My beloved husband!" I began, solemnly, "I thank you for the beautiful music which you have prepared for my welcome. I conjecture you have a troop of country girls, all dressed in white, to scatter twigs of fir before my feet. I will soon be ready to receive them."

You may imagine, Maria, that I was soon at the window-with a sort of sacred awe drew aside the curtains. Ah, Maria, there lay before me, in the full glory of the morning, a crystal lake; green meadows and groves lay around, and in the middle of the lake a small island, upon which grew a magnificent oak: over all the sun shone brightly, and all was so peaceful, so paradisaical, in its beauty, that I was enchanted, and, for the first moment, could not speak; I could only fold my hands, while tears filled my eyes. "May you be happy here!" whispered Lars Anders, and clasped me to his heart.

cabriolet, I began to make observations on my own little world; but of house and enviro s I will speak later, and first say something of the master of the house himself, because you, my Maria, as yet know nothing of him.

I have your letter before me, your dear letter, "I have arranged something much better than which I received a few days after my marriage. this oldfashioned pageantry," said he, merrily. Thanks, beloved, good Maria, for all its cordial "In association with a great Artist, I have pre-words-for all its good advice, which is well pared a panorama, which will show you how it preserved where it will never be forgotten; and looks in Arabia Deserta. You need only to lift how to your questions, which I will endeavour up these curtains." to answer fully; and first of all, for my husband for my own Bear-here, then, you shall have his portrait. Of a middle size, but proportionably, not disagreeably stout and broad; a handsome, well-curled peruke, made by the Creator's own hand; large countenance, couleur de rose; small, clear gray eyes, with a certain penetrating glance, under large, bushy, yellow-gray eyebrows; the nose good, though somewhat thick; the mouth large, with good teeth-but brown, alas! from tobacco-smoking; large hands, but well made and well kept; large feet, the gait like a bear: but this gives no idea of his exterior, if you do not take into account an expression of open-hearted goodness and cheerfulness, which inspires a joyful confidence in the beholder. This speaks when the mouth is silent, as is most frequently the case; the forehead is serene, and the bearing of the head such as reminds one of an astronomer; the voice is a deep bass, which is not at all amiss in singing. Here, then, you have his exterior. His inward self, best Maria,

"I am happy, too happy!" said I, deeply moved, "and grateful."

"Do you see the island, that little Svano?" asked he: "I will row you often there on a summer's evening; we will take our evening meal with us, and eat it there."

"Why not breakfast?" inquired I, suddenly fired with the idea; "why not to-day, in this beautiful morning, go and drink our coffee? II have not yet myself studied. Betrothed to him

will immediately-"

"No, not this morning," interrupted he, laughing at my earnestness; "I must go into the city and visit my patients."

"Ah!" exclaimed I, in a tone of vexation, "what a thing it is that people cannot remain in health!"

"What, then, should I do?" asked he, in a sort of comic terror.

only within two months, wife since fourteen days, I have not had great opportunity to become acquainted with a man who is generally silent, and whom I have not known more than half a year. But I trust and hope all for good!

You ask whether I feel love, actual love, for him; and give, half in jest, half in earnest, extraordinary signs by which I may be able to prove this. Whether I am sensible of an insupportable want when he is absent? Whether I, like Madame L., become pale and embarrassed when he enters a company in which I am al

"Row me over to Svano," was my reply. "I shall be back,” said he, “for dinner, about three o'clock, and then we can-that cursed hole there above," said he, “I could not have believ-ready? Whether he has any fault, any bad ed that the curtains had been so tor-"

"That hole shall remain as long as I am here," exclaimed I, with enthusiasm, interrupting him; "never would I forget that through that hole I first saw sunshine at Rosenvik! But tell," inquired I, "what old fortress is that which one sees across the lake there, so gray in the distance? there, where the wood is so black?" "That is Ramm," replied he; "a great country-seat."

"And who lives there?" I asked.

"Nobody at this moment," he replied. "Fif teen years ago it belonged to Ma chère mère; but she did not find herself comfortable there, so she removed to Carlsfors, and sold Ramm. The estate was purchased by peasants, who now cultivate the land, but the fine house and park are falling to decay. People say that at present it is rented for the summer by a foreigner, who wishes to hunt in the country; and a fine opportunity has he to do so in the park itself, which is above a mile (Swedish) in circuit, and in which, during their long- undisturbed rest, game of all kinds has wonderfully increased. Sometimes we'll go and look about there; but now, my little wife, I must have my breakfast, and then say farewell to thee for a few hours."

When coffee was ended, and he seated in his

habit, which in another would be unpleasant to me, but which in him is agreeable? No, Maria, of all this I experience nothing; but understand, dear Maria, I can very well endure him; I must have found him excellent, otherwise I should not have married him; but love-him!

In the first place, he is much older than I am; he is nearly fifty, and I want yet three years of thirty; farther, he has been so long an old bachelor, has his good and his bad habits, and these last I do not find at all agreeable; but they shall not destroy our domestic happiness; of that I am determined. Thus, in the first place, he has a habit of spitting about everywhere, on handsome matting just the same as on bare boardsthat habit he must leave off. Secondly, he smokes a great deal; to this I shall accustom myself, because I know how necessary and agreeable a pipe is to those who have made it for long the companion of their way through life; but we will have a contract between us, thus: "I am quite willing to see the lighted pipe, yet it shall only seldom be introduced into the parlour, and never into our bedroom; he may puff away as much as he likes in his own room, and in the hall, where the fumes pass away freely." Thirdly, he has an extraordinary habit of making most horrible faces, often to his own

Ma chère mère received us friendly, but she did not seem to be in good-humour herself. There were several old ladies and gentlemen to dine, all strangers to me; it was a heavy affair; and though the dinner was magnificent, spite of all my attempts, I could eat nothing.

In the afternoon, immediately after coffee, Bear went with the gentlemen down into the billiard-room, leaving me with Ma chère mère, the old ladies, who kept talking to themselves, and a certain Lagman Hok, an old and tried friend of Ma chère mère, who sat near her and took snuff. Ma chère mère was silent, played patience, and looked grave. I said now and then a word, but every moment grew stiller, for my head ached sadly; the rain beat against the window, and, to tell the truth, I was out of humour with Lars Anders, who, it seemed to me, might have come, at least once, during that long afternoon, to look after his little wife, and not have gone thus indulging his old bachelor habits of playing billiards, drinking, and smoking; and in this illhumour the afternoon wore by.

thoughts, and often during the conversation of | but when I gave the slightest hint of that, he others; but here we will have an understanding made such terrible grimaces, that I gave up al. between us-sometimes I shall say to him, attempts of the kind. So we mounted the cab"Bear, don't make such horrible faces!" But riolet, and, in drizzling rain, drove off, under an most frequently I shall leave him quietly to umbrella. himself, because I know how painful it would be, how almost impossible, for him to counteract such long-accustomed working of the features; more especially as it often furnishes a mode of speech which is very expressive, and appears more merry than disagreeable. Fourthly, he has a kind of carpenter mania, and would very willingly sit of an evening and chisel and glue, and make dirty work over table, and chair, and floor; to this I will accustom myself with my whole heart, and merely every morning make all carefully clean again. It always gives me pleasure when a gentleman has some little favourite occupation, and after Bear has been occupying himself all day, till he is weary, with his medical profession, this is a cheerful diversion of mind to him. Fifthly, he has a habit of using certain coarse words; this I will patiently, and by little and little, get him to leave off; but that to which I am most fully determined, above all things, to accustom him is, to feel himself happy, and to find contentment and pleasure in his own house; for, Maria, I was poor, was obliged to get my bread in the sweat of my own Towards evening Ma chère mère requested me brow-for teaching music is no light labour. I to play something. I sat down to the piano, was not young any longer, had no beauty, nor made a prelude, and began to sing that beautiful talent beyond that little bit of music; and he, little thing, "Youth ;" but the heat, my headache, from a family of consequence, of a respectable and my chagrin together, put me quite out of station in life, and universally esteemed on ac- voice. I sung at first tremulously, then false, count of his character, his knowledge, his quali- and at last out of time, although I had sung that fications, selected me from among many richer, piece a hundred times before. All was still as handsomer, and better than I. He attended me death in the room, and I really could have cried, during my severe fever with the utmost kind-only that at my age one cannot be so affected. ness, and when my mother would have recom-struck a few closing notes and left the piano, with pensed his trouble with the remains of our an apology, and a few words on my headache. hoarded-up money, he put it aside, and requested Notwithstanding all this, Ma chère mère seemed -my hand. Then he was kind to all who be- really kind towards me. She seated herself by longed to me, gave presents to my brothers, and me on the sofa, gave me a great cup of strong through him prosperity entered into our formerly tea, and treated me as people treat a sick child. needy house. Should I not be grateful? should I was now really come to the crying point; for I not like him? should I not endeavour, with all all this, together with good Lagman Hok's pomy power, with my utmost ability, to make him liteness, overcame me. I thought how truly this happy? Ah, yes! that will I; with all his vir- was the completion of the deplorable part I had tues and his defects, in jest and in earnest, n been playing the whole day, and that Ma chère good and in evil, will I make him happy; and mère would think to herself, Lars Anders has a voice within me says that I shall succeed. made but a bad choice; he has brought home a wife who is at the same time old and childish, sickly, and full of affectation! I was downright miserable.

Tuesday morning, 3d of June.

We poor mortals! What are all our good intentions, when we have not power over ourselves? The day before yesterday, I sat and boasted with myself how happy I would make my husband; yesterday-but, in order to punish myself, I will tell you all. I must turn back to the evening before yesterday, when I was so satisfied with myself.

At last Lars Anders came, and then it was time to leave. The weather had become fine, and the tea had done me good; but the mischief had taken possession of my soul. I was out of humour with myself, with my husband, with the whole world; and, more than this, Bear sat all the time silent, and never seemed to trouble himself about my headache; for after he had just asked how I was, and I had answered "Better," he did not speak another word.

Bear was on a visit to a sick person, and I was writing; he came back, and I put aside my writing, and, half in jest, half in earnest, the contract respecting the tobacco-smoking was made and signed. So far all was right, and so ended that day. The next day, that was yesterday, we were When I came home, I had something in the to dine with Ma chère mère. I had a little head-kitchen to see after; and when I returned to the ache; and after I had arranged my cap and my hair, neither of which satisfied me, it seemed to me that I looked old and faded. I fancied my husband thought the same, hough he made no such remark. This put me out of spirits, for I feared I should not please Ma chère m re, and I knew how much Lars Anders wished that I should do so. The weather, too, was disagreeable, and I had the greatest desire to stop at home;

parlour, there had Lars Anders settled himself into the sofa, and was blowing the tobacco-smoke in long wreaths before him, while he read the newspaper. He had not, indeed, chosen a suitable time for the breach of our compact. I made a remonstrance, and that truly in a lively tone, but in reality I was angry. I took, as it were, a bad pleasure in making him pay for the annoying day I had passed.

Yesterday afternoon I proposed to my husband to go and visit Ma chère mère; he consented. On I would have begun an explanation, but he the way I related how foolishly I had behaved, would not permit it; and now it was my turn to and how willingly I would remove any unpleas beg of him, if he loved me, to relight his pipe, ant impression which I might have made. He and to smoke directly at my very side. He re-laughed, made faces, looked very kind, and so fused; but I besought him so long and earnestly, we came to the place. besought it as a token of continued forgiveness, that he at last yielded. I held my face as much as possible over the smoke-it was to me the incease of reconciliation; once I was nearly coughing, but I changed this into a sigh, and said, “ Ãh, my own Bear, your wife would not have been so angry, if you had not forgotten her for the whole afternoon; she lost all patience while she was longing after you."

Ma chère mère received us in the kindest manner; Bear she provided with newspapers and Virginia tobacco, and me she bespoke to assist for the whole afternoon. I was cheerful and willing, and succeeded perfectly in pleasing her. Furniture was removed, curtains were rehung, Ashamed to the very soul, I covered my face and all went quickly and well, under her comwith my hands-I, I, who had been fostering mands and with my assistance. We despatched such wicked and false mistrusts against him, and a world of work, and were right merry over it; now in my vanity had been revenging myself-many were the bon mots which I made, greatly to 1, unworthy one-I, who wished to make him so Ma chère mère's amusement. She clapped me,

pinched my ears, laughed and replied merrily, my Franziska. Many ladies affect a great deal, and altogether afforded me a deal of pleasure. and make themselves very important with their There is something quite original and fresh bunch of keys, running forever into the kitchen in her disposition, and manners, and mode of and store-room: all unnecessary labour, Franzisthought, and she has, without doubt, good under-ka; much better is it for a lady to govern her standing and great natural wit. The mode of house with her head than with her heels; the managing her household appears to me strange; husband likes that best; or if he do not, he is a it is by a union of severity and tenderness; they stupid fellow, and the wife ought then, in Heavare at one and the same time her slaves and her en's name, to box him on the ears with her bunch children; and they, on their part, appear at once to of keys! Many ladies will have their servants surrender themselves, and obey her slightest hint. forever on their feet; that does no good; servants One only time she and I were near coming to must have their liberty and rest sometimes; one a misunderstanding: it was about the toilet-ta-'must not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn.' bles of the young wives, which I wished to have Let your people be answerable for all they do; a little more luxuriously supplied; but Ma chère it is good for them as well as the mistress. Have mère grew angry, excited herself over "the cur- a hold upon them either by the heart or by honsed luxury" of our times, and over the preten- our, and give them ungrudgingly whatever by sions of young women; declaring that the toilet-right is theirs, for 'the labourer is worthy of his tables should stand exactly as she had placed hire.' But then, three or four times a year, but them, with the same covers and the same look-not at any regular time, come down upon them ing-glasses, as they were quite good enough. To all this I remained silent, and therefore all was soon right again; yet, after all, I am not sure whether the toilet-covers were not changed, as, soon after, Ma chère mère betook herself to her linen-press.

To the arrangement of the chambers succeeded several rougher pieces of house business, in which I was invited to take part: "For," said Ma chère mère, "it will do you good, little friend, to see how things are managed in a well-ordered household. It will be necessary for you to learn this and the other in domestic economy. Roasted pigeons do not fly down people's throats; and one must look if there be anything in the cellar, if one expect anything on the table.'"

like the day of judgment; turn every stone and see into every corner, storm like a thunder-tempest, and strike down here and there at the right time; it will purify the house for many weeks."

This was Ma chère mère's housekeeping doctrine. She next turned the conversation on my husband, and said, "Yes, you can say justly, my dear Franziska, that you are married to a man who through the whole day will be husband; but still in his own way he is very wilful, and you will have to manage him pretty much in the same way as I managed my husband. Come, we shall see how you will do! You are little, but you can bestir yourself, and I will tell you how you must conduct yourself towards your husband. You will always find him an honourable man, therefore I give you this one especial piece of advice-never have recourse to untruth with him, be it ever so small, or to help yourself out of ever so great a difficulty; for untruth leads ever into still greater difficulty, and, besides this, it drives confidence out of the house."

In reply, I told her what I had sincerely determined on these subjects; and then, contented with each other, we went into the usual sitting-room, where we found Bear sitting and gaping over his newspaper.

I followed Ma chère mère, therefore, into the cellar, where, with a large piece of red chalk in her hand, she made various, and to me cabalistical, signs and strokes upon herring and salmon tubs; all which she explained to me, and then led me into every corner of these subterraneous and well-superintended vaults. After this we came above ground, where I assisted in the examination of bread-safes, delivered anathemas over rats and mice, and weighed several flour-casks. Last of all, I must be weighed myself; and, as I proved not to weigh quite five pounds (Swedish), Ma Mademoiselle Tuttin, who is called Adjutant chère mère laughed at me in the most extraordi- Tuttin by Ma chère mère, set the table in order, nary manner, asserting that a woman had been and I, at the request of Ma chère mère, sang (thus burned as a witch, in the time of Charles the she had quite forgotten my first essay), and, as Eleventh, because she was under five pounds' I myself felt, sang very well. She laughed heartweight. All this I endured in the most philosoph-ily at many merry little songs which I sang, and ic manner; but no philosophy whatever would I saw Bear's eyes, full of delight, glancing over prevent my admiration of her housekeeping and domestic arrangements. This admiration came from my heart; for, in truth, a house like this, so completely furnished and arranged, in small as well as in great, where everything has its appointed place, and stands under its own number, is worthy of observation and admiration; and no less to be admired is the housewife, who is the living memorial of all this, and who knows her affairs as well as any general knows his warcraft.

to us from above his newspaper. After tea, we made up, with Tuttin, Ma chère mère's Boston party, which was one of the most amusing I ever was at. Ma chère mère and Bear were particularly lively together, and made themselves very merry at my expense whenever I was stupid in the game, which being very often, produced much better effect than if I had played like a master, and we all laughed till we cried, just like children.

After supper, as we took leave, Ma chère mère When all this rummaging about and this thor- slapped me heavily on the shoulder, kissed me, ough house inspection was brought to an end, and thanked me for a cheerful day. The weath we sat down on the sofa to rest, and Ma chère er was so fine, when we came out on the steps, that mère addressed me in the following manner: "It we determined to walk part of the way, and to is only now and then, my dear Franziska, that I send the cabriolet before us. Our walk was very make such a house-review; but it keeps every-lively, and, after many mischievous pranks, I thing in order, and fills the domestics with respect. had the luck to see Bear arrive at the bottom of Set the clock only to the right time, and it will a ditch. I cannot help laughing when I think of go right of itself, and thus one need not go about it; he looked so like a real bear, lying there on ticktacking like a pendulum. Keep this in mind, four feet (between us two, I am not quite sure

whether he did not allow himself to be rolled over). The good Bear!

But I will not always be talking to you about Bear and his Bearess. You must have some knowledge of the house and family. It will be somewhat difficult on this last subject to be quite lucid; but endeavour, good Maria, to understand what I will endeavour to make clear.

General Mansfield married, for his first wife, a widow lady named Werner, with two sons, the eldest of whom was my husband; the second, Adolf, who has been dead some years. By this wife the General had two sons, who yet live, Jean Jacques and Peter Mansfield. The mother of these two died while they were yet children. A year afterward the General married a rich and proud Miss Barbara B—, our present Ma chère | mere. Lars Anders, who was then thirteen years old, was but little satisfied to receive a stepmother twenty years of age. She, however, conducted herself most exemplarily, and made an excellent though stern stepmother for the four boys, from whom she won both reverence and love, notwithstanding a certain rigour and economy which she practised towards them. There was, however, reason for the practice of this latter virtue; for the general, who was himself a man of lavish expenditure, had brought his affairs into great disorder, and his wife only succeeded in preserving her own property by her deed of settlement. From her own income she provided the cost of the four stepson's education, in which she spared nothing.

various opportunities have brought about, has occasioned them to be towards each other on an independent and very good understanding; while the other sons, more or less, are obliged to accommodate their wills to hers. Lars Anders and she stand, as it were, in fear of each other, but have at the same time the highest mutual esteem; yet she declares that she will never see him beside her as physician. She sends all medicines and all doctors whatever to the hangman; will have nothing to do with any of them; and supports her opinion by the proverb, that "nobody can be a good physician till he has filled a churchyard."

Since I have undertaken to write the history of Ma chère mère, I will also sketch her portrait. See, then, a tall lady, of a large but handsome growth, whose "figure in youth must have possessed both symmetry and strength; very straight, somewhat stiff, and with the mien and bearing of a general. The countenance would be handsome, were not the features so strongly marked and the complexion so gray; the chin, also, is somewhat too large and projecting. Round the mouth, which is furnished with large, white teeth, a very friendly, pleasant smile often plays; but when the sentiment is less friendly, the under lip closes over the upper, and gives a character of such stern determination as is not pleasing in a woman. But Ma chère mère is a peculiar person. Her hair is quite gray, and streams sometimes, but not in curls, forth from the helmet; which head-dress thrones itself solitarily on the stern,

The boys were made to observe the most punc-high, often cloudy forehead. No ornament nor tilious respect in the paternal house; they were jewel appears upon her attire; but, instead, the taught a certain precise politeness, and a French greatest cleanliness is attended to, and a somestyle of manner. Every morning, at a stated thing strikingly accordant and appropriate. Ma hour, they presented themselves before their pa- chère mère never is tight-laced. (In parenthesis rents, kissed their hands, and said, “Bon jour, let it be remarked, that I should not wonder if Mon cher pere! Bon jour, Ma chère mère !" and lacing up tight may not have something to do every evening, in the same manner, at the ap- with our often being less agreeable in company; pointed time, came the hand-kiss and the "Bon the soul never can move freely when the body is soir, Mon cher père! Bon soir, Ma chère mère!" in fetters.) Her dress, generally, is of brown or (thus arose the appellation, Ma chère mère, which gray silk; in the morning the yet handsome neck the sons always apply to her). This kissing of is covered by a white handkerchief, which tothe hand still remains, whenever the sons and wards noon is exchanged for a standing collar. mother meet, although the French greeting is dis- The hands are well made, though large, and continued. For the rest, the stern stepmother though not always used, as we must confess, in allowed to her sons a deal of time and freedom the most pacific work. Ma chère mère has a for games and bodily exercises, and the enjoy- rough voice, speaks loud and distinctly, makes ment of the fresh air, for she thought to strength- use sometimes of extraordinary words, and has a en at the same time both body and mind by these vast many proverbs at her tongue's end. She means, and they had in the whole a happy youth. walks with great strides, often in boots, and General Mansfield was a handsome man and swings her arms about; still, whenever it is her a brave soldier, but at the same time extravagant, will to do so, she can assume a style of the highdomineering, and wilful. He inquired but little est and most perfect breeding. People accuse after his children, and lavished away his proper- her of being avaricious, of mixing herself in the ty. Ma chere mère's marriage with him was not affairs of others, and with disregard of consehappy, and, when he died, he left his sons no-quences; many, indeed, are the histories which thing. Since his death, her behaviour to them has, without any ostentation, been the most generous; for, without making any difference between the sons and stepsons of her husband, she bound herself to allow each one of them, as soon as they came of age, a certain annual sum, while she herself held the stewardship of her large but debt-burdened estate. My husband, who had chosen his own path in life, and who, by his own ability and industry, had won for himself an honourable position in society, declined this allowance as soon as he was able, because it was his wish to be dependant on no one, and least of all on Ma chère mère, whose despotic will did not always square with his independent feelings. This, together with some weighty disclosures which B

are related of her; nevertheless, every one throughout the whole country has the highest respect for her, and her word is worth as much as a king's; for the universal opinion respecting her is that she is prudent, a person to be relied upon, and a steadfast friend. This appears to me beautiful in her. She reminds me of Gölz von Berlichingen; and it sometimes appears to me as if deep and tender feelings were hidden under this stern exterior, and then I feel as if I might love her.

Hitherto she has been the steward of her own estate, and has managed her affairs admirably; now, however, she wishes that Jean Jacques should take part with her. This son has studied agriculture abroad, has lately married, and will