Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-08-01
BRATTLEBORO, VT: AUG. l, 1857.


with thoroughly cheerful and amiable face,
came noxt and nodded. smiling. With her was
the Queen, daughter of Eugene Beauharnais,
handsome woman for her years with the dark
hair and eyes of her Grandmother, Josephine
King Oscar fullowed, at the head of company
Of officers and mobiles, among whom was his sec-
ond son, Prince Oscar, the handsomest young
man in Stockholm. He wore his Admiral's uni
form, and made me naval salute as he passed.
| he King is about medium hight, with SYM
mctrical head, bold, fncfy-cut nose, keen, i'll
tclligent eyes, and heavy gray mustache.-
There was something gallant, dashng and man
y in his air, despite his 81 years. He gave me
the impression Of an honest, energetic and thor
oughly accomplished man, whereas the face of
the Crown Prince, though good-natured, seemed
TO me weak and irresolute. Prince Oscar,
should say, possesses all his fathers talent, and
could not help wishing that the order Of his
birth had been otherwise ! asked for permis-
sion 10 visit the King the other day, but he is at
present too i'll to receive any one. He sent me,
however, a very kind message, through Baron
Lagerhcim and Mr. Schroeder
Atcr speaking of the manners Of Stockholm,
] must not close this letter without saying few
words about its morals Ii has been called the
most licontious city in Europe, and, have no
doubt, with the most perfect justice. Vienna
may surpass it in the amount Of conjuga iniidel-
ity, but certainly not in general incontinence.
Very nearly half the registered births are ille
gmaie, to say nothing Of the illegltimate chill
dren born in wedlock. OF the servant-girs,
shop-arls and scamstrcsscs in the city, it is very
safe TO say that scarcely one out of hundred is
chaSte, while, as rakish young Swcdes have cool
y informed me, large proportion of girls of
respectable parentage, belonging TO the middle
class, are not much better. The men, of course,
are much worse than the women, and even in
Paris one secs fewer physical signs OF excessive
debauchery. Here, the number of broken down
young men, and blear.eyed hoary sinners, is as
TOMS ling. | have never been in any place where
licentiousness was so opened and avowed-and
yet, where the slang OF sham morality was so
prevalent There are no houses of prostitution
in Stockholm, and the city would be scandazed
at the idea Of allowing such thing. A few
years ago two were established, AMI the fact was
no sooner known than virtuous mob arose and
violently pulled them down AT the restaurants,
young blades order their dinners of the female
walters, with an arm around their waists while
the old men place their hands unblushingly upon
their bosoms All the baths in Stock holm are
attended by women Generally mdde-aged and
hidcous must coness,) who perform the usual
scrubblng and shampooing with the greatest non
chalence. One does not wonder when he is told
Of young men who have passed safely through
the or,eas Of Berlin and Paris and have come
at last To Stockholm to be ruined
This, the most vital of all the social problems
is strangely neglected The diseases and exces-
which it enscnders are far more devastating
than those which spring fran any other vice. and
yet no philanlhropst is hold enough to look the
question in the face. The virtuous shrink from
it, the vicious don't care about it, the goily sim
ply condemn, aud the ungodly ndulge-and so
the world goes On, and hundreds of thousands
90 down annually to utter ruin. Which is best
city like Stock holm, where Prostitution is pro-
hibiIed, or New York, where it is tacitly allow
ed, or Hamburg, where it is legalized Let
some one with more time and more ethical abil-
ny, answer my business here Is SIMPLY 10 make
statements.
1t is but fair 10 say that the Swedes account
for the large proportion OF illegtimate births by
stating that many unfortunate females come up
from the country to hide their shame in the cap
ital, which is no doubt true Everything that
have said has been derived from residents OF
Stockholm, who, proud as they are and sensitive,
cannot conceal this glaring depravIy. The pop
ulation Of Stockholm, as is proved by statistics,
has only been increased during the last fifty years
| by Immigration from the country, the number of
deaths among the inhabitants exceeding the
births by several hundred every year was
once speaking with Swede about these facts,
which he seemed inclined 10 doubt. "But," said
! |, "thcy are derived from your own statistics" +"
"Well," he answered, with naive attempt 10
fin some compensating good, "you must at least
admit that the Swedish statistics are as exact as
any in the world!'
J Drunkenness is leading vice among the
Swedes, as We have daily evidence here. Six
years ago the consumption Of brandy throughout
the kingdom was nine gallons for every man,
l.l,.l - L.. 4.
considerably since then, mainly through the man
ufacturc of Ger and porter. "BdersA Of
(Bavarian beer) is now to he had everywhere,
and is rapidly becoming the favoriie drink of the
people. Sweden and the United States are fast
proving the fact that Lager Beer is more eilica-
cous in preventing lmtemperance than any
amount of Prohibitory Law. Brandy-drinking
ia STILL nevertheless, one of the greatest curses
OF Sweden 1t is no unusual thing to see boys
of twelve or fourteen take their glass OF fiery fin
kel before dinner. Tho celebrated Swedish
q. punch, made Of aTrack, wine and sugar, is un.
| iversal evening drink, and one of the most in
sidious ever invented, despite its agreeable ia
vor. There is movement in favor of Total
Abstinence, but il seems to have made but little
progress, except as il is connected with some Of
the new religious ideas, which are now preached
throughout the country.
The Gotha Canal is at last open, and | shall
leave in few days for Germany and England
before visiting Norway. have much more to
say of Stockholm and IFS life, but shall be here
again for a week or two next October. My
| present stay of two months and half has been
devoted principally to studying Swedish, and at
tending the gymnasium of Prof Branting, the
successor of concerning all which | shall
have something to say. b.
TROUBLES IN A PRINTING OFFICE