FREDRIKA BREMER'S SKETCHES OF EVERY-DAY LIFE. MARY Howirr's new publication
of the series of Swedish novels by FREDRIKA BREMER consists of two tales,—" A Diary," translated from sheets forwarded by the authoress to her friend ; and " Strife and Peace." The new work, the 12Yary, does not strike us as the most successful specimen of these fictions : both form and matter have been used before. The advantage, whatever it is, which arises from making one of the actors a narrator of the story, has already been exhibited by this authoress in a more effective if not in a more natural manner ; and, which is of much more consequence, her persons and circumstances are essentially old. A lady, whose gifts of mind and person are neutralized by faults of temper and education—a lover, of middle age, lofty intellect, and high moral chivacter—with a roue milk-and-water villain, whose arts and fascinations exercise a mysterious spell over the lady—are rather favourite personeges with FREDRIKA BREMER. Some variety is produced by means of Selma the heroine ; whose gentle feminine virtues attract the lover, and eventually induce his betrothed to resign him : but a young lady, indulging a passion for an engaged gentleman, is to English tastes rather too much in the Sorrows of Werter style, whatever may be thought of the engaged gentleman half-repenting his precipitancy. There is less, too, of Swedish life and manners than in the previous novels. It is true, this gives the story a more compact brevity ; but to us, these extraneous matters were one of the chief attractions.
In Strife and Peace, FREDRIKA BREMER is on new ground, with a new theme and new characters. As in her other stories, the ro- mance is not very probable, nor of much account, though it has an indigenous air, and is not strained. But as a picture of country life and a development of character, it is a charming work. The finished paintings of scenery, of animal life, and of country man- ners, are pastoral itself, with an air of every-day truth which pas- toral poetry has never attained without descending into rustic coarseness. The character of the heroine is equally distinguished by an old Norland simplicity and strength. Susanna Bjork is a Swedish orphan of a reduced family, left, with a little sister, de- pendent upon relations, who disparage and use her as a household drudge. Of a high spirit, yet a good heart, Susanna is prevented from being ruined in temper, only by love for her little sister Hulda, the one tie that unites her to life. In hopes to raise means to procure a more independent livelihood, Susanna takes the place of maid (or, as we should call it, humble companion and house- keeper) to a Norwegian widow lady oppressed by some mysterious grief. In this family is a steward, a thorough Norwegian; and k9teffe and Peace takes its title from the national contests of the two head servants,—though servitude in Norway is a different thing from what it now is in England. Some point is occasionally pro- duced by these disputes ; but, like all jokes that are long worn, they wear threadbare. Nor is there much of interest in the story, beyond its effects upon developing and improving the character of Susanna, and eventually leading to a denouement we shall not unfold. The events, however, are well enough contrived for the purpose in view ; and the tale consequently produces the effect that always results from the appropriate and fit. The great merit of Strife and Peace can only be perceived on perusal ; but a passage or two may give an idea of the old simplicity of the manner.
A SKETCH OF DAILY LIFE.
When Susanna had attained her twelfth year, her father married a second time ; but became a second time a widower, after his wife had presented him with a daughter. Two months after this, he died also. Near relations took charge of the orphan children. In this new home, Susanna learned to—bear hardships ; for there, as she was strong and tall, and besides that made herself useful and was kindhearted, they made her soon the servant of the whole house. The daughters of the family said that she was fit for nothing else, for she could learn nothing, and had such unrefined manners ; and besides that, she had been taken out of charity ; she had nothing, and so on : all which they made her feel many a time in no gentle manner, and over which Susanna shed many bitter tears both of pain and anger. One mouth, however, there was which never addressed to Susanna other tones than those of affectionate love; and this was the mouth of the little sister, the little golden-haired Hulda. She had found in Susanna's arms her cradle, and in her care that of the ten- derest mother. For from Hulda's birth Susanna had taken the little forlorn one to herself; and Dever had loved a young mother her first-born child more warmly or more deeply than Susanna loved her little Hulda; who also, under her care, became the loveliest and the most amiable child that ever was seen. And wo to those who did any wrong to the little Hulda I—they had to ex- perience the whole force of Susanna's often stronghanded displeasure. For her sake Susanna passed here several years of laborious servitude : as she, how- ever, saw no end to this, yet was scarcely able to dress herself and her sister befittingly, and besides this was prevented by the multitude of her occupations from bestowing upon her sister that care which she required, therefore Susanna, in her twentieth year, looked about her for a better situation.
A PICTURE OP POULTRY.
Before her waddled, with consequential gabblings, a flock of geese, which were all snow-white excepting one, a grey gander. This one tottered with a desponding look a little behind the others; compelled to this by a tyrant among the white flock, which, as soon as the grey one attempted to approach, drove it back with outstretched neck and yelling cries. The grey gander always fled before the white tyrant; but bald places upon the head and neck proved that he had not come into this depressed condition without those severe combats having made evident the fruitlessness of protestation. Not one of the goose madams troubled herself about the ill-used gander; and for that reason Susanna all the more zealously took upon herself, with delicate morsels and kind words, to console him for the injustice of his race. After the geese came the well- meaning but awkward ducks ; the turkey-cock, with his choleric temper and his two foolish wives, one white and the other black ; lastly, came the unquiet generation of hens, with their handsome quarrel-loving cocks. The prettiest of all, however, were a flock of pigeons, Which, confidingly and bashfully at the same time, now alighted down upon Susanna's shoulders and outstretched hand, now flew aloft, and wheeled in glittering circles around her head; then settled down again upon the earth, where they neatly tripped, with their little fringed feet, stealing down to the spring to drink, whilst the geese with great tumult bathed themselves in the water and splashed about, throwing the water in pearly rain over the grass. Here also was the grey gander, to Susanna's great vexation, compelled by the white one to bathe itself at a distance from the others.
Prefixed to the volumes is a sore and scolding preface, touch. ing Mr. Sairm's cheap reprint of some of these cove* from American translations. We thought this interference with MARV Howrrr neither fair nor liberal, when we noted the appearance of the reprints; but we think her case would have been better stated with less violence, as her criticism—that the American translates and mutilates from the German edition' and disfigures his English by Americanisms and vulgarity—would have been more convincing with less of temper. Neither are we prepared to assent to the position assumed throughout the preface, that MARY Howrrr has a right to the whole and sole handling of these Swedish novels. Considering the natural and acquired advantages of Mrs. Howrrr, we think any other attempt at their translation uncalled-for and presumptuous, as well as exhibitive of an illiberal and trading spirit of merce- nary competition to the neglect of moral considerations : but we must dissent from the monopolizing claim of the HOWITTS, as well as from the manner in which it is urged.
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