PUBLISHERS' NOTICE. THE present volume is the first of a series of translations, prepared in this city, of the works of FREDERIKA BREMER. The favor that "The Neighbours," in Miss Howitt's translation, has received in this country, has induced us to suppose that the other novels by the same authoress would be acceptable; and we shall publish in rapid succession, all which have appeared. We shall issue next, "THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTERS; A Tale of a Governess.” THE PUBLISHERS. THE H. FAMILY. ARRIVAL. TEA. PORTRAITS. "Are you married?" "Have you children?" "Ah; how many?" Four, "-and a deep sigh followed this answer. “Four!--well, then you have mouths enough to feed. Ha, ha! now you think you have found something contraband.Cheese, my dear sir, cheese, you see. Yes, indeed, it makes your mouth water. I will lay a wager that you would prefer to taste it, rather than to bite into the moon. Now, do not you see that is only a butter-keg, etc. etc. ABOUT the end of February, in the year 1829, I found myself at the barrier one evening, awaiting the compulsory visit of the Custom House Officer, who was to admit me into the Swedish capital. It was amid a violent drifting of snow, and in a small open sleigh, that I sat there, frozen, tired and sleepy; no very enviable situation, as my fair and gentle readers will allow. My poor steed, who had a cold, coughed and sneezed. The servant who drove my sleigh, beat his arms across his body to warm himself; the storm howled, and the snow drifted about us. I closed my eyes and waited, as I have often done in snow After the inspector had convinced himself storms within as well as out of the house; that a goodly variety of cheeses, loaves of and this I have always found the best way bread, and ginger-cakes, made up the prinif one cannot escape such evils. At last I cipal part of the lading of the sleigh, he reheard the sound of slow steps on the crack-placed every thing in the neatest order, gave ling snow. The officer approached with his lantern. He had a red nose, and appeared unhappy. I held a gold piece in my hand, and was desirous of transferring it, unperceived, into his, that I might secure for myself a quiet, and an undisturbed ride. He drew his hand back; "It is not necessary," said he, dryly, but politely; "I will not give you much inconvenience," continued he, while he began to examine my carpet bag, and look over my packages. I found myself compelled, not without vexation, to alight. Out of humor, and with some malicious pleasure, I put my money back into my reticule, and thought, "Well, well, he is too proud to take any thing for his trouble." My talkative driver, however, entered into some conversation with him. "It is rough, frightful weather, this evening, dear sir. "Yes." "Yes, yes." me his hand to assist me into it, and carefully tucked the furs about me. My illhumor had vanished long ago. Is it, thought I, the fault of the poor inspector, that he is the plague and torment of travellers? this one, certainly, has performed his duty in the most civil manner. And while he went on to restore every thing to its place, carefully and conscientiously, various considerations rose in my mind, which disposed me to still more kindness. The red, frozen nose, the depressed expression of countenance, the stiff fingers, the poor children, the snow storm, the dark, dismal evening, all these passed before me like the shadows in a Camera Obscura, and my heart was quite softened by them. I felt again after the piece of money. I thought of some gingerbread and a cheese for the four childrens' supper; but while I was feeling, and while I was thinking, the man opened the bar, took off his hat politely, and I passed quickly through the gateway. I would have cried out "halt, "--but I did not! With an oppressed heart and uncomfortable feelings, as if I had lost something valuable on the way, I proceeded through the city, and saw in the white snow flakes before me, as in a transparency, the frozen, red nose and sad face, on which I might so easily, at least for a moment, have called up a cheerful look. How many occasions, of doing good in greater or less measure, are passed by from irresolution. While we are saying to ourselves, "shall I, or shall I not?" the moment flies away, and the blossom of joy which we might have given to it is withered, and often cannot be revived by any tears of repentance. Thus I sadly reflected, while my sleigh moved slowly over the deep, sandy snow, often sunk through to the stones, and was with difficulty drawn out again. The storm had extinguished the lamps in the lanterns, and the streets were hardly lighted at all, except by the rays from the shops. Here I saw a gentleman who was about losing his cloak; and as he was drawing it more closely around him, the wind took off his hat. There was a lady, who, while with one hand she held the brim of her bonnet and with the other secured her cloak, ran blindly, but violently, against a fruit stall; the sharp nosed mistress of which, besought her, in a rude tone, to keep a better look out. Here yelled a dog; there swore a fellow who had run his cart against that of another; while a little boy ran whistling gaily through the snow-flakes and other hindrances which did not at all disturb his quiet boyish spirit. Often a covered sleigh, with its lighted lamps, like comets, drove by and pushed aside men and beasts. This was all I saw or heard of this great and splendid capital that evening. To enliven myself, I began to think of the amiable family in whose bosom 1 should soon find myself; on the pleasant occasion which led me there, and on still other gay, bright and soul warming ideas, which pressed upon my memory. At last my sleigh stopped. My driver cried, "Now we are here," and I said to myself with delight, "Now I am here, too. I soon heard around me many voices crying, "good day! good day, good evening, welcome, welcome. I, my bread, cheese, ginger-bread, we were all heartily welcome, and were conducted into a pleasant, warm room. Half an hour later I was sitting in a handsome, well-lighted parlor, where Colonel H. and his family were assembled. The tea hour had arrived, and from the hissing kettle arose the cloudy steam hovering over the well filled baskets of cakes, biscuits and cracknels which covered the capacious tea table. Telemachus, when he issued from Tartarus into the Elysian fields, could not have felt greater pleasure than I, who from my snow-storm journey had run into the friendly haven of this tea table. وو The pleasant, graceful persons who were moving about me, the agreeable room, the lights which, at times, add not a little to the brightness of the spirit, the warming draught which I was enjoying, every thing was animating, exhilarating. Every thing was-ah will you believe it, reader, that the frozen nose there at the gate placed itself in the midst of my pleasure, on the edge of my tea cup, and embittered the nectar it contained. It did indeed: and I believe I should have felt less shocked if I had seen my own "double." To restore my quiet I said to myself that the next morning I would repair my inadvertence, and, content with this resolution for the morrow, I sat now, according to my custom, silently in the corner of the room, while I knit upon my stocking; now and then sipped from my cup, which stood near me on a little table; and unobserved, but attentively watched the family picture before me. Col. H. sat in the corner of a sofa and played Patience. The Blockade of Copenhagen I believe. He was a tall, strongly-built, but thin man, and had the appearance of ill health. The expression of his face was noble, and from his deeply sunken eyes there beamed a penetrating but quiet glance, which had an almost divine expression, particularly when it was turned upon his children. He spoke seldom, he never made speeches, but his words, uttered slowly, and with a gentle energy, had usually the effect of oracles. Earnestness and mildness reigned in his whole character. He held himself almost singularly upright, and I always thought that this proceeded less from his early military habits, than from the unbending honesty, the strength and integrity which formed the principal features in his character, and which were mirrored in his exterior. He did not join in the conversation, which this evening was carried on with much animation among his children; but sometimes he dropped a dry witty observation, which was accompanied by a look that was so mischievously comical, and yet so filled with kindness towards those to whom it referred, that they received perplexity and pleasure from it at the same time. His wife, "the gracious lady," (as I still from old custom must call her) sat in another corner of the sofa, making bobbin, but without bestowing much attention on her work. She seemed not to have been handsome, even in her youthful days, but she had about her, particularly when she spoke, something good, interesting and animated, which one looked at with pleasure. Something tender and restless appeared in her face, particularly in her eyes. One read there that she bore ever at her heart the long, eternal forethought of ideas and cares, which for a wife and mother, and housewife begins with her husband and children, runs through all the affairs to the smallest branch of the household, and has no end, like the atoms of dust which are blown away but are ever falling again. The tender and restless glance of the gracious lady was this evening very often also the opinion of Mr. But of this I pity the painter who should receive the difficult order to paint a portrait of Julia; for she is a perpetuum mobile in more than one respect. Sometimes she plays her brother, who never leaves a debt of this kind unpaid, some roguish trick, sometimes she employs herself in one of a different kind upon her sisters. Sometimes she snuffs the candles and puts them out, that she may have the pleasure of lighting them again; she puts the ribbon of her mother's cap into order or disorder, and now and then she glides behind the Colonel, throws her arms about his neck and kisses his forehead. His cry of "Let me alone girl," frightens her off, perhaps to return again soon. Emily did not seem to observe the expression of her mother's countenance. She was serving tea, very quietly, with her fair white hands; while with an assumed gravity of face she tried to put an end to the nonsense of her brother Charles, who was attempting to throw that confusion, which he protested prevailed in the heart of his dear sister, into the affairs of the tea table. She was of middle size, but well grown. Blond, fair, but without regular beauty in her features, her pleasing face was particu- A charming little head, about which rich larly attractive from the expression of puri-locks of blond hair formed a crown-blue ty, goodness and frankness which rested on lively eyes, dark lashes and eyelids—a well it. She appeared to have inherited her formed nose and a little, delicate ear-a father's quiet character, joined with greater somewhat larger but handsome mouth-a cheerfulness, for in spite of her assumed small, neat figure-little hands, and feet dignity she often laughed; and that so that would rather dance than walk-see, heartily that all the rest kept her company. there you have Julia in her eighteenth Laughing is becoming to very few peo- year. ple, and we see many persons who, during Brother Charles-ah your pardon-Corthis expression of pleasure, put their hand-net Charles was three ells long, well grown, kerchiefs up to their faces to hide the ugli- and light in his motions, thanks to nature, ness which is produced by the contractions the gymnasium and Julia. He had several about the eyes, and the stretching of the ideas of his own which were fixed as the mouth. Emily, even if she had been ap-hills, among them these three were his faprised of this measure, would have scorned to make use of it. Her character, even in the most unimportant things was too simple and frank, to allow her to make use of a single attractive manœuvre. She had, however, in this case no reason to do so, for her laugh was particularly charming; both because it was so simple and hearty, and because it displayed the most beautiful white teeth which ever ornamented a small and lovely mouth. She, however, thought nothing about the matter. vorites: first, the Swedish was altogether the first and most excellent nation in Europe. This no one in the family contradicted. Second, he should never fall in love, because he was twenty years old, and had never felt his heart beat, while so many of his more fortunate companions, had gone mad with love.. "That will come in time!" said the Colonel. Julia said he would be over head and ears in love yet. Emily sighed, and prayed God he might be saved from it. Thirdly, the Cornet thought he If I had been a man, I should have was so ugly that he frightened the horses. thought the first moment I saw Emily, Julia said this quality might be useful to "There is my wife. (N. B. if she is wil-him in an attack on the enemy's cavalry; ling.)" Yet Emily was not in every thing what she appeared; or rather she possessed a good many of those inconsistencies which mingle with and are joined to the most noble specimens of human nature, as there will always be some knots in the very finest and most carefully labored textures. Moreover Emily was no longer in the earliest years of youth, and you, my fair reader of sixteen, will perhaps find her very-very old. "How old was she then ?" you ask. She had passed her six-andtwentieth year. "Ah! that was very horrible, she is really an old person." Not so horrible, not so old my Rosebud. She was only a rose in her full bloom. This was but she, as well as her sisters and many others, considered the open, honest, manly expression of the face of their brother, as a full compensation for a want of beauty of features. They often repeated to him with a litle secret pleasure, how uncommonly ugly and intolerable Mr. P. was with his beautiful Apollo head without life or expression. Cornet Charles loved his sisters tenderly, and did them every service in his power, particularly in the way of exercising their patience. Near their father sat the youngest daughter, the seventeen-year-old Helen. The first look disposed one to pity her, the next gave rise to a wish for her happiness. She was plain and deformed; but understand |