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TALES FROM TWO HEMISPHERES。
TALES FROM TWO
HEMISPHERES。
BY HJALMAR HJORTH BOYSEN。
THE MAN WHO LOST HIS
NAME。
I
ON the second day of June； 186； a young Norseman； Halfdan Bjerk
by name； landed on the pier at Castle Garden。 He passed through the
straight and narrow gate where he was asked his name； birthplace； and
how much money he had；at which he grew very much frightened。
〃And your destination？〃demanded the gruff…looking functionary at
the desk。
〃America；〃 said the youth； and touched his hat politely。
〃Do you think I have time for joking？〃 roared the official； with an
oath。
The Norseman ran his hand through his hair； smiled his timidly
conciliatory smile； and tried his best to look brave； but his hand trembled
and his heart thumped away at an alarmingly quickened tempo。
〃Put him down for Nebraska！〃 cried a stout red…cheeked individual
（inwrapped in the mingled fumes of tobacco and whisky） whose function
it was to open and shut the gate。
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TALES FROM TWO HEMISPHERES。
〃There aint many as go to Nebraska。〃
〃All right； Nebraska。〃
The gate swung open and the pressure from behind urged the timid
traveler on； while an extra push from the gate…keeper sent him flying in the
direction of a board fence； where he sat down and tried to realize that he
was now in the land of liberty。
Halfdan Bjerk was a tall； slender…limbed youth of very delicate frame；
he had a pair of wonderfully candid； unreflecting blue eyes； a smooth；
clear； beardless face； and soft； wavy light hair； which was pushed back
from his forehead without parting。 His mouth and chin were well cut；
but their lines were； perhaps； rather weak for a man。 When in repose； the
ensemble of his features was exceedingly pleasing and somehow reminded
one of Correggio's St。 John。 He had left his native land because he was
an ardent republican and was abstractly convinced that man； generically
and individually； lives more happily in a republic than in a monarchy。 He
had anticipated with keen pleasure the large； freely breathing life he was
to lead in a land where every man was his neighbor's brother； where no
senseless traditions kept a jealous watch over obsolete systems and shrines；
and no chilling prejudice blighted the spontaneous blossoming of the soul。
Halfdan was an only child。 His father； a poor government official；
had died during his infancy； and his mother had given music lessons； and
kept boarders； in order to gain the means to give her son what is called a
learned education。 In the Latin school Halfdan had enjoyed the
reputation of being a bright youth； and at the age of eighteen； he had
entered the university under the most promising auspices。 He could
make very fair verses； and play all imaginable instruments with equal ease；
which made him a favorite in society。 Moreover； he possessed that very
old…fashioned accomplishment of cutting silhouettes； and what was more；
he could draw the most charmingly fantastic arabesques for embroidery
patterns； and he even dabbled in portrait and landscape painting。
Whatever he turned his hand to； he did well； in fact； astonishingly well for
a dilettante； and yet not well enough to claim the title of an artist。 Nor
did it ever occur to him to make such a claim。 As one of his fellow…
students remarked in a fit of jealousy； 〃Once when Nature had made three
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TALES FROM TWO HEMISPHERES。
geniuses； a poet； a musician； and a painter； she took all the remaining odds
and ends and shook them together at random and the result was Halfdan
Bjerk。〃 This agreeable melange of accomplishments； however； proved
very attractive to the ladies； who invited the possessor to innumerable
afternoon tea…parties； where they drew heavy drafts on his unflagging
patience； and kept him steadily engaged with patterns and designs for
embroidery； leather flowers； and other dainty knickknacks。 And in return
for all his exertions they called him 〃sweet〃 and 〃beautiful；〃 and applied to
him many other enthusiastic adjectives seldom heard in connection with
masculine names。 In the university； talents of this order gained but slight
recognition； and when Halfdan had for three years been preparing himself
in vain for the examen philosophicum； he found himself slowly and
imperceptibly drifting into the ranks of the so…called studiosi perpetui；
who preserve a solemn silence at the examination tables； fraternize with
every new generation of freshmen； and at last become part of the fixed
furniture of their Alma Mater。 In the larger American colleges； such men
are mercilessly dropped or sent to a Divinity School； but the European
universities； whose tempers the centuries have mellowed； harbor in their
spacious Gothic bosoms a tenderer heart for their unfortunate sons。
There the professors greet them at the green tables with a good…humored
smile of recognition； they are treated with gentle forbearance； and are
allowed to linger on； until they die or become tutors in the families of
remote clergymen； where they invariably fall in love with the handsomest
daughter； and thus lounge into a modest prosperity。
If this had been the fate of our friend Bjerk； we should have dismissed
him here with a confident 〃vale〃 on his life's pilgrimage。 But；
unfortunately； Bjerk was inclined to hold the government in some way
responsible for his own poor success as a student； and this； in connection
with an aesthetic enthusiasm for ancient Greece； gradually convinced him
that the republic was the only form of government under which men of his
tastes and temperament were apt to flourish。 It was； like everything that
pertained to him； a cheerful； genial conviction； without the slightest tinge
of bitterness。 The old institutions were obsolete； rotten to the core； he
said； and needed a radical renovation。 He could sit for hours of an
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TALES FROM TWO HEMISPHERES。
evening in the Students' Union； and discourse over a glass of mild toddy；
on the benefits of universal suffrage and trial by jury； while the
picturesqueness of his language； his genial sarcasms； or occasional witty
allusions would call forth uproarious applause from throngs of admiring
freshmen。 These were the sunny days in Halfdan's career； days long to
be remembered。 They came to an abrupt end when old Mrs。 Bjerk died；
leaving nothing behind her but her furniture and some trifling debts。 The
son； who was not an eminently practical man； underwent long hours of
misery in trying to settle up her affairs； and finally in a moment of extreme
dejection sold his entire inheritance in a lump to a pawnbroker （reserving
for himself a few rings and trinkets） for the modest sum of 250 dollars
specie。 He then took formal leave of the Students' Union in a brilliant
speech； in which he traced the parallelisms between the lives of Pericles
and Washington； in his opinion the two greatest men the world had ever
seen；expounded his theory of democratic government； and explained the
causes of the rapid rise of the American Republic。 The next morning he
exchanged half of his worldly possessions for a ticket to New York； and
within a few days set sail for the land of promise； in the far West。
II。
From Castle Garden； Halfdan made his way up through Greenwich
street； pursued by a clamorous troop of confidence men and hotel runners。