The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-02-10
The Bride of the Fiord.
c III A PIT r X IL

Saturdays first feast is over, (e) and the Sabbath
morn has been opened with its glorious light, and
the waters are calm, the trees green and the boats
all assembled that TO carry that bridal party
10 the parish church. And the waters are smooth,
as Is to be the life of that young bride and bride
| groom. Now the strike into the water and
the three boats are off from the bank. The first
carries Margaret and her female friends and rela-
tives, and they dressed in gay attire, and Mar
garet is all in white, and upon her head she wears
gilt crown-NorWegian emblem ola virgin bride.
Her eyes are laughing, and gay eyes are answer
ing their meaning looks. A, the head of that first
boat sit two youths with pan pipes. playing their
sweetest music all arms have laid down their oars
| TO listen to that music, slight sail has been
| furled 10 catch the fayoring breeze and all are
| happy there-happy as though life had ills in the
| future.
Within the second boat sits Olaf; he handles no
| oar now, and around him sit his friends and rea-
| tives, and some of them carry fddles, and some
| carry the rifle, Wherewith the Norway peasant is
found to be expert in killing wolves and cock and
the third boat carries more friends and one ofthem
| has drum and around them are piled the wedding
| presents of numerous friends, making store Of
winter food and cothing-the kegs of spiced meat
| pnddings, the dried fish, the frozen venison, the
cock of the north, the ptarmigan and the hare the
| cloaks and shawls of fur, the CLOTH woven in do
nestle looms, and the various articles of furniture
and nearly all the gifts of those loving Olaf and
| NiargareI-the food from the hands of fair kins-
| women-the clothes and furniture wrought by the
| skill of brother-peasants and brother boatmen.
| How beautifully illustrative Of the generous and
simple habits of this natural people! And as the
boats moved onward for the Church, now the pan
| deanppe pours out its music, and woman's voice
goes with it, and then the drum peals out its louder
Joy, and presently the music ceases, and the rifles
are discharged along the water, and the distant
echoes reiterate their discharge, ain and again.
And these rough men, with their large slouched
hats and frightened jenkins, and long knives, stuck
In at their waists, and reaching down to their long
water-boots, all joyous, too, and they sing in
loud and spirited chorus their national anthem of
" For Norge and then, as its chorus dies upon
the waters, the rifles are again discharged Then
some old Norseman, whose age precludes his sing
ing, but who is venerable in his knowledge of the
historic records of his country; who vending back
INTO primitive times can recount the Saga, u which
he now recites with the energy of younger days
the Saga of many noble "sea king" who carried
war and conquest down into England, and off far
South-who gave Norway laws, and made her
name ring, thing of terror upon Southern ears
How lntently thai national people regard his historic
tales and thank their aged historian when he ends
And then thz sa-k2 Of corn whisky, and the fiery
potato-spirii and the hrch-tree wine, are handed
round, cad the toast Of =" Ganlf Norge ''(g) is drunk
with rHihosasu becoming the sons of that
mountain, snUW-' IA. and. Oh it happy scene
and when a pause comes IL itelr Joyous music, the
tlnkling of bells can be heard upon those waters
from the village church, where the clergyman
awaits their coming.
Nearer and nearer they make for that village;
and already Margaret's boat, lightest made and
ghtest filled, strikes ahead of the others, and bids
fair to win in this bridal race to reach the church.
And now the rough Jest is thrown by his male
companions to Olaf
His bride and her bright crown are fleeing
from him.
His lazy boat had best pull hard, or she will
be to church and wed to his rival before he can
reach her.
And Olaf looks serious, not because his honest
nature disrelishes the joke, but his seaman s know
ledge has looked ahead, and dark clouds rolling
down from behind that pinewood forest, and the
gathering shadows portend that, ere the evening
closes, the storm demon may screech over those
calm waters. He shouts to Marcaret's beat to have
her sail lowered, and to work with their oars. But
that boat is too far ahead to hear else the laugh
ter and the music aboard of it browns Olaf's voice.
which blends and dies away with the surrounding
echoes. His comrades have lowered their sails
and pull their oars Justify TO gain upon the maidens
boat, and still the jest goes round but Olaf does
not heed it: his whole attention Sc MS fastened
upon that cloud, and that treasure freghted boat
which still skins those waters like spirit of living
beauty. 1t may be but the fears of an anxious
bridegroom; but Olaf has lived upon these waters,
aud tossed upon them in many storm, and from
liis boyhood has been schooed to see it coming to
prepare for ii, and to fight it and his friends grow
serious as they mark the anxiety depicted upon his
face. wild anxety-and now, without a word
from the foremost rover, he has seized the oars,
and pulls with an energy and force that he alone is
capable Of
cay, there goes OIaf-nonc other than he could
do that cries many voice.
He shouts again, and vainly shouts, while the
crimson blood dstends his features and the veins
are swollen like cords in his snewv arms as with
renewed efforts, he seeks to reach that fa,ed boat
A few heavy drops patter upon the water;
low, murmurlng sound, now swelling louder, gains
upon the ear. Olaf has cast down his oars he
lao frnt,, tr,,, h.. IaoI &C a. i
strength seems gathered into one wild shout-a
shout of fearful energy. That shout is heard
Margaret has heard it, and turns to look upon him.
The saorboys fly to furl the sail hut, oh it is
all too late. Olaf has looked his last on Margaret
He caught the last glance of her sunny eyes, From
that opening in the side-rocks from the mouth
OF IL cannon, the storm cloud has burst upon the
waters, and burst at the moment the hoat was be-
meath its power; the storm had fastened upon its
sail, and with the rapidly of lightning flash the
boat was cast upon its side, and with its inmates
went down foreve from the surface of that Fiord
One short cry-a feeble and startled cry-irom |
that sinking boat, and then the heavy splash and |
the waters were for moment troubled, then rippled |
in circlng eddies around the grave of the Bride of
the Fiord
1t went down full of life and beauty full Of JOY
and hope-hope that was pressing into future
times, and carrying happy years. And this is life
Alas! the uncertain life-the dreamy thing of
blasted wishes and drowned hopes, to which we
all so fondly cling
Olaf made no plunge into the water to seek for
Margaret the power to do so had passed away
with that moment of intense mental agony. Il |
was too much for his simple nature ; he had lost
the object of his life, and with the loss reason had
fled for ever
As that boat went down, his companions raised
the short, quick cry of men who are Mortified. A
moments cry-a shout of terror. Is it echo =
that shrlil, and rapid but prolonged scream-that
comes from yonder rock 4, The boamen look at
Oiat and at each other, and speak not as they !
iisten Poor Olaf, he hears it not. or heeds it not;
that fatuous and vacant stare of his it hath no in
ie,iiigence, no CONSCIOUSNESS. And now their eyes
followed in the direction of that unearthlv scream
ing, and there, her head uncovered, her long black
hair and wild skin dress floating like banners in
the wind. wringing her hands with passionate |
motion, stands "Una.'' And the bsatmen are
seized with a sudden awe, and marvel" 1t is all |
her DOING And some will have it she is the |