Hesba Stretton - "The Christmas Child"

Various - "Scientific American Suppl. No. 299"

Frederik van Eeden - "The Bride of Dreams"

L. Frank Baum - "Tik Tok of Oz"

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.

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Many private letters from Stockholm contained flattering words and
joyful congratulations to the young poet. All Henrik's friends seemed to
accord in one song of triumph.

There was almost too much happiness for one time.

During the first moments of this news the joy was calm and mingled with
emotion; afterwards, however, it was lively, and shot forth like rockets
in a thousand directions. Every thing was in motion to celebrate the day
and its hero; and while the father of the family set about to mix a
bowl--for he would that the whole house should drink Henrik's
health--the others laid plans for a journey to Stockholm. The whole
family must be witnesses of Henrik's receiving the great gold
medal--they must be present on the day of his triumph. Eva recovered
almost her entire liveliness as she described a similar festival which
she had witnessed in the Swedish Academy.

Henrik talked a deal about Stockholm; he longed to be able to show his
mother and sisters the beautiful capital. How they would be delighted
with the gallery of mineralogy--how they would be charmed with the
theatres! how they would see and hear the lovely Demoiselle Hoegquist and
the captivating Jenny Lind![17]--and then the castle!--the
promenades--the prospects--the churches--the beautiful statues in the
public places--Henrik would have been almost ready to have overthrown
some of them. Oh, there was so much that was beautiful and delightful to
see in Stockholm!

The mother smiled in joy over----the occasion of the journey to
Stockholm; the father said "yes" to that and every thing; the
countenances of the young people beamed forth happiness; the bowl was
fragrant with good luck.

The young Baron L., who liked Henrik extremely, and who liked still more
every lively excitement to every uproar, was possessed by a regular
frenzy to celebrate the day. He waltzed with everybody; Louise might not
sit still; "the little lady" must allow herself to be twirled about; but
the truth was that in her joy she was about as wild for dancing as he
was himself--the very Judge himself must waltz with him; and at last he
waltzed with chairs and tables, whilst the fire of the punch was not
very much calculated to abate his vivacious spirits.

It was very hard for the Judge that he was compelled on this very day to
leave home, but pressing business obliged him to do so. He must make a
journey that same evening, which would detain him from home for three or
four days, and although he left his family in the full bloom of their
joy and prosperity, the short separation appeared to him more painful
than common.

After he had taken his leave he returned--a circumstance very unusual
with him--to the room again; embraced his wife yet a second time,
flourished about with his daughters in his wolf's-skin cloak as if out
of liveliness, and then went out hastily, giving to the young Baron,
who, in his wild joy, had fallen upon his wolf's-skin like a dog, a
tolerably heavy cuff. A few minutes afterwards, as he cast from his
sledge a glance and a hand-greeting to his wife and daughters at the
library window, they saw with astonishment that his eyes were full of
tears.

But the joy of the present, and the promises of the future, filled the
hearts of those who remained behind to overflowing, and the evening
passed amid gaiety and pleasure.

Baron L. drank punch with the domestics till both he and they were quite
wrong in the head, and all Louise's good moral preaching was like so
many water-drops on the fire. Henrik was nobly gay, and the beaming
expression of his animated, beautiful head, reminded the beholder of an
Apollo.

"Where now are all your gloomy forebodings?" whispered Leonore, tenderly
joyful; "you look to me as if you could even embrace Stjernhoek."

"The whole world!" returned Henrik, clasping his sister to his breast,
"I am so happy!"

And yet there was one person in the house who was happier than Henrik,
and that was his mother. When she looked on the beautiful, glorified
countenance of her son, and thought of that which he was and on what he
would become; when she thought on the laurels which would engarland his
beloved head, on the future which awaited her favourite, her summer
child--Oh! then bloomed the high summer of maternal joy in her breast,
and she revelled in a nameless happiness--a happiness so great that she
was almost anxious, because it appeared to her too great to be borne on
earth!

And yet for all that--and we say it with grateful joy--the earth can
bear a great degree of happiness; can bear it for long without its
either bringing with it a curse or a disappointment. It is in stillness
and in retirement where this good fortune blooms the best, and on that
account the world knows little of it, and has little faith in it. But,
thank God! it may be abundantly found in all times and in all countries;
and it is--we whisper this to the blessed ones in order that we may
rejoice with them--it is of extremely rare occurrence when it happens in
actual life, as, for the sake of effect, it happens in books, that a
strong current of happiness carries along with it unhappiness as in a
drag-rope.

FOOTNOTES:

[17] Emilie Hoegquist and Jenny Lind are two great ornaments of the
Stockholm theatre; the first an actress, the second a singer.




CHAPTER VI.

UNHAPPINESS.


Night succeeded the joyful evening, and the members of the Frank family
lay deep in the arms of sleep, when suddenly, at the hour of midnight,
they were awoke by the fearful cry of "Fire! fire!"

The house was on fire, and smoke and flames met them at every turn; for
the conflagration spread with incredible speed. An inconceivable
confusion succeeded: one sought for another; one called on another;
mother and children, inmates and domestics!

Only half-dressed, and without having saved the least thing, the
inhabitants of the house assembled themselves in the market-place, where
an innumerable crowd of people streamed together, and began to work the
fire-engines; whilst church bells tolled violently, and the alarm-drums
were beaten wildly and dully up and down the streets. Henrik dragged
with him the young Baron L----, who was speechless, and much injured by
the fire.

The mother cast a wild searching look around among her children, and
suddenly exclaiming "Gabriele!" threw herself with a thrilling cry of
anguish into the burning house. A circle of people hastily surrounded
the daughters, in order to prevent their following her, and at the same
moment two men broke forth from them, and hastened with the speed of
lightning after her. The one was her beautiful, now more than ever
beautiful, son. The other resembled one of the Cyclops, as art has
represented them at work in their subterranean smithies, excepting that
he had two eyes, which in this moment flashed forth flames, as if
bidding defiance to those with which he was about to combat. Both
vanished amid the conflagration.

A moment's silence ensued: the alarm-drum ceased to beat; the people
scarcely breathed; the daughters wrung their hands silently, and the
fire-bell called anxiously to the ineffectual engine-showers, for the
flames rose higher and higher.

All at once a shout was sent from the mass of the people; all hearts
beat joyfully, for the mother was borne in the arms of her son from amid
the flames, which stretched forth their hissing tongues towards
her!--and--now another shout of exultation! The modern Cyclop, in one
word the Assessor, stood in a window of the second story, and, amid the
whirlwind of smoke, was seen a white form, which he pressed to his
bosom. A ladder was quickly raised, and Jeremias Munter, blackened and
singed, but nevertheless happy, laid the fainting but unhurt Gabriele in
the arms of her mother and sisters.

After this, he and Henrik returned to the burning house, from which they
were fortunate enough to save the desk containing the Judge's most
valuable papers. A few trifles, but of no great importance, were also
saved. But this was all. The house was of wood, and spite of every
effort to save it, was burned, burned, burned to the ground, but, as it
stood detached, without communicating the fire to any other.

When Henrik, enfeebled with his exertions, returned to his family, he
found them all quartered in the small dwelling of the Assessor, which
also lay in the market-place; while Jeremias seemed suddenly to have
multiplied himself into ten persons, in order to provide his guests with
whatever they required. His old housekeeper, what with the fire, and
what with so many guests who were to be provided for in that
simply-supplied establishment, was almost crazed. But he had help at
hand for everybody: he prepared coffee, he made beds, and seemed
altogether to forget his own somewhat severe personal injuries by the
fire. He joked about himself and his affairs at the same time that he
wiped tears from his eyes, which he could not but shed over the
misfortunes of his friends. Affectionate and determined, he provided for
everything and for every one; whilst Louise and Leonore assisted him
with quiet resolution.

"Wilt thou be reasonable, coffee-pot, and not boil over like a
simpleton, since thou hast to provide coffee for ladies!" said the
Assessor in jesting anger. "Here, Miss Leonore, are drops for the mother
and Eva. Sister Louise, be so good as to take my whole storeroom in
hand; and you, young sir," said he to Henrik, as he seized him suddenly
by the arm, and gazed sharply into his face, "come you with me, for I
must take you rather particularly in hand."

There was indeed not a moment to lose; a violent effusion of blood from
the chest, placed the young man's life in momentary danger. Munter tore
off his coat, and opened a vein at the very moment in which he lost all
consciousness.

"What a silly fellow!" said the Assessor, as Henrik breathed again, "how
can anybody be so silly when he is such--a clever fellow! Nay, now all
danger for the time is over. Death has been playing his jokes with us
to-night! Now, like polite knights, let us be again in attendance on the
ladies. Wait, I must just have a little water for my face, that I need
not look, any more than is necessary, like 'the Knight of the Rueful
Countenance!'"




CHAPTER VII.

THE CONSEQUENCES.


The sun of the next morning shone brightly on the glistening
snow-covered roofs round the market-place, and dyed the smoke-clouds,
which rose slowly from the ruins of the burnt-down house, with the most
gorgeous tints of purple, gold, and sulphur-blue, whilst hundreds of
little sparrows raked and picked about in the ashy flakes which were
scattered over the snow in the market-place and churchyard, with
exulting twitterings.

Mother and daughters looked with tearful eyes towards the smoking place
where had so lately stood their dearly beloved home; but yet no one gave
themselves up to sorrow. Eva alone wept much, but that from a cause of
grief concealed in her own heart. She knew that Major R. had passed the
night in the city, and yet for all that--she had not seen him!

With the morning came much bustle, and a crowd of people into the
dwelling of the Assessor. Families came who offered to the roofless
household both shelter and entertainment; young girls came with their
clothes; servants came with theirs for the servants of the family;
elegant services and furniture were sent in; the baker left great
baskets full of bread; the brewer, beer; another sent wine, and so on.
It was a scene in social life of the most beautiful description, and
which showed how greatly esteemed and beloved the Franks were.

Mrs. Gunilla came so good and zealous, ready to contend with anybody who
would contend with her, to convey her old friends in her carriage to the
dwelling which she had prepared for them in all haste. The Assessor did
not strive with her now, but saw in silence his guests depart, and with
a tear in his eye looked after the carriage which conveyed Eva away from
his house. It seemed now so dark and desolate to him.

On the evening of this same day the father returned into his family
circle, and pressed them all to his breast with tears of joy. Yes, with
tears of joy, for all were left to him!

A few days after this, he wrote thus to one of his friends:

"Till now, till after this unfortunate occurrence, I knew not how much I
possessed in my wife and children; knew not that I had so many good
friends and neighbours. I thank God, who has given me such a wife, such
children, and such friends! These last have supplied, nay, over-supplied
all the necessities of my family. I shall begin in spring to rebuild my
house on the old foundation.

"How the fire was occasioned I know not, and do not trouble myself to
discover. The misfortune has happened, and may serve as a warning for
the future, and that is enough. My house has not become impoverished in
love, even though it may be so in worldly goods, and that sustains and
heals all. The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away: blessed be
the name of the Lord!"

Probably the Judge would listen to no conjectures respecting the origin
of the fire. We will venture, however, not the less on that account to
give our conjectures;--thus, it is very probable that the fire had its
origin in the chamber of the young Baron L., and that also he, in his
scarcely half sober state, might have been the occasion of it. Probably
he himself regarded the affair in this light; but this however is
certain, that this event, in connexion with the behaviour of the Franks
towards him, occasioned a great change in the temper and character of
this young man. His father came for him shortly after this, and took him
to consult a celebrated oculist in Copenhagen, in consequence of his
eyes having suffered severely in the fire.

Our eyes will see him again, only at a much later period of our history.

The daughters of the house busied themselves earnestly with the
already-spoken-of plans for discovering a means of independent
subsistence for themselves, that they might lighten the anxieties of
their parents in their present adverse circumstances, and that without
being burdensome to anybody else. Eva wished at first to accept an
invitation to a country-seat in the neighbourhood, not far from that
where Major R. was at present. Axelholm opened itself, heart, arms,
main-building and wings, for the members of the Frank family. There were
wanting no opportunities for colonisation; but the Judge besought his
children so earnestly to decline all these, and for the present to
remain altogether.

"In a few months," said he, "perhaps in spring, you can do what you
like; but now--let us remain together. It is needful to me to have you
now all around me, in order to feel that I really possess you all. I
cannot bear the thoughts of losing any one of you at present."

The thought of parting appeared likewise soon to weigh heavily upon him.
Henrik, since the night of the conflagration, had scarcely had a moment
free from suffering; a violent, incessant beating of the heart had
remained since then, and the pain of this was accompanied by dangerous
attacks of spasms, which, notwithstanding all remedies, appeared rather
to increase than otherwise. This disturbed the Judge so much the more,
as now, more than ever, he loved and valued his son. Since the night of
the fire it might be said that, for the first time, affection was warm
between father and son.

The Mahomedan says beautifully, that when the angel of death approaches
man, the shadow of his wings falls upon him from a distance. From the
beginning of his illness Henrik's soul appeared to be darkened by
unfriendly shadows, and the first serious outbreak of disease revealed
itself in depression and gloom. Oh! it was not easy for the young man,
richly gifted as he was with whatever could beautify life on earth,
standing as he did at the commencement of a path where fresh laurels and
the roses of love beckoned to him, it was not easy to turn his glance
from a future like this, to listen to the words which night and day his
beating heart whispered to him--"Thou wilt descend to thy grave! nor
will I cease knocking till the door of the tomb opens to thee!"

But to a mind like Henrik's the step from darkness to light was not
wide. There was that something in his soul which enables man to say to
the Lord of life and death--

The dreaded judgment-doom in thine own hand is writ,--
We kiss it; bow our heads, and silently submit.

Henrik had one day a long conversation with his skilful and anxious
physician Munter, who when he left him had tears in his eyes; but over
Henrik's countenance, on the contrary, when he returned to his family,
although he was paler than usual, was a peculiarly mild and solemn
repose, which seemed to diffuse itself through his whole being. From
this moment his temper of mind was changed. He was now mild and calm,
yet at the same time more joyous and amiable than ever. His eyes had an
indescribable clearness and beauty; the shadow had passed away from his
soul altogether.

But deeper and deeper lay the shadow over one person, who from the
beginning of Henrik's illness was no longer like herself--and that was
Henrik's mother. It is true that she worked and spoke as formerly, but a
gnawing anguish lived in her; she appeared absent from the passing
business of life; and every occupation which had not reference, in some
way or other, to her son, was indifferent or painful to her. The
daughters kept carefully from her any thing which might be disturbing to
her. She devoted herself almost exclusively to her son; and many hours
full of rich enjoyment were spent by these two, who soon, perhaps--must
separate for so long!

Every strong mental excitement was interdicted to Henrik; his very
illness would not admit of it. He must renounce his beloved studies: but
his living spirit, which could not sleep, refreshed itself at the
youthful fountains of art. He occupied himself much with the works of a
poet who, during his short life, had suffered much and sung much also,
and from amid whose crown of thorns the loveliest "Lilies of Sharon" had
blossomed. The works of Stagnelius[18] were his favourite reading. He
himself composed many songs, and his mother sang them to him during the
long winter evenings. According to his opinion, his mother sang better
than his sisters; and he rejoiced himself in the pure strength which
triumphantly exalted him in this poet above the anguish and fever of
life.

It was observed that about this time he often turned the conversation,
in the presence of his mother, to the brighter side of death. It seemed
as if he wished to prepare her gradually for the possibly near
separation, and to deprive it beforehand of its bitterness. Elise had
formerly loved conversations of this kind; had loved whatever tended to
diffuse light over the darker scenes of life: but now she always grew
pale when the subject was introduced; uneasiness expressed itself in her
eyes, and she endeavoured, with a kind of terror, to put an end to it.

One evening as the family, together with the Assessor, were assembled in
the confidential hour of twilight, they began to speak about dreams, and
about the nature of sleep. Henrik mentioned the ancient comparison of
sleep and death, which he said he considered less striking as regarded
its unconsciousness than in its resemblance in the awaking.

"And in what do you especially consider this resemblance to consist?"
asked Leonore.

"In the perfect retention and re-animation of consciousness, of memory,
of the whole condition of the soul," replied he, "which is experienced
in the morning after the dark night."

"Good," said the Assessor, "and possible; but what can we _know_ about
it?"

"All that revelation has made known to us," replied Henrik, with an
animated look: "do we really need any stronger light on this subject
than that afforded us by one of our own race, who was dead, and yet rose
again from the grave, and who exhibited himself after his sleep in the
dark dwelling with precisely the same dispositions, the same
friendships, and with the most perfect remembrance of the least as well
as the greatest events of his earthly existence? What a clear, what a
friendly light has not this circumstance diffused around the dark gates
of the tomb! It has united the two worlds! it has thrown a bridge over
the gloomy deep; it enables the drooping wanderer to approach it without
horror; it enables him to say to his friends on the evening of life,
'Good night!' with the same calmness with which he can speak those words
to them on the evening of the day."

An arm was thrown convulsively round Henrik, and the voice of his mother
whispered, in a tone of despair, to him, "You must not leave us, Henrik!
you must not!" and with these words she sunk unconscious on his breast.

From this evening Henrik never again introduced in the presence of his
mother a subject which was so painful to her. He sought rather to calm
and cheer her, and his sisters helped him truly in the same work. They
now had less desire than ever to leave home and to mingle in society
generally; yet notwithstanding they did so occasionally, because their
brother wished it, and it enabled them to have something to tell at
home, which could entertain and enliven both him and his mother. These
reports were generally made in Henrik's room, and how heartily did they
not laugh there! Ah! in a cordially united family, care can hardly take
firm footing there: if it come in for one moment, in the very next it
will be chased away! Eva appeared during this time to forget her own
trouble, that she also might be a flower in the garland of comfort and
tenderness which was bound around the favourite of the family; the Judge
too, tore himself more frequently than hitherto from his occupations,
and united himself to the family circle.

A more attractive sick chamber than Henrik's can hardly be imagined.
That he himself felt. Enfeebled by the influence of disease, his
beautiful eyes often became filled with tears from slight causes, and he
would exclaim "I am happy--too happy! What a blessedness to be able to
live! That is happiness! that is the summer of the soul! Even now, amid
my sufferings, I feel myself made through you so rich, so happy!" and
then he would stretch forth his hand to those of his mother or his
sisters, and press them to his lips or his bosom.

An interval of amendment occurred in Henrik's illness, and he suffered
much less. A sentiment of joy diffused itself through the house, and
Henrik himself appeared at times to entertain hopes of life. He could
now go out again and inhale the fresh winter air--his favourite air. The
Judge often accompanied him; it was then beautiful to see the powerful
vigorous father supporting with his arm the pale but handsome son,
whenever his steps became weary; to see him curbing his own peculiarly
hasty movements, and conducting him slowly homewards; it was beautiful
to see the expression in the countenance of each.

People talk a great deal about the beauty of maternal love--paternal
love has perhaps something yet more beautiful and affecting in it; and
it is my opinion that he who has had the happiness of experiencing the
careful culture of a loving, yet at the same time upright father, can,
with fuller feeling and with more inward understanding than any other,
lift his heart to heaven in that universal prayer of the human race,
"Our Father which art in heaven!"

Several weeks passed on. A lady, an intimate friend of the family, was
about this time undertaking a journey with her daughter to the city
where Petrea was visiting, and desired greatly to take Gabriele with
her, who was the dearest friend of the young Amalie. Gabriele would very
gladly have embraced this opportunity of visiting her beloved sister,
and of seeing at the same time something of the world, but now when
Henrik was ill, she could not think of it; she was quite resolved not to
separate herself from him. But Henrik was zealously bent upon Gabriele
making this journey, which would be so extremely agreeable to her.

"Don't you see," said he, "that Gabriele sits here and makes herself
pale with looking at me? and that is so utterly unnecessary, especially
now I am so much better, and when I certainly in a little time shall be
quite well again. Journey, journey away, sweet Gabriele, I beseech you!
You shall cheer us in the mean time with your letters; and when at
Easter you return with Petrea, then--then you will no longer have an
ailing suffering brother; I will manage it so that I will be quite well
by that time!"

She was talked to also on other sides, especially by the young, lively
Amalie, and at length Gabriele permitted herself to be persuaded.
Convinced that for the present all danger for her brother was over, she
commenced the journey with a jest on her lips, but with tears in her
eyes.

It was the first flight of "our little lady" from home.

Not a word was heard from Major R.; and although Eva continued reserved
towards her own family, she appeared to be so much calmer than formerly
that they all began to be easy on her account. The Judge, who, in
consequence of her behaviour evinced towards her a grateful tenderness,
endeavoured to gratify her slightest wishes, and gave his consent that
in the early commencement of spring she should go to M----s. He hoped
that by that time the Major would be far removed from the country; but
it was not long before a painful discovery was made.

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