The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-10-11

BRIEF SKETCH HER EARLY LIFE.
Now that Miss Frederika Bremen the delightful
Swedish authoress, has arrived in the United
States, the following sketch written by herself, |
and published by Mary Hewitt, in the Lady's
Book, will be read with peculiar interest;
oIfit should so happen that, as regards me, any
one should wish to cast kind glance behind the
curtain which conceas a somewhat uneventiu! lie,
he may discover that was born on the banks OF
the Aura, a river which flows through Abo, and
that several of the venerable and learned men OF the
university even my godfathers At the age
Of three was removed, with my family, from my
native country Of Finland. OF this part oil my hie
/ have only retained one single memory. nv
memory IL a word mighty name, which, IN tht
depths OF Paganisrn was pronounced by the nm
nish people with fear and love; and II "a sun so
pronounced in these days, althongh perfected py
Christianity. | still fancy that often hear liz
word spoken aloud over the trembling earth by the
thunder Of Thor, or by the gentle wihds when
bring to il refreshment and consolation. That
~ord ls-Jumala, the Finnish name Tor Col pOtb
IN Pagan and Christian times.
4If any one kiadiy follows me from Finland INTO
sweden, ~here my father purchase an estate after
he had sold his property in Finland, would noi
trouble the inward elementary chaos, and the out
ward, unnterestlng, and common place picture OF
family, which every autumn removed, in their
covered carriage from their estate IN the country
10 their house in the capital; and every spring
trunded back again from their house IN the capital
their country seat; nor how there were young
daughters III the family who played on the piano,
ballads, read novels, drew IN DLiGk anu
looked forward, with longing chances 70 the future
when they hoped to see and do wonderful thlhgs;
With humility, must confess, j always regarded
Iayself as a heroine" -,
Casting glance into the family circle, it would
be seen that they collected, in the evening" In the
great drawing room Of their country house, and
read aloud; that the works Of the German poets
were read, especially Schiller, whOpe Don carlos
made profound impression upon the youthful
mind Of one Of the daug hters in particular.
deeper glance into her soul wiH show that
heavy reality Of sorrow was spreading, by degrees
dark cloud over the splendor VI her youthful
dreams. Like early evening, It came over the pain
Of the young pilgrim Of life; and earnestly, but IN
vain, she endeavored to escape il. The AIR was
iimmed a. by a heavy fall Of snow, darkness In
creased and it became night. And, IN the depths
Of that endess winter night, she heard laInentlng
voices from the east, and from the west; from plant
and animal; from dying nature and desPlring hu-
nanity; and she life, with all its beauty, it,
love IL throbbing heart buried alive beneath a
chill covering Of ice. Heaven seemed dark and
void; there seemed 70 her eyes, even as there
was no heart. All was dead, or, rather, ali was
dyng-eIceptng pain.
There is a significant picture, at the commence
inent in every mythology. Ia the beginning there
IL bright, and warm, and divine principle, which
allies itself " darkness; and from this union oil
tight and darkness-of fires aud tears-proceeds a
God. believe that something similar ~ this takes
place in every human being who Is born to deeper
life; and something similar took place In her who
writes these lines.
Looking at her a few years later, it will be seen
that great change has taken place in her. Her
yes have long been filled with tears Of unspeakste
nov: she il like who has risen from the grave 70
a new life. What has caused this change, Have
her splendid youthful dreams been accomplished,
4. she a heroines Has she become victorious in
beauty or in renOwny No; nothing Of tins kind.
The illusions Of youth past the season Of youth
A. over. And yet she u again young; FOR there "
freedom in the depth Of her soul, and let there be
light has been spoken above its dark chaos; and
the light has penetrated the darkness, and lllumi-
mated the night whilst, with her eye fixed upon
that light che has exclaimed, with the tears Of JOY
death, where is thy sting: Grave, where Is Thy
victory"
Many a grave since then has been opened 10 re-
live those whom she tendcriy loved; many pang
has been felt since then but the heart tbrobs Joy
fully and the dark night il over. Yes II Is over
but not the fruit which IL has borne; for there are
certain flowers which first unfold IN the darkness;
s0i also in the midnight hours OF great suffering
the human soul opens itself 10 the hight oil eternal
starr.
''If it be desired TO hear any thing Of my writ
ings il may be said they began in the eighth yeai
Of my age, when ] apostrophized the moon N
French verses, and that during the greater part u
tny youth continued u write ina the sublim,
strain | wrote under the impulse Of restless youth
G,l feelings; ! wrote in order W write. Aftcrward
seized dIe pen under the influence Of another mo
tive and wrote that which had read
at the present time, when stand the verge
Of the autumn Of my life, still the same Oh
iects which surrounded me in the early days Of my
spring, and am 20 happy as sui 70 possess out o
many dear ones, a DeloVeu inOthei an tlster lb'
mountains which surround our dwelling, and upor
which Gustavus Adophus assembled his troops
before he went az deliverer TO Germany, appear y
me not ess beautiful than they were ia the days
my childhood; they have increased in interest, Tor
am nov better acquainted with their grasses an
their flowers"
Frederiks Bremer's works The NeighhOr'
The Home; The II. Family; STRIFE and Peace; III
Presidents Daughter; Nina; The Diary; In Dele
e,rlia. BROTHERS and Sisters; The Midnight Sur
together with smaller tales, aud cOnsiderabl
number of tracts and papers, published at variOu
Time. in ia. Swedisb journals