The Project Gutenberg EBook of Magnhild Dust, by Bjornstjerne Bjornson

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Title: Magnhild Dust

Author: Bjornstjerne Bjornson

Translator: Rasmus B. Anderson

Release Date: September 9, 2010 [EBook #33683]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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MAGNHILD

DUST

WORKS OF
BJOeRNSTJERNE BJOeRNSON

PATRIOTS EDITION

MAGNHILD

DUST

_Translated from the Norse_
_By_
RASMUS B. ANDERSON

[Illustration]

NEW YORK
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY

Copyright, 1882,
BY HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO.

_All rights reserved._

PREFACE.

"Magnhild" was planned during the summer of 1873, while the translator
accompanied Mr. Bjoernson on a journey across Norway. The story is
located in Laerdalen and Skarlie's home is in Laerdalsoeren, a small town
at the head of one of the branches of the far-famed Sognefjord on the
west coast. I well remember with what care the author made his
observations. The story was written the following winter in Rome, but
was not published until 1877, when it appeared in the original in
Copenhagen and in a German translation in the _Rundschau_
simultaneously.

The reader will see that "Magnhild" is a new departure, and marks a new
epoch in Bjoernson's career as a writer of fiction. It is but justice to
say that Mr. Bjoernson himself looks upon this as one of his less
finished works, and yet I believe that many of his American readers will
applaud the manner in which he has here championed the rights of a woman
when she has become united with such a man as Skarlie.

The celebration, on the 10th of August, 1882, of the twenty-fifth
anniversary since the publication of "Synnoeve Solbakken," was a great
success. The day was celebrated by his friends in all parts of
Scandinavia and by many of his admirers in Germany, France, and Italy.
At Aulestad (his home in Norway), more than two hundred of his p