Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Sidor ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
28 BIOGRAPHY.
gaise was then called; aud young ladies learnt to dance the
gavotte, the shawl-dance, and a kind of dance with a tambour
de Basque, from which this dance derived its name. A
first-rate danseuse from the opera came to our house twice
a week, accompanied by an old gentleman, who played the
violin while we were dancing, in order to teach us to keep
time. This old gentleman stood in need of much patience,
but this he had not. He became angry when, during every
lesson, he had to ‘play the same reprise over and over
again; because we could never be ready with our steps
when he began playing. He beat time with his foot louder
aud louder, then he grumbled in a half-suppressed voice to
the tune of his violin, and now and then we heard him ex-
claim, as if to himself, “ Devil’s children!” We were very
much offended at the old man’s impoliteness; we dared not
complain of it to our parents, but spoke, as usual, to “ Bonne
Amie,” who gave us the prudent advice to do our best to
fall into time at ounce, and to pretend not to hear what the
old man was saying when he lost his temper.
I believe it must have been about this time, or when
Fredrika was between nine and ten years old, that my par-
ents, one beautiful day in spring, made an excursion with
some friends to Skuré, a royal domain famous for its
beautiful park. Before dinner, which was ordered at the
neighboring hotel, the company took a stroll through some
part of the extensive park, the intention being to take a
longer walk through it after dinner; but after having
sauntered about for some time, Fredrika was missing. We
all returned at once to search for her, shouting her name
in all directions, but in vain; Fredrika was not to be seen.
Unacquainted with the large extent of the park, we did not
venture to separate, for fear that any more of our party
might be lost. It was, therefore, determined that my
mother should return, with the greater part of the com-
pany, to the hotel, and from thence send out people to
search for the lost one. Only my father, one of his friends,
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
