physician of all the poor. A short time ago he bought a little villa, a mile distant from the city; it is to be the comfort of his age, and is to be called 'The Old Man's Rose'-does not that sound comfortable ? remove Jacobi and Louise so far from us. Their highest wish had been to obtain the rural appointment near this city; and thus we might, in that case, have maintained our family unbroken, even though Louise had left her home; but-milder, his heart always was mild. He is the 'but,' says our good, sensible eldest,' with a sigh, all things cannot be perfect here on earth.' "The day of nomination falls early in the spring; and Jacobi, who must enter upon his office immediately after his appointment, wishes to celebrate his marriage at Whitsuntide, in order that he may conduct his young wife into his shepherd's hut along flower bestrewn-paths, and by the song of the lark. Mrs. Gunilla jestingly beseeches of him not to become too nomadic: however, this is certain, that no living being has more interest about cows and calves, sheep and poultry, than Louise. "Annette P. is very unhappy with her coarse sister-in-law. She does not complain; but look, complexion, nay, even her whole being, indicate the deepest discontent with life; we must attract her to us, and endeavour to make her happier. "Here comes Gabriele, and insists upon it that I should leave some room for her scrawl. A bold request! But then who says no to her? Not I, and therefore I must make a short ending. "If a certain Baron Rutger L. be introduced to you when you return, do not imagine that he is deranged, although he sometimes seems as if he were so. He is the son of one of my father's friends; and as he is to be educated by my father for a civil post, he is boarded in our fam "The future married couple are getting their whole household in order beforehand; and Gabriele heartily amuses herself with such fragments of their entertaining conversation as reach her ear, while they sit on the sofa in the library talking of love and economy. But it is not talking alone that they do, for Jacobi's heart is full of warm human love; and as to him, so has our father imparted to all his children some-ily. He is a kind of ‘ diamant brute,' and requires what of his love for the general good, although Gabriele maintains that her portion thereof is as yet very small. "It gives me great pleasure to see the betrothed go out to make purchases, and then to see them return so cordially well pleased with all they have bought. Louise discovers something so unsurpassably excellent in every thing with which she furnishes herself, whether it be an earthen or a silver vessel. When I look at these two, like a pair of birds carrying together straws to their nest, and twittering over them, I cannot help thinking that it must be a greater piece of good fortune to come to the possession of a humbly supplied habitation which one has furnished oneself, than to that of a great and rich one for which other people have cared. One is, in the first place, so well acquainted with, so on thee-and-thou terms, with one's things; and certainly nobody in this world can be more so than Louise with hers. "We are all of us now working most actively for the wedding, but still our father does not look with altogether friendly eyes on an occasion which will withdraw a daughter from his beloved circle. He would so gladly keep us all with him. Apropos ! we have a scheme for him which will make him happy in his old age. You remember the great piece of building-land overgrown with bushes, which the people had not understanding enough either to build upon or to give up to us, this we intend-but we will talk about it mouth to mouth. Petrea has infected us all, even "our eldest," with her desire for great undertakings; and then-truly it is a joy to be able to labour for the happiness of those who have laboured for us so affectionately and unweariedly. "Now something about friends and acquaint ance. “All friends and acquaintance ask much after you. Mr. Munter wrangles because you do not come, all the time he breakfasts with us (generally on Wednesday and Saturday mornings), and polishing in more senses than one; in the mean Oh, "Henrik will remain with us over Christmas, but you must come and help to enliven him; he is not so joyous as formerly. I fancy that the misunderstanding between him and Sternhök distresses him. Ah! why would not these two understand one another! For the rest, many things are now at stake for Henrik; God grant that all may go well, both on his account and my mother's! "We shall not see Petrea again till after Louise's marriage. When shall we all be again all together at home? Sarah! ah! it is now above four years since we heard any thing of her, and all inquiry and search after her has been in vain. Porhaps she lives no longer! I have wept many tears over her; oh! if she should return! I feel that we should be happier together than formerly; there was much that was good and noble in her, but she was misled-I hear my mother's light steps, and that predicts that she has something good for me "Ah yes! she has! she has a letter from you my E! You cannot fix the day of your return, and that is very sad-but you come soon! You love Stockholm; so do I also; I could embrace Stockholm for that reason. "I am now at the very edge of my paper. Gabriele has bespoken the other side. I leave you now, in order to write to her who left us with tears, but who, as I cordially hope, will return to us with smiles." FROM GABRIELE. In the Morning. home! Yes, Leonore! in vain will you endeavour to excuse me, and reconcile me with my. "I could not write last evening, and am now self! I know that I am criminal—that I have up before the sun in order to tell you that no- desired, that I have wished, at least, for a mothing can console me for Petrea's absence, ex-ment-oh, I would now press the hem of Loucepting your return. We are all of us terribly ise's garment to my lips, and exclaim, Forgive, longing after our rose.' I know very well who forgive! I have passed judgment on myself—I beside your own family longs for this same have banished myself; I fly-fly in order no thing. more to disturb your happiness or his!' "I must tell you that a little friendship has "I was a cloud in their heaven; what should been got up between Mr. Munter and me. All the cloud do there? May the wind disperse it ! this came about in the fields, for he is never Leonore, it is an indescribably bitter feeling particularly polite within doors, whilst in a walk, for a heart which burns with gratitude to be the beautiful side of his character always comes able to do nothing more for the object of its out. Petrea and I have taken such long excur- love than to keep itself at a distance, to make sions with him, and then he was mild and live- itself into nothing! But rather that rather a ly; then he botanised with us, told of the natu- million times hide myself in the bosom of the ral families in the vegetable kingdom, and rela- earth, than give sorrow either to him or to her! ted the particular life and history of many plants. Truly, if thereby I could win anything for them; Do you know it is the most agreeable thing in if I could moulder to dust like a grain of corn, the world to know something of all this; one and then shoot forth for them into plentiful feels oneself on such familiar terms with these blessing-that would be sweet and precious, vegetable families. Ah! how often when I feel Leonore! People extol all those who are able thus am I made aware how indescribably rich to die for love, for honour, for religion, for high and glorious life is and I fancy that every one and noble ends, and wherefore? Because it is, must live happily on earth who has only eyes indeed, a mercy from God to be able so to die— and sense awakened to all that is glorious there- it is life in death! in, and then I can sing like a bird for pure life"I know a life which is death-which, enduenjoyment. In the mean time Mr. Munter and red through long clinging years, would be a burI cultivate flowers in the house quite enthusias- den to itself, and a joy to no one. O how bittically, and intend at Christmas to make pres- ter! Wherefore must the craving after happients of both red-and-white lilacs; but, indeed, Iness, after enjoyment, burn like an eternal thirst have almost a mind to cry that the nose of my Petrea cannot smell them. "But I must come to an end, for you must know that occasionally I have undertaken to have a watchful eye over the breakfast-table, and therefere I go now to look after it. Bergstrom has fortunately done all this, so that I have nothing now to do; next I must go and look after my moss-rose, and see whether a new bud has yet made its appearance: then I shall go and see after mamma; one glance must I give through the window to the leaves in the garden, which nod a farewell to me before they fall from the twigs; and to the sun also which now rises bright and beaming, must I send a glance-a beam from the sun of my eyes and out of the depth of my thankful heart; and therefore that I may be able, for the best well being of the community to attend to all these important mattors, I must say to you, farewell! to you who are so dear to me." CHAPTER XXVII. PETREA TO LEONORE. "It is evening, and my father is gone out in order to make arrangements for our to-morrow's voyage. I am alone: the mist rises thick without, before the dirty inn-windows; my eyes also are misty; my heart is heavy and full, I must converse with you. "O Leonore! the bitter step has thus been taken-I am separated from my own family, from my own home; and not soon shall I see again their mild glances, or hear your consoling voice and all this-because I have not deserved-because I have destroyed the peace of my in the human soul, if the assuaging fountain, Tantalus like? "Leonore, my eyes burn, my head aches, and my heart is wildly tempested! I am not good I am not submissive-my soul is a chaos-a little earth on forehead and breast, that might be good for me. Yes On board the Steam-boat. "Thanks, Leonore, thanks for your pillow; it has really been an ear-comfort for me.* terday I thought that I was in the direct way to become ill. I shivered; I burned; my head ached fearfully: I felt as if torn to pieces. But when I laid my head upon your little pillow, when my ear rested upon the delicate cover which you had ornamented with such exquisite needlework, then it seemed to me as if your spirit whispered to me out of it; a repose came over me; all that was bad vanished so quickly, so wonderfully! I slept calmly; I was quite astonished when they woke me in the morning to feel that, bodily, I was quite well, and mentally like one cured. All this has been done by your pillow, Leonore. "It is related in the Acts of the Apostles that they brought the sick and laid them in the way on which the holy men went, that at least their shadows might fall upon them, and make them sound. remedy; yes, the good, the holy, impart someI have faith in the power of such a what of their life, of their strength, to all that belong to them: I have found that to-night. "We went on board. The Sea-Witch' thundered and flew over the sea. I knew that she conveyed me away from you all, and leaning over the bulwarks I wept. I felt then a pair they were my father's! He wrapped a warm of arms tenderly and gently surrounding me Poor Petrea makes a little pun here. In Swedish, örn |