Nybyggarna Page #3

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before you learnt to speak English?

We pointed and made signs

and waved our hands a lot.

-Excuse me.

-Did you choke on something?

No' it's the priest coming.

Not Henry' but the priest I will

bring into this world. That's why I threw up.

-I'm pregnant' you see.

-Ulrika !

When I got married I hadn't been

with a man for four years'-

-so it felt nice to use the body

for the purpose it was made for.

And that in a union blessed by God.

But Jackson was doing it too fast

in the beginning. That was the problem.

Sleep tight' Kristina.

You've got a long journey tomorrow. Good night.

-Ask who it is before you open.

-Who is it?

May I come in' good people?

-Is he Swedish?

-Yes. Thank goodness

-He must have been out in bad weather.

-Yes' it was terrible weather.

-Where have you come from?

-St. Paul. I walked here.

I'm completely exhausted.

Sit him down' let him dry off.

It's so nice to come into a nice

dry house a little while.

-He's bleeding ! Has he been hit?

-It's the mosquitoes' they were biting bad.

We are the Nilsson's.

Karl Oskar Nilsson' from Ljuder County.

Erland Trner is my name'

from Vderstad County in stergtland.

I see' stergtIand. Well' well. . .

Has he come here to claim land then?

No' I'm a priest in the Swedish church.

-He's a priest?

-Yes.

I come to you unknown my fellow countrymen.

I have an emigration license

which confirms that I'm. . .

We never doubted the father' not for a second.

Would the father like some dry clothes?

I'm sure Karl Oskar has some that will. . .

It almost feels like blasphemy to

dress a priest in this manner.

Well' it's a little big'

but nice and warm.

If the father will accept'

this is all we have.

May I ask. . .

Why has the father come to America?

-For the sake of the emigrants.

-For our sake? But who pays him?

No one' but good people

house me and feed me'-

-just like you have this evening.

Just the way you have taken care of'-

-I will be taking care of the souls

of my fellow country men.

Would the father perhaps honour us

with some bits out holy scriptures?

We have not been able to make our

confessions for more than three years.

Oi ! Oi' oi' oi !

And from that can draw

that sin is no joking matter

I have selected today's text from

the Deeds of the Apostles chapter 1 7.

''''And he let people of all kind' who all come

from one person' populate the whole world'''''-

-''''and he gave them set times''''-

-''''and lay out boarders to

their territories.''''

Excuse me' father.

God has determined how far and

how wide people should travel and flee.

I am speaking to you'

Swedish men and women-

-who have crossed a

third of the earths surface'-

-who have travelled from one

continent to another.

Me' poor sinful human. . .

. . .who has been born with sin. . .

. . .and who must suffer

all the days of my life. . .

Jesus Christ' whose body you are about to

receive'-

-may he keep you in eternity. Amen.

Jesus Christ' whose body you are about to

receive'-

-may he keep you in eternity. Amen.

Jesus Christ' whose body you are about to

receive'-

-may he keep you in eternity. Amen.

Jesus Christ' whose blood you are about to

receive'-

-may he keep you in eternity. Amen.

Look now' look now.

We all know how Jesus. . .

You mean Ulrika.

She is my best friend.

But your friend is married to the

Baptist preacher in StiIIwater!

-She has been re-baptised !

-I know' but that is her business.

Well' you should know: we are not

allowed to associate with heretics.

Don't let the woman into your house.

Don't open the door to her.

Mrs Jackson is an enemy of our faith.

It is only out of love we seek to warn you.

Brother Petrus. Does he know. . .

Does he know that he is speaking

of my best friend in America?

-Friendship blinds you.

-Spirits appear to be friends.

You cannot recognise the enemy of

the church in this Mrs Jackson because of it.

-Are you talking about Ulrika behind her back?!

-Poor child' what is she saying !

Be quiet. Put your wife in her place.

Help us talk some sense into her.

This is absurd.

You have nothing to do with Kristina.

She opens the door to whomever she chooses.

Don't you give orders in my house!

I don't need a guardian' nor does my wife.

At least that is cleared up!

Nelson' dear neighbour.

You must understand us. . .

You come over here wanting to

separate Ulrika and me.

You speak ill of her and accuse

her of evil doings.

You have forgotten the eight commandment' that

is how much of a Christian you are. Shame on you !

-Come' Petrus. We have come too late.

-Dear Kristina. . .

We came her today out of Christian love'

and you greet us with insults'-

-but I forgive you.

Heresy speaks through you.

Christian people must avoid this house'

until we can clean it.

Out! Get out of here!

Out' if it's too dirty for you.

''''Clean''''' you said. ''''until it

is cleaned'''' I will never forget this.

In this territory' 19 out of 20 men-

-lie alone at night whimpering till

moss grows on their rods.

Or you have to do as Samuel Njd did

and take one of the brown ones as your wife.

I could never go to bed with an Indian woman.

I am sure you would if you got desperate enough.

I'm sure there is nothing wrong with their

pussies' even if they are very small.

If you wrote a letter to the

Swedish Government'-

-maybe they could send over a shipload of

good' decent Swedish women.

And then we could swear' in writing-

-that we would rob them all of their

virginity the very day they arrived.

and then we could. . .

Or maybe possibly the second night at the latest.

If anyone had their virginity

intact by sunrise'-

-she would get a 1000 daler compensation.

If only I had my own oxen.

I could produce twice as much.

It is best if you get off.

Stomp properly!

No. No!

Move!

Move' you devil !

We'll soon be home' Johan.

Wrap up tight in your coat.

There you go.

Johan? Little Johan?

Johan !

There you go' Johan. Just so.

I'll be back soon.

Robert! Are you back!

You recognised me faster than Karl Oskar.

But he was still in the crib when I left.

And here is one more. This is Ulrika.

-You must be hungry?

-I'm mostly thirsty.

I picked up a cold on the steam boat.

-Where is Arvid? Isn't he with you?

-No' Arvid isn't with me.

-Where is he now' then?

-He stayed behind over there.

You've got to eat. You've got to finish it.

You're nothing but skin and bones.

Is your ear still painful?

Yes' it howls and aches in there.

If only you could hear the

things it tells me in the nights.

I should have had that crib with me

tot he gold fields.

Gold is treated like an infant.

You rock it back and forth till all

the sand and gravel is sifted out'-

-and the it lies there'

flashing on the bottom.

Where did you find the gold?

It was everywhere.

Sometimes in the strangest places.

Once in a washer boy.

One night he got a terrible stomach

cramp' screaming and twitching.

The next morning he was dead.

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