The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-01-13
Tse Bride "a tbs riOrd.
CHAPTER 1.

Old Norway, crowned in snow, and en-
braced in oceans waters, begin with rock
and mountain, with her forests Of pine and
her living lakes-the primitive habits OF her
people, their industry, and their national en-
Ihusiasm, is, indeed a remarkable land. As
remarkable to-day in her character, as she
was thousand years ago, when her sea
kings were upon the coasts of many Euro
pean lands, giving laws and customs to the
civilised nations, who now look down upon
modern Norway, and forget, or are igno-
rant, Of the past. But if scenery or national
habits stamp noble peculiarities upon the
land and its people, still more should that
peoples wsrm-heartedness make them OBJ
jects Of European interest. A warm-hear-
edness which, whether il displays itself in
deep national love of "Fader-land," ia
generous hospitality to the stranger. or in
the relations Of man to man and 10 society,
of husband, wife, and child, Is in its in
tensity and truthfulness markedly illustra-
tive Of an unconupted people. Somewhat
Of this is conveyed in the true story OF Olaf
snd Margaret.
IL was summer on the Fiord, whose wa
ters slept without a ripple, as the clear sur
face reflected back the shadows Of the abrupt
rocks, upon whose SUBMITS grew lofty pines,
and within whose clefts the wall-fower, and
the red and yellow cloud-berries, contrasted
their gaudy colors, with, here and there, a
lily Of the valley, rearing its modest head
through scsnty grass and green moss. So
narrow was the inlet for its waters, that the
Fiord might have seemed closed lake; and
50 surrounded was it by its lofty and rocky
boundaries, that no light fell upon its sur
face, save that which shot down vertically
from a cloudless sky. Far beyond those
arose mountain piled on mountain, until
they blended with the heavens; and their
tops, capped with the unmolten snow Of
centuries, contrasted their slvery white
ness with the black rocks and dark trees
which surrounded that CLASSY Fiord. Above
it, and opposite to those mountains, wound
one Of those precipilous roads over which
it is impossible for horse or machine to
travel, save when the Norwegian snow fills
up all chasms, and strong ice, from cleft to
cleft, makes winter bridges over which the
sledge is then drawn, with security mar
vellous to such as could have seen its r.
regular summer surface and gaping chasms,
down whose sides nought save the fox, the
squirrel, or the hare, could be expected to
find footing. Yet at the lower end, through
an opening between two rocks, the waters
passed out into a wider space, and onward,
until miles below that Fiord arose little
village, of some dozen farm houses and a
plain white church. Here, on that Fiord,
the village found its fishing, and its inhabi-
tants were sustained principally from its
waters, together with such game as the
Fjelde beyond its rocky boundaries az
forded.
Ii was yet morn, and no boat was out;
nothing disturbed the perfect stiffness OF the
hour, except the scTeech of some alarmed
sea-bird, as the fox OF the wolf neared its
dwelling. One human being only was visi-
bic in its neighborhood; and she, with a light
and agile foot, yet with cautious steps, wound
her away along that boundary road-now
up amid the topmoss pines, now down the
side Of some declivitous rock, now along
the moss bank at its foot, and up again;
now in tight and now obscured from view
by some projecting eminence. Her figure
was light and graceful, and her dress pic
turesque in the extreme. Upon her head
she wore cap of blue and scarlet cloth;
fastened in upon her temples with golden
band. A dress of reindeer skin, closed in
at the waist by > worsted sash, fell to her