ained the
yet undeveloped but living plant. And may not everything in the world be
regulated by the same law of development? In the tempestuous voyages of
the Northmen through the misty seas, I could see the weather-driven seed
which, under the guidance of Providence, from the soil of Vineland,
stretched its roots through centuries, till a mighty genius was guided
by them to complete the work, and to the Old World to discover the New."

Harald was delighted with this idea, which blew fresh wind into his
sails; and thereby enlivened, he gave vent to the admiration of the
ancient times of the North, which lived in his bosom.

"It belonged," said he, "to those men of few words but of powerful
deeds; those men to whom danger was a sport, the storm music, and the
swell of waves a dance: to this race of youths it belonged to discover
new worlds without imagining that to be any exploit. Great achievements
were their every-day occupation."

Alette shook her beautiful head at this enthusiasm for antiquity. She
would not deny these times had a certain greatness, but she could not
pronounce them truly great. She spoke of the revenge, the violence, the
base cruelties which the past ages of the North openly paid homage to.

"But," continued Harald, "the contempt of pain and death, this noble
contempt, so universal amongst the men of that time, deprived cruelty of
its sting. Our degenerate race has scarcely a conception of the strength
which made the men of past times find a pleasure even in pains, since
they spurred their courageous souls to the highest pitch of heroism;
since in such moments they felt themselves able to be more than men.
Therefore sung heroes amid the very pains of death. Thus died the
Swedish Hjalmar, in the arms of his friend Odd, the Norwegian, while he
greeted the eagles which came to drink his blood. Thus died Ragnar
Lodbrok, in the den of serpents; and while the snakes hissing, gnawed
their way into his heart, he sung his victories, and concluded with the
words--

Gone are the hours of existence!
Smiling shall I die.

"How noble and admirable is this strength, amid torments and death! Could
we but thus die!"

"But the rudest savages of America," said Alette, "know and practise
this species of heroism; before me floats another ideal, both of life
and death. The strong spirit of past ages, which you, my brother, so
highly prize, could not support old age, the weary days, the silent
suffering, the g