, 1875-04-04

ana their Qfat attempts az literature we're formed
after French models. Not till tho tirno Of Teg-
NOR and Geyer did THAR writer's begin to haTe =
character peculiar to themselves. They asserted
their Independence OF French and German
models and found in the remnants Of their
ancient Gothic mater:M enough to fire their
gonius. Tegner STANDS At the head Of this new
and national school.
kozwn., in lta literature az in it's geography,
shows E marked difference from Denmark aod
Sweden. It is the real Scandinayia-ft coun-
try for ntrong, robust post to be born in
Or to i've in 1t is one long chain Of mountains.
some OF them covered With thick forests and
crowned with everlasting snow. At every step
the tra7eler meets with narrow valleys, abrupt
/ precipices, and gigantic cataracta. The valleys
are separated from one another BY iupassah"
barriers. End men live divided from their fAs'o]a
By the haad 0! Nature. One may travel whole
days without meeting = human hab;:zsion.
There ia nothing to compare its lines OF auos-
covered mountains with, save the ocean OF the
sky. Yet Norway has beautiful as well as sub
Inns scenery. Lakes smile away down between
it, mighty hitls. Villages dot it's valleys. IL
sa1lneis arc marvelou3ly delightful
Such is the country OF Btoernstiezna Boezn-
seu,%
NoEvAys T1nsT GREAT POET AND NOVELIST,
He "As born in 1882 10 one Of the mcst isolated
portions OF Dovro6eld. His father WAS the pas
tor OF small village called Orikno, in the yory
heart OF Norway. Nature WAS his drst teacl,er.
He grew up among scenes OF Alpine sublim1ty-
The immense wallis OF gray rock, the fr,gas-
tho poetic sentiment. The l4stle church OF
which his father was PASTOR left an IMPRESSION
on his young mind which Tas never enaced. It
was, AZ SEIZURE remarks, the only visible sign of
the ideal world he bora within. The religion OF
suffering God seems peculiarly app1oprlate to
country ike Norway, where man ls called to \
Hfa ct hardship aud Of neveE-eadjug struggle.
In his earliest years our poet Was left to himself
without companionahip- The Eible, the popular
stories Of the country, and . few sagas, we're h;s
Scandinavian winter. He tela us, however,
that th4 winter WIZ his f&yorlta
season, md he recalls With xest
how he used to el;de do6n the
fathcr WAS afterwards Transferred to RomsdaI,
and here Bioernssierne Want to school, but, like
great many orhera who aftervarda became re-
msrkable by no means distinguished himself in
his studies. He was, even as child, q dreamer
and 3 root; but h9 dreaming waz supposed BY
z1l around him to bo stupidity, and they conse-
quently made him the butt 0! their r1dicuie.
Tia anect@of lhis on the embryo poet waa not
lost It soured and iEritated him; aud the
tauuts Of his echool-fellows account for the oo-
his productions.
WHILE STUDYING At ouR1sr1ASrA,
BioernBea made t"o vislts to the theatre OF tho
place. No sooner had he aeco performance
InAl MS 1uLuIe career FI8 Qate1Qtln6Qt ana he
wrote his first play before he had 80 much rs
read d.ams Of any kind. His play Was accept
ed. The moro he went to the theatre, the more
he Saw the lmperfeclions OF his drat attempt.
and no wished to withdraw it. He felt his poverS
bat was unable to rekch his iaoal. THIS did 20,
prevent his ctitclsing the productions Of othersc
and he began to lay down the 1aw Of drauaati,
art to authors, actors, and tho public,
- proceeding which neither authors
nor actors relisned- He had to
VAS rallied, hated. and slandared By the. literary
ciqres Of Christiania> and finally excluded from
society altogether Shaking the dust Of Norway
from his feet because It would not receive him
as literary prophet, ho turned his face towards |
Denmark, and repaired to Copenhagen. In the |
short tlms after his arrival there published hia
I. Norwegian Storics," which soon gave him a !
reputation throughout all the North Later be be- |
came director ofthe theatre at Bergen, established
no Eroto his grea. drama "slgurd." HIS coun- |
trymcn at lss-, with few exceptions, haied him |
10 their greaE literary representative. Wo have !
LOW all Of Bioernsen's life not contained in his
works. He has distinguished bimse!f az lyric |
poet, as drauatist, and as novelist.
Ills LYRIC POETRY.
Hla first efforts were tho songs which are |
found interarersod a1nong his plays. Theao
arr vary simple, but attractive and full of ex-
4uisite melody. It were impossible to give any |
AEA VI tue14 III. d pEUH6 hE2u6tAlOU. IL nr8f I
have contributed not little to RoernBen's popu-
|arity that he ID thoroughly Norwegian, aud that |
he has chosen the subject OF theBo songs from |
Eha old Pagan stories Of bis country.
STORIES.
Among his rustic stories the.e is one e1treme1y
singular. Thrond was the soa Of very poor pa-
.ents. who lived in = dale lost on high table
and. For miles around not house wna near
Up to his tenth year the childs parents wers his
only acquaintanees- one night eypa1 asksd
Tas received; but. taken with ths fe-
act Of his death WIS concealed from
he child, and the gypsy's fiddle was given to
u i'm ~ present. Fig father taught him how
q Play it, and it excited q wonderful influence |
N the child. He imagined it Tiled with whole
sorld. According as he learned to draw music
rom 1t he gava each roto nane, md thought
'e discovered in it his fathers and his mother'x
,oice, - we'll aa that Of the departed gypsy.
aayed, a. it il expressed, the woods, tho
alries, all that he s2w or knew. One d1Y
urlosaty led him to the nearest village, which
10 had never, seen before. There WAS .
sedding to be celebrated. and he offered his
oEviccs ~ musician. Thoy we're accepted,
nd he marched st tho head Of tho party, thn,k-
ng that bride and bridegroom, tho young and
he old the birds, the woods, tho heavena, the
IN, sang accompaniment to the vibrating chords
4 h'a instrument, II not audibl7, at laaat WITH
|
las not aware OF tho ground under: hie feet"
he sight Of the village, Of tho many houses
ad windows, the say dresses Of tho crowd, tho
htqch and Tho ringing bells, vas too much
rembled over the cords, and be bepn IN
renzied manuor to pha7 an air which he Id not
no" himself His eye grew troubled, and \
traoge hallucination took possession IT him.
'ho gypsy WIS seated On the top Of tn. bslfry
locking him. at seemed to him that tue
iolin would go up to tho gypsy If he COLT not
occeed in brin: him down from tho beif:y. Tho
,clinel towards him with the gypgy stlIl on Il,
ae houses danced about, tho to:rc:lts ascended
P the rocsa- Then his mother rushed
at OF the crowd: In the name Of Heaven, :
ha: are you playing, Thrond7' He looked At i
er, gavs way, and then it seemed to him "a il =
q fell down into hottomiess gray sbyss."
7hsn he camo to himsoif again, ha ran aczoss =
10 fields, and did not stop until far from tha
lla2e. Hin 6De impulse r7s to hEaak the q