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BIOGRAPHY. 43
read, drew, embroidered, played scales, sonatas, and themas
with variations, and Fredrika wrote both prose and verse,
but she wept often and said that nobody understood her.
The relation between my father and Fredrika had cer-
tainly become much better than formerly; and when, on
his or my mother’s birthday, she wrote some little play,
which was performed by us children, my father was much
amused and pleased; and when it was my mother’s birth-
day that was to be celebrated, he copied out the parts
himself.
The monotonous resemblance of one year to the other
continued until 1820, when Fredrika and our youngest sis-
ter Agatha were ordered by our doctor to drink mineral
waters. Inexpressibly happy to be allowed to see a little
of the world, I had also permission to be of the party.
We went with my mother to a Swedish spa, but so late in
the season that most of the mineral-water drinkers had al-
ready left on our arrival. We led there a quiet, agreeable
life during three weeks’ time. The country around was
very beautiful, and an amiable old married couple, owners
of the spa, and residing on their estate in the neighbor-
hood, did all in their power to make our solitary stay there
as pleasant and agreeable as possible. ‘This little trip did
us all a great deal of good, especially Fredrika, who really
stood in need of getting away from home, which to her ap-
peared more dull than to us.
For a couple of years it had been my father’s wish to
sell Arsta, and to settle in the south of France. During
his many travels in foreign parts, he had not seen any
country which pleased him more, and every succeeding
year his desire to live in a milder climate became stronger
and stronger. As, however, he could not obtain the price
for Arsta which he had asked for it, it was determined that
the whole faniily should travel a year, and spend a winter
in Marseilles.
In the beginning of August, 1821, we all set out upon
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