The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-02-09
The Bride of the Fiord.


primitive habits OF her people, their industry, and
their national enthusiasm, is, indeed remarkable
land As remarkable to-day in her character, as
she was a thousand years ago, when her sea-kings
were upon the coasts of many European lands Civ
ing laws and customs TO the civilized nations, who
now look down upon modern Norway, and forget,
or are ignorant of the past. But if scenery and ma
Lional habits stamp noble pecuarlies upon the
land and ITS people, still more should that people,
| Warm-heariedness make them objects of European
interest. warm-heartedness which, whether it
| displays itself in deep national love OF g Fader-
land In generous hospitality the stranger, in
tie relations of man to man and to society, Of bus
band, wife, and child is, in its intensity and truth
tulness, markedly Illustrative of interrupted
| people. Somewhat of this is conveyed in the true
| story of Olaf and Margaret.
IL was summer on the Fiord, whose waters slept
| without ripple, as their clear surface reflected
| back the shadows of the abrupt rocks, upon whose
SUBMITS grew lofty pines, and within whose clefts
| the wal flower, and the red and yellow cloud ber
| rles, contrasted their gaudy coOrs with, here and
here, lily of the valley rearing its modest head
| through scanty grass and green moss. So narrow
| Vas the inlet for Its waters, that the Fiord might
have seemed closed lake and so surrounded was
| Thy Its lofty and rocky boundaries, that no light
| fell upon its surface, save that which shot down
| Vertically from cloudless sky. Far beyond those
rocks arose mountain piled on mountain, until they
| blended With the heavens; and their tops, capped
| with the unmOlten snow of centuries contrasted
| their slveTy whteness with the black rocks and
| udih uctb WHICH SufTUtlllueu IildI CLASSY
| Above IT, and opposite TO those mountains wound
one OF those PERCEPTIONS roads, which it is i'm
possible for horse or machine to travel, save whom
The Norwegian fills up all chasms, and strong
Ice, from clett to cleft, makes winter bridges, over
which the sledge is then drawn, with a security
marvellous TO such could have seen its irregular
summer surface and gaping chas1ls, down whose
sides nought the fox, the squirrel, the hare,
| could be expected to find footing Yet, at the
upper end, through an opening between two rocks,
the waters passed out into wider space and OH
ward, until miles above that Ford arose a little
village, of some dozen farm houses, and plain
white church. Here, on that Fiord, the village
found its fishing, and its inhabitants We're sustained
principally from It's waters, together with such
game as the Fjede, beyond its rocky boundaries,
afforded.
1t was yet morn, and no boat was out nothing
disturbed the perfect stiffness of the hour, except
the screech of some alarmed sea-bird as the fox
the wolf neared its dwelling. One human being
only was visible in its neighborhood; and she, with
light and agile foot, yet with cautious steps, wound
her way along that boundary road-now up amid
the topmost pines, now down the side of some de-
clvlous rock, now along the moss-bank at its foot,
and then up again; now in sight, and now obscur-
ed from view by some projecting prominence. Her
figure was light and graceful, and her dress pictur
esque in the extreme Upon her head she wore a
cap OF blue and scarlet CLOTH fastened in npon her
temples with golden band. A dress of reindeer
skin, closed in at the waist by worsted SASH fell
to her knees, and beneath it her limbs were clad in
lighter skin, which fitted her close as stockings,
and surrounded the feet as shoes while her neck
was covered with red wrapper, fastened in a neat
tie beneath her chin. Her dress alone bespoke her
not OF Norwegian blood; and the remarkable char
acter OF her exquisitelydelicate shape, her dark
brown eyes, sloping somewhat to the temples her
black hair and salloW skin, stamped her one of the
Lapand race. She was of that outcast blood Her
tribe was sure to be near at hand-ther tents cast
in some neighboring Fjelde, where were grazing
frDnn pf &c H.
seemed known to her. she must have trod it often
before. Does she seek flower or fruit! No; she
looks to neither. Journeys she to the village! No.
tor now she stops, and seating herself upon the |
bank, close to the waters edge, she seems to await
IN silence the object of her mission. From her bo-
som she has pulled forth pair of fur mittens looked
at them with pleased earnestness; then glanced |
hastily along the waters in the direction of the cleft
leading to the village, and with listening but dis
appointed expression of face, she has replaced them
IN her dress again. There, until the MONDAY sun |
lay reflected on those waters, she sat, statue-like
and motionless except that at intervals her head in
cIned in listening attitude, as though she watched
for some oar upon the water At length look of |
pleasure beamed over her dark features, and her |
head and ears became fixedly attentive to some |
coming sound. 1t was boat, approaching the vii |
lage; its oars splashed steadily but gently in the
water, worked by females hands, who sat alone |
within it. Again the Lapander's countenance re-
laPsed INTO Its passive sadness, and expressed disap
IlESC InOlIOn, as tflOtlgh she
would retire, and then hesatngly resumed her
seat Presently the boat neared her, and she had |
closer view OF Its inmate. A sweet-looking girl
upon whose regular features twenty summers had
told their time, and ripened into glorious woman
hood thing of angel beauty, her soft blue ewes.
from the midst of light laxen hair, that cured nat.
urally over her temples, looked laughingly upon
every thing; and her well developed frame, full.
yet graceful with every move ofthe oars was mould
ed INTO fresh outlines of loveliness. glance at
tall hot h., L.a-
the music OF peace it breathed was on her coun-
tenance. 1t was Margaret, the betrothed of Olaf,
and she was out In her light skiff upon the waters
to meet him, to whom her heart was pledged She
looked not for the Laplander-the Laplander looked
not for her-but their ewes met and Margarets boat
was speedily at the bank, where that young Lap
lander sat mnsing. And Margaret addressed her
io' are your tribe near the Fiord Have you
any furs TO se9"
y" None TO sell, ]" was the calm reply, distinctly
spoken in passabe Morse
Then what do you at the Ford, and alone, I'M
less you came to sell or buy! IF on your way to
the village, will row you there in my boat''
The Laplander looked up, and the tears were in
her eyes In Norway there is superstition against
sitting with Laplander, whose outcast tribe are
at once despsed as Inferior and dreaded as super
natural. The Laplander knew and felt all this
and the unexpected and kindly offer touched upon
her heart. She expressed her thankfulness, and
shook her head, as she looked up into the sunny
face OF her who, standing in her boat looked down
upon that poor Fin " (a) with an expression of
touching, but warm sadness, as though she grieved
Tor the outcast fate of her race.
." have nothing to SELL" said the " Fin,'' and
want to buy nothing" Then, after pause
! l have not been here for two years my tribe has
P Te up far nerth, and now, when their way to
Drohtheim, l ventured to this Fiord with these
gioves' SAID she, drawing them from her bosom,
which have made for one to whom owe the
rescue OF my life, even from this wafer two wears
ago." '0'' '0N'0
Pleasure again lit up the young Norwecian's
countenance, as she exclaimed
On, know IT. know it all you are the young
noble Olaf plunged into the waters for, and saved"
Warmly and passionatey the young Fin exclam.
ed, {" am, | am;' and her dark ewes lit up. and
the flush of gratitude came in warm red blood upon