The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1973, Side 37

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
35
self — his egoism and overbearing.
Ragnhildur would decide her own
affairs.
All these memories had crowded
him during the night; and now he
had come out into the joyful spring
morning to shake them off.
Today was Ragnhildur’s wedding
day, and it was supposed to be to her
joy and pleasure; no expense would
be saved. No disagreement, nothing
but heartfelt prayers and wishes of
happiness would accompany her from
the patrimonial farm.
Ingolfur looked over his farm and
land again. Yes, it was beautiful at
Vik and he had exerted himself to
make it that way; hut now he felt that
he had done it all in vain. The prop-
erty at Vik did not mean much to him
any more, except to rest his bones if
he would be allowed to be buried at
the side of Thordfs and the children.
The wages of the foreigner are
usually meagre and always the same:
he is given land to be sure, but in re-
turn he gives his whole life, his health,
and all his abilities. Yes, the land en-
gulfs him, body and soul, and his
children for a thousand generations.
— Transl. by M. Geppert
About the Author:—
GUBRTiN HELGA FINNSD6TTIR
GuSnin Helga Finnsdottir (1884-
1946) was born of a family of poets,
in the eastern part of Iceland. She
arrived in Winnipeg in 1904 with her
husband, the printer and poet Gisli
Jonsson. Having raised her family, she
began writing short stories for news-
papers and for Tfmarit of the Nation-
al League, whose editor her husband
was for many years.
Her stories were published in Hill-
ingalond (Enchanted Lands), in 1938
and DagshrfSar spor (Episodes in the
Struggle of Life, or Tracks of the
Day’s Struggle), in 1946. Some of her
essays and talks were published in
FerSalok (Journey’s End), in 1950, a
memorial volume published after her
death by her husband.
Her stories deal with the American
scene, from the point of view of the
immigrant still rooted in the old
country. She is loyal to her new home
but cannot help feeling that there is
an uneven bargain for the immigrant,
who for the new land gives himself
body and soul. This inexorable fate
is always at the back of her mind. In
some of her latest stories she voices
her heartfelt belief in the heritage of
the race, a heritage passing from par-
ent to child, whether the parties ap-
prove of it or not.
¥ ^
The above write-up is based on Dr.
Stefan Einarsson’s account of GuSrun
Finnsdottir in his A History of Ice-
landic Literature. It may be in order
to suggest here that the great majority
of the Icelandic settlers in America,
while cherishing their Icelandic heri-
tage, embraced their new homeland
and gave it their unreserved loyalty.
Part I. of “Fykur f sporin” (For-
gotten Footsteps, or Obliterated Foot-
steps) was included in the Anthology
Vestan um haf (From West-over-the-
Sea, or From America), in 1930. A
Part II had been virtually completed
in part and the rest of it was in draft
form at the time of the author’s death,
in 1946. Part II. was prepared for pub-
lication by her husband and appeared
in DagshrfSar spor, in 1946. —Ed.