"
In some respects, the little sketch called "The Father" is
the supreme example of Bjornson's artistry in this kind. There
are only a few pages in all, but they embody the tragedy of a
lifetime. The little work is a literary gem of the purest water,
and it reveals the whole secret of the author's genius , as
displayed in his early tales. It is by these tales of peasant
life that Bjornson is best known outside of his own country; one
may almost say that it is by them alone that he is really familiar
to English readers. A free translation of "Synnove Solbakken"
was made as early as 1858, by Mary Howitt, and published under
the title of "Trust and Trial." Translations of the other tales
were made soon after their original appearance, and in some
instances have been multiplied. It is thus a noteworthy fact
that Bjornson, although four years the junior of Ibsen, enjoyed
a vogue among English readers for a score of years during which
the name of Ibsen was absolutely unknown to them. The whirligig
of time has brought in its revenges of late years, and the long
neglected older author has had more than the proportional share
of our attention than is fairly his due.
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