Viktor Rydberg - "De vandrande djaeknarne"

Lewis Hodus - "Buddhism and Buddhists in China"

Walter Lippmann - "A Preface to Politics"

Henry Mann - "The Land We Live In"

Annual Bibliography of Commonwealth Literature 2007
This paper argues that discourses of love in Ghanaian market literature for youth offer a view into complex negotiations of agency and empowerment. Drawing on Deborah Durham's notion of youth as "social `shifters'" and Francis Nyamnjoh's conception of the "interconnectedness" of agency, I take Ghanaian market literature as one specific case of how African literature for youth foregrounds questions of continuity and change as African societies enter into increasingly complex global relations. In this literature for youth, received notions of love, often constructed out of impressions from American pop and hip hop music, carry new notions of agency that compete with existing "domesticated" forms. Authors like Ike Tandoh and Evelyn Tay employ discourses of love to offer youth alternative avenues for empowerment in a context of socio-economic disenfranchizement. In a creative process of "straddling", this writing both reveals and reproduces the contradictions that obtain in youth configurations of agency.

The Home

F >> Fredrika Bremer >> The Home




But he was not long permitted to sit in peace by her side, for very soon
the seat on the other side of her was occupied by a person whom we will
call "the Landed-proprietor," from the circumstance of his most eminent
distinction being the possession of an estate in the neighbourhood of
the town.

The Landed-proprietor appeared to the Candidate--we will for the future
adhere to this our old appellation, for, in a certain sense, in this
world, all men are Candidates--quite disposed to make a quarrel about
the place he was inclined to take.

Beside his large estate, the Landed-proprietor was possessed of a large
portly body, round cheeks, plump from excess of health, a pair of large
grey eyes remarkable for their unmeaning expression, a little ruddy
mouth, which, preferred eating rather than speaking, which laughed
without meaning, and which now directed to Cousin Louise--he considered
himself related to her father--sundry speeches which we will string
together in our next chapter.




CHAPTER IV.

STRANGE QUESTIONS.


"Cousin Louise, are you fond of fish? for example, bream?" asked the
Landed-proprietor one evening as he seated himself beside Louise, who
was industriously working a landscape in her embroidery-frame.

"Oh, yes! bream is good fish," replied she, very phlegmatically, and
without looking up from her work.

"Oh, with red-wine sauce," said the Landed-proprietor, "delicate! I
have magnificent fishing on my estate at Oestanvik. Big fellows of
bream! I catch them myself."

"Who is that great fish there?" asked Jacobi from Henrik, with an
impatient sneer, "and what matters it to him whether your sister Louise
likes bream or not?"

"Because in that case she might like him, _mon cher_," replied Henrik;
"a most respectable and substantial fellow is my Cousin Thure of
Oestanvik. I advise you to cultivate his acquaintance. Well, now,
Gabriele dear, what wants your highness?--Yes, what is it?--I shall lose
my head about the riddle.--Mamma dear, come and help your stupid son!"

"No, no, mamma knows it already! Mamma must not tell," exclaimed
Gabriele, terrified.

"What king do you set up above all other kings, Master Jacobi?" for the
second time asked Petrea, who this evening had a sort of question mania.

"Charles the Thirteenth," replied he, and listened to Louise's answer to
the Landed-proprietor.

"Cousin Louise, are you fond of birds?" asked the Landed-proprietor.

"Oh, yes, particularly of fieldfares," answered Louise.

"Nay, that's capital!" said the Landed-proprietor. "There are
innumerable fieldfares on my estate of Oestanvik. I often go out myself
with my gun and shoot them for my dinner; piff-paff! with two shots I
have killed a whole dishful!"

"Don't you imagine, Master Jacobi, that the people before the Flood were
much wickeder than those of our time?" asked Petrea, who wished to
occupy the Candidate, nothing deterred by his evident abstraction, and
whom nobody had asked if she liked fieldfares.

"Oh, much--much better," answered Jacobi.

"Cousin Louise, are you fond of roast hare?" asked the
Landed-proprietor.

"Master Jacobi, are you fond of roast hare?" whispered Petrea,
waggishly, to the Candidate.

"Bravo, Petrea!" whispered her brother to her.

"Cousin Louise, are you fond of cold meat?" asked the Landed-proprietor,
as he handed Louise to the supper-table.

"Should you like to be a landed-proprietor?" whispered Henrik to her as
she left it.

Louise answered exactly as a cathedral would have answered--looked very
solemn, and was silent.

Petrea, like something let quite loose, after supper would not let
anybody remain quiet who by any possibility could be made to answer her.
"Is reason sufficient for mankind?" asked she. "What is the foundation
of morals? What is the proper meaning of revelation? Why is the nation
always so badly off? Why must there be rich and poor?" etc., etc.

"Dear Petrea," said Louise, "what can be the use of asking such
questions?"

It was an evening for questions; there was not even an end to them when
people separated for the night.

"Do you not think," asked the Judge from his wife when they were alone
together, "that our little Petrea begins to be quite disagreeable with
her perpetual questions and disputations? She leaves nobody at peace,
and is at times in a sort of unceasing disquiet. She will, some time or
other, make herself quite ridiculous if she goes on so."

"Yes," replied Elise, "_if_ she goes on so; but I think she will not. I
have observed Petrea narrowly for some time, and do you know I fancy
there is something out of the common way in that young girl."

"Yes, yes," said he, "in the common way she certainly is not; the
merriment and the everlasting joviality which she occasions, and the
comical devices that she has----"

"Yes," replied the mother, "do they not indicate a decided turn for art?
And then she has a remarkable thirst for knowledge. Every morning she is
up between three and four, in order to read or write, or to work at her
Creation. It is, in fact, quite uncommon; and may not this unrest, this
zeal to question and dispute, arise from a sort of intellectual hunger?
Ah! from such hunger, which many a woman for want of fitting aliment
suffers through the whole of her life! From such an emptiness of the
soul proceed unrest, discontentedness, nay, innumerable faults!"

"I believe you are right, Elise," said her husband; "and no condition in
life is more melancholy, particularly in advanced years. But this shall
not be the lot of my Petrea--that we will prevent. What do you think now
would be good for her?"

"I fancy," said Elise, "that a course of serious and well-directed
study would assist in regulating her mind. She is too much left to
herself, with her disarranged bent--with her enthusiasm and her
attempts. I myself have too little knowledge to instruct her, you have
too little time, and there is no one here who would undertake the
guidance of her young unsettled mind. I am sometimes extremely grieved
about her; for her sisters do not understand the workings of her mind,
which I must confess sometimes give me pain. I wish I were better able
to help her. Petrea requires a ground on which to take her stand--as yet
she has none; her thoughts require some firm holding-place; from the
want of this comes her unrest. She is like a flower without roots, which
is driven about by wind and wave."

"She shall be firmly rooted; she shall find firm ground to stand upon,
if such is to be found in the world!" said the Judge, with a grave yet
beaming eye, and striking his hand at the same time with such violence
on a volume of West-Gotha law, that it fell to the ground. "We will
think about it," continued he; "Petrea is yet too young for one to say
with certainty what is her decided bent; but we will strengthen her
powers! she shall no longer know hunger of any kind, so long as I live
and can get my own bread. You know my friend, the excellent Bishop
B----. Perhaps we can at first confide Petrea to his guidance. After a
few years we shall see----as yet she is only a child. But don't you
think we might speak with Jacobi, whether he could not read with her and
talk with her--apropos! how is it with Jacobi? I fancy he begins to
think about Louise."

"Yes, yes, you are not wrong," said Elise; "and our Cousin Thure of
Oestanvik--have you remarked nothing there?"

"Yes, I did remark something," replied he. "The thousand! What stupid
questions were those that he put to her! 'Does Cousin like this?' or,
'Does Cousin like that?' But I don't like that! not I! Louise is not yet
grown up, and already shall people come and ask her, does Cousin like?
Nay, perhaps, after all it means nothing; that would please me best.
What a pity it is, however, that our Cousin Thure is not more of a man!
A most beautiful estate he has, and so near us."

"Yes, a pity," said Elise; "because such as he is now, I am quite
convinced Louise would find it impossible to endure him."

"You do not think she would like Jacobi?" asked the father.

"To tell the truth," returned she, "I think it probable she might."

"Nay," said he, "that would be very unpleasant, and very imprudent: I am
very fond of Jacobi, but he has nothing, and he is nothing."

"But, my love," reasoned his wife, "he may become something, and he may
get something. I confess, dear Ernst, that he would suit Louise better
for a husband than almost any one else, and I would willingly call him
son."

"Would you, Elise!" exclaimed the Judge, "then I suppose I must prepare
myself to do the same. You have had most trouble, most labour, with the
children, and you have, therefore, most to say in their affairs."

"You are so good, Ernst," said Elise.

"Say reasonable--nothing more than reasonable," said he; "beyond this I
have the belief that our thoughts and our inclinations do not differ
much. I confess that I consider Louise as a great treasure, and I know
nobody whom, of my own will, I would confer her upon; still, if Jacobi
obtains her affections, I could not find in my heart to oppose a union
between them, although, on account of his uncertain prospects, it would
make me anxious. I am much attached to Jacobi, and on Henrik's account
we have much to thank him for. His excellent heart, his honesty, his
good qualities, will make him as good a citizen as husband and father,
and he belongs at the same time to that class of persons with whom it is
most pleasant to have daily intercourse. But, God forbid! I am talking
just as if I wished the union, and I am a long way from that yet. I
would much rather keep my daughters with me as long as they could feel
themselves happy with me; but when girls grow up, one cannot reckon on
peace. I wish all wooers and question-askers at Jericho! Now, we could
live here as in a kingdom of heaven, since we have got all into such
nice order--some little improvements, it is true, I could yet make,
though things are well enough, if we could be at peace. I have been
thinking that we could so easily make a wardrobe. See on this side, in
the wall; don't you think that if we here opened----Heavens! are you
already asleep, my dear?"




CHAPTER V.

AN INVITATION.


About this time the sisters of the house began to dream a great deal
about conflagrations, and there was no end of the meanings of dreams,
hints, little jokes, and communications among the sisters, none of whom
dreamt more animated or more significant dreams than Petrea. Gabriele,
who, in her innocence, did not dream at all, wondered what all this
extraordinary talk about conflagration meant; but she could not learn
much, for as often as she desired to have her part in the mysteries, it
was said, "Go out for a little while, Gabriele dear."

One evening Sara, Louise, Eva, and Petrea were sitting together at a
little table, where they were deep in the discussion of something which
seemed to possess extraordinary interest for them, when Gabriele came
and asked just for a little place at the table for herself and her
books; but it was impossible, there was no room for the little one.
Almost at the same moment Jacobi and Henrik came up; they too sought for
room at the circle of young ladies, and now see! there was excellent
room for them both, whereupon Gabriele stuck her little head between
Louise and Petrea, and prayed her sisters to solve the following riddle:

"What is that at which six places may be found, but not five?"

The sisters laughed; Louise kissed the little refined moralist; and
Petrea left the table, the gentlemen, and a political discussion, which
she had begun with Henrik, in order to sit on one side and relate to
Gabriele the Travels of Thiodolf, which was one of the greatest
enjoyments of our little lady.

"Apropos!" cried Henrik, "will there not be a wedding celebrated the day
after to-morrow, to which we ought naturally to be invited.--N. B.
According to my reckoning, Aunt Evelina has far less genius than I gave
her credit for, if----"

"Aunt Evelina stands here now ready, if possible, to vindicate her
genius," said a friendly voice, and to the amazement of all Aunt Evelina
stood in the middle of the room.

After the first salutations and questions, Evelina presented an
invitation, not as Henrik expected for the marriage, but for the
entertainment after the marriage.[7]

Laura's marriage with Major G. was to be celebrated in the quietest
manner, at her adopted mother's house, and only in the presence of a few
relations. But the mother of the bridegroom, one of those joyous persons
who in a remarkable manner lightens the world of its cares--and for
which the world thanks them so little--one of those who, if possible,
would entertain and make glad all mankind, and whom mankind on that
account very willingly slanders;--she, the stout and cordial widow of a
Councillor of War, was determined to celebrate the marriage of her only
and beloved son in a festive and cheerful manner, and to make the whole
country partakers of the joy which she herself felt.

The great marriage-festival was to last eight days, and already the
great doors of Axelholm were standing wide open to receive a
considerable party of the notables of the place. The bride and
bridegroom were to invite their respective friends and acquaintances,
and commissioned now by the bride and her future mother-in-law, Evelina
brought a written invitation from her; she came now to beseech the
family--the whole family, Jacobi included, to honour the festivity with
their presence; above all things, desiring that _all_ the daughters
might come--every one of them was wanted for one thing or another. They
reckoned on Petrea, she said, who had a great turn for theatricals, to
take a character in a play which was to be acted; and the others were
wanted for dancing and for _tableaux vivants_. Gabriele must allow
herself to be made an angel of--and naturally they hoped, that out of
all this the young people would find amusement.

They wished and prayed that the whole family would establish themselves
at Axelholm, where everything was prepared for them during the whole
time of the festival, and, if possible, longer, which would contribute
so much to their friends' satisfaction there.

Pitt, Fox, Thiers, Lafitte, Platen, Anckarsvaerd, nay, one may even
assert that all the orators in the world never made speeches which were
considered more beautiful by their hearers, nor which were received with
warmer or more universal enthusiasm than this little oration of Aunt
Evelina. Henrik threw himself on his knee before the excellent, eloquent
Aunt; Eva clapped her hands, and embraced her; Petrea cried aloud in a
fit of rapture, and in leaping up threw down a work-table on Louise;
Jacobi made an _entrechat_, freed Louise from the work-table, and
engaged her for the first _anglaise_ of the first ball.

The Judge, glad from his heart that his children should have so much
enjoyment, was obliged, for his part, to give up the joyful festivity.
Business! Judge Frank had seldom time for anything but business! yet he
would manage it so that at least he would take them there, and on the
following day he would return. Elise sent back her compliments, but
could not take more than two, or at most three, of her daughters with
her; Evelina, however, overruled this, as did also her husband, who
insisted that they _all_ should go.

"Perhaps," said he, "they may never have such another opportunity to
enjoy themselves."

Seldom, indeed, does it happen that people beg and pray and counsel a
mother to take all her six daughters with her. Long may such counsellors
live! But then it must be acknowledged, that the daughters of the Franks
were universally beloved on account of their kind, agreeable manners,
and their many good qualities.

Elise must promise to take them all with her--Sara, Louise, Eva,
Leon----no! It is true Leonore could not go with her; the poor Leonore
must remain at home, on account of indisposition; and very soon,
therefore, Eva and Petrea emulated each other as to which should remain
with her. Leonore declared coldly and peevishly that nobody should stay
at home on her account; she needed nobody; she would much rather be
alone; the sisters might all go, without hesitation; there was no fear
of her not living through it! Poor Leonore had become changed by her
sickness and her sedentary life;--her better self had become hidden
under a cloud of vexation and ill-humour, which chilled the kindliness
and friendliness that people otherwise would have shown to her.

In the mean time there was a stir among the young people of the family;
for much had to be bought, much to be made, and much to be put in order,
that they might be able to make an honourable appearance at the marriage
festival. What a review was there then of dresses, flowers, ribbons,
gloves, etc.! what counsel-takings and projects regarding the new
purchases! what calculations, so that the present of money which the
good father had, all unsolicited, made to each daughter might not be
exceeded. Louise was invaluable to everybody; she had counsel and
contrivance for everybody; besides all this, she was unwearied in
shopping, and never disheartened in buying. She made very few
compliments--would let them in a shop open all they had, if she wanted
only an ell of cloth; and would go to twelve places in order to get a
piece of ribbon cheaper or of better quality--she paid great regard to
_quality_. According to her own opinion, as well as that of her family,
she was an excellent hand at getting good bargains; that is, for
obtaining good wares at unheard-of low prices. With all this our Louise
was held in great consideration in all the shops of the city, and was
served with the greatest zeal and respect; whilst, on the contrary,
Petrea, who never bargained about anything, and always took that which
was first offered to her, at all events when she was alone, was not
esteemed in the least, and always obtained bad, and at the same time
dear goods. True it is that Petrea went a-shopping as little as
possible; whilst Louise, on the contrary, who took the difficult part of
commissioner for all her friends and acquaintance, was about as much at
home in a shop as in her own wardrobe.

It was unanimously decided that Sara, Louise, and Eva should all wear
the same dress on the evening of the great ball at Axelholm, which would
be given on the day they arrived there; namely, that they should wear
white muslin dresses, with pale pink sashes, and roses in their hair.
Petrea was enraptured by this project, and did not doubt but that her
sisters would be universally known by the appellation of "the three
Graces." For her own part, she would willingly have been called Venus,
but, alas! that was not to be thought of. She studied her face in all
the glasses in the house--"It is not so very bad-looking," thought she,
"if the nose were only different." Petrea was to appear at the ball in
sky-blue; and "the little lady" was quite enraptured by the
rose-coloured gauze dress which her mother was making for her.

The toilet occupied every one, body and soul.

FOOTNOTES:

[7] Hemkommeoel, literally, coming-home-ale. The names of many of the
domestic festivities of Sweden remind us very much of those of our own
old festivities; as church-ales, christening-ales, etc.: thus, barnsoel,
the christening-feast; grafoel, burial-feast; arfoel, the feast given by
the heir on descent of property, etc.--M. H.




CHAPTER VI.

CONFUSION.


A fine mizzling rain fell without; and Jacobi, with secret horror,
beheld Louise equipped in the "court-preacher," which became her so ill,
ready to go out with Eva, under shelter of the "family-roof," in order
to make good bargains. In the mean time Sara took her music lesson with
Schwartz, but had promised Petrea to go out with her in the afternoon,
in order to make good bargains likewise.

"Henrik!" said Jacobi to his young friend, "I fancy that we too are
going out on a 'good bargain' expedition. I want a pair of gloves,
and----"

"And perhaps we shall meet the sisters in the shop," said Henrik,
waggishly.

"Quite right," returned Jacobi, smiling; "but, Henrik, cannot you tell
your sister Louise that she should not wear that horrible black cloak? I
declare she does not look as----indeed she does not look well in it."

"Don't you think that I have told her so already?" replied Henrik. "I
have preached so long against the 'court-preacher,' that he ought long
ago to have been banished from respectable society; but it is all to no
purpose. He has worked himself so completely into the good graces of our
gracious oldest, that depend upon it, my brother, we must endure him all
our lives long. And what think you? I almost fancy our Cousin of
Oestanvik likes him!"

"Nay," said Jacobi, "one can very well see that that creature has a
wretched taste--a true Hottentot taste!"

"And is that the reason," remarked Henrik, "that he likes Louise?"

"Hum!" said Jacobi.

At dinner-time the bargaining young ladies came back, attended by the
bargaining gentlemen, who had, after all, gone about peacefully with the
"court-preacher." Louise was quite full of glory; never in her whole
life before had she made more lucky bargains.

"Look, sisters," said she, "this muslin for a crown-banco[8] the ell! Is
it not a charming colour? I have saved in it alone twelve shillings.[9]
And see these ribbons which I have got for four-and-twenty shillings the
ell--thirty were asked. Are they not beautiful?--will they not look
magnificently?--is it not a real discovery?--did you ever hear of
anything like it? Sara, if you will go to the same shop as I do, you
will get all at the same price. I have made that agreement for you at
three places: at Bergvall's, and at Astroem's, and Madame Florea's for
the flowers."

Sara thanked her, but said she had altered her plans; she did not intend
to have the same dress as Louise and Eva, but another, which pleased her
better.

The sisters were astonished, and rather vexed; Louise quite offended.
Had they not already agreed about it? What was to become of the Three
Graces?

Sara answered, that the third Grace might be whoever she would, but for
her part she should not have that honour.

The sisters thought her very ungracious.

Eva ran up to Leonore in order to show her her purchases.

"Look at this rose, Leonore," said she, "is it not very pretty? just as
if it were natural! And these ribbons!"

"Yes, yes," said Leonore, with a depressed voice, regarding these
ornaments with a gloomy look; and then pushing them from her so hastily
that they fell on the floor, burst into tears. Eva was quite concerned;
a book had fallen on her beautiful rose and had crushed it. For one
moment Eva shed tears over her flower, the next over her sister.

"Why have you done so, Leonore?" said she; "you must be very ill, or are
you displeased with me?"

"No, no!" said poor Leonore; "forgive me, and leave me."

"Why?" asked Eva. "Ah, do not weep--do not distress yourself. It was
quite thoughtless of me to come here and----But I will bid farewell to
all the magnificence; I will not go to the ball; I will stop at home
with you, only tell me that you love me, and that you would like me to
do so. Just say so--say so!"

"No, no!" said Leonore, passionately, and turning away from the
affectionate comforter; "I do not like it! You teaze me, all of you,
with this talk of stopping at home on my account. I know very well that
I am not such as any one would wish to please--I am neither merry nor
good. Go, Eva, to those who are merry, and follow them. Leave me, leave
me in peace, that is all that I desire."

Eva retired weeping, and with the crushed rose in her hand.

In the afternoon, when Petrea was ready to go out on the promised
expedition, she found Sara also was in an ill-humour. She would go, but
only on Petrea's account; she had no intention of buying anything; she
had not money enough wherewith to make purchases; she would not go to
the festival; she could not have any pleasure if she did; nothing in the
world gave one any pleasure when one had not things exactly to one's own
wishes.

Petrea was quite confounded by this sudden change, and sought in all
possible ways to discover the cause of it.

"But why," asked she, with tears in her eyes, "will you not go with us?"

"Because I will not go," answered Sara, "if I cannot go with honour, and
in my own way! I will not be mixed up in a mass of every-day mediocre
people! It is in my power to become distinguished and uncommon. That is
now, for once, my humour. I will not live to be trammelled. I would
rather not live at all!"

"Ah!" exclaimed Petrea, who now comprehended what was working in Sara,
whilst her eyes flashed with sudden joy--"ah, is it nothing more than
that? Dear Sara, take all that I possess; take it, I beseech you! Do you
not believe that it gives me a thousand times the pleasure if I see you
happy and beautiful, than if I possessed the most glorious things in the
world? Take it, best, dearest Sara! I pray you, on my knees, to take it,
and then if there be enough you can buy what you like and go with
us--else the whole splendour will be good for nothing!"

Copyright (c) 2007. topboookz.com. All rights reserved.