Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-06-27

what he called an assault, | cut the discussion
short by driving him out Of the room, and that
was the last we saw of him. We reached Fjal
as the moon rose-a globe Of silver fire in
perfect violet sky. Two merry boys, who sang
and shouted the whole way, drove US like the
wind around the bay TO Wifsia. The moon
light was as bright as the Arctic MONDAY, and .
the snowy landscape flashed and glittered under .
its resplendent shower. From the last hill we
saw Sundsvall, which lay beneath us, with its |
wintry roofs, like city of ivory and crystal
shining for US with the fairy promise ofa warm
supper and good bed.
On the 9th, we drove along the shores Of the !
magnificent bay Of Sundsvall. Six vessels lay
frozen in, at a considerable distance from the
town. Near the southern extremity Of the bay, |
we passed the village of Svartyik, which, the
postillion informed US, is all owned by one per-
son, who carries on ship.bulding. The ap
pearance of the place justified his statements.
The aborers' houses were mostly new, all built
on precisely the same model, and with an unu
sual air Of comfort and neatness. ln the cen
ter of the village stood handsome white church,
with clock-tower, and near II the parsonage
and school.house. At the foot Of the slope were
the yards, where several vessels were on the
Stocks and number of sturdy workmen busy
at their several tasks. There was an air of
"assocated labor and the "model lodging
house" about the whole place, which was truly
refreshing to behold except touch of barren
u,iltarianism in the cutting away of the grace
ful frs left from the forest, and thus depriving
the houses of all shade and ornament. We
met many wood-teams, hauling knees and spars,
and were sorely troubled TO get oat ftheir way
Beyond the bay, the hills of Norrland ceased
sinking into those broad, monolonous undula-
tions which extend nearly all the way to Stock
holm. Gardens with thriving frut-trees now
began TO be more frequent, giving evidence Of
a climate where Man has 4 right to live. !
doubt whether it was ever meant that the human
race should settle in any zone So frigd that fruit
cannot ripen.
Thenceforth We had the toughest roads which
were ever made upon foundation OF snow
The increase in travel and in the temperature
OF the air, and most Of ALL the short, loosley-at-
tached sleds used to support the shiptimber,
had worn them into a succession Of holes, chan
nels and lroughs, in and out (which wetramp-
led from morning till night. On going down
hill, the violent shocks frequently threw our
runners completely into the air, and the wrench
was so great that it was a miracle how the sled
escaped fracture. All the joints, it is true, be-
gan 10 work apart, and the ash shafts bent in
the mos, tcklsh way but the rough little con-
veyance which had already done US such hard
service, held out galan,y TO the end. We
reached Mo Myskc on the second night after
leaving Sundsvall, and was greeted with $50
laom alakoom "a Sid from the jolly old Tr-
polan landlord. There was an unusual amount
Of travel norhward the following dav and
we were detained at every station so that it
was nearly midnight before We reached the ex-
torlionaie inn at Gene. The morning dawned
with 4 snOw-s,orm, but we were within 100 miles
of Stockholm, and drove in the teeth of it 10
Elfkareby. The renowned cascades OF the
Dal were by no means what had expected, bui
it was at least satisfaction 10 see living water
after the silent rivers and feitered rapids OF The
f North.
The snow was now getting rapidly thinner.
, So scant was it on the exposed upsaa plain
that we fully expected being obliged TO leave
, our sleds on the way. Even before reaching
Upsala, our postillion chose the lcss-iraveled
feld-roads whenever they led in the same direc-
,ion, and beyond that town we were charged
, additional post-money for the circuits we were
obliged 10 make 10 keep our runers on the snow
On the evening of the 18Th we reached Roxe
bro, only IA miles from Stockholm, and the
a next morning, in splendid sunshine, drove past
n llaga park and palace, into the North Gate
, down the long Drottnng-eatan and up TO kahu ,:
Hotel where we gave our sleds to The valeI-de
+. place, pulled off our Leavy boots, threw aside
= our furs for the remainder of the Winter, and
r sat down to read the pile of letters and paper
which Herr Kahu brought US. 1t was precise
ly two months since our departure in December
and in that time we had performed journey o
a 1900 miles, $50 of which we're by reindeer
II and nearly 500 inside of the Arctic Circle
n Our frozen noses had peeled off, and the new
y, skin showed no signs of the damage they ha'
n susiained-so that we had come Out the fgh
C not only without scar, but with marked in
: crease of robust vitality.
| must confess, however, that, Interesting Al
d the journey has been, and happily as we hav
Is endured its exposures, ! should not wish to max
e i, again. ], is well to see the North, even qf
d ter the South but, as there is no one who Wis
!, us tue tropics Wllnout longing ever aIieT 10 Ie
l. turn again, so, ] imagine, there is no one who
ID having once seen Winter inside the Arci
p Circle, would ever wish to see another. In spit
IS of The warm, gorgeous and ever-changing play 4
It color lowering over the path of the unseen sun
D, in spite of the dazzling auroral dances and tn
10 magical TRANSPORTATION of the forests, the at
r sence of true daylight and of all signs ofwarmt
I'd and life, exercises at last depressing infuenc
IN on the spirits. The snow, so beautiful Will
r the sunrise-se,ting illumination lasts, wears
IS ghastly monotony at all other ,imes, and the all
e. so exhllaraing, even at the lowest temperature
Sc becomes an enemy TO be kept out, when 20
le know his terrible power TO benumb and destroy
h. To the native OF a warmer zone, this presenc
d. Of an unseen destructive force in Nature weigh
I'd like nightmare upon the mind The inhab
is lants of the North also seem TO undergo specie
en of Information, as well as the animals. Nearl
g. half their time is passed in sleep; they are S
r. lent in comparison with the natives of the otht
r. parts of the world there is little exuberaI
" gayely and cheerfulness, but patience, ndffe
d. ence, apathy almost. Aspects of Nature whic