Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-11-03
Stockholm.

beautiful capital of Sweden, which. though
situated IN nearly 60 degrees of north lati-
tude, has mean temperature of only ~ 70,
or 26 Q in winter and so o in summer.
Cities generally radiate in suburbs which
make the visitor aware of has destination
In London and Paris the railroad skirts
miles of dense habitations before it terlnin-
ates IN the heart of these capitals Stock.
| holm you behold without an inslant's
warning, like fairy castle in a wood. No
smoke OF factories no compact settlements,
suggest your near approach When, at
| length, the islets of Lake Malar open and
disclose their hidden gem to the Intruder.
surprise and admiration at once seize and
charm HIM. The vain attempts Of culture
! to subdue the neighborhood of Stockholm.
have left the capital of the north in pos.
session OF its wild, primitive beauty.
Not only has the water Of Lake
Malar and the numerous sheets
that lie around the hills of the
city retained their crystal purity unpolluted
by the offscourings of refinement the
Seine, the Thames, and Chicago rivers have
been-but also slopes, in sight of the me-
tropohs, are still covered by the virgin
forest, or commanded by bold masses of
rock, as they were before Birger Jarl spied
and settled the advantageous little isle
Originally Stockholm meant no more than
rocky point in the neck of that lake,
whose body reaches far inland, near the
place of meeting and mingling Of the salt
waters of the Baltic with its sweet current.
While this situation was chosen to check
the incursions of sea robbers along the
Malar coast it soon gained positive advant-
age through commerce, whose sen ships
met lake boats from the interior at this deep
and abundant harbor. Thus the city grew
and became known beyond its own king
dom, when Gustavus Adolphus and Charles
XII, crossed over to help, or ayenge, the
princess of Europe.
From the innermost parts of the busy
city ghmpses Of landscapes may be caught
over expanses of water bounded by wooded
slopes Country seems to merge into town.
A few minutes in a convenient little tug will
convey you in any one of dozen different
directions from the workshop to the wood
land. Water communication is as active,
if not as essential, as in Venice-not only
for the business between different points of
the mainland and the island, but to pleas
ure resorts and summer homes of the Stock
holmers also, these agile vehicles, beyond
comparison with the caiques of Constanti-
though not sumptuous as they, ply momen-
tarily across the different arms af the lake
and the sea. Bound in as they are by ma
ture, all summer long, the citizens revei in
this bondage. From noon till night
the tugs are burdened with pleas
ure parties for Djurgarden, a
bluff near by the city, where numberless
houses of merriment throw open their
doors in the woods. Panoramas and pup
pet shows, concerts and circuSes and all
her city amusements, are seen and heard,
while the sun shines in the very home of
Bacchus. An unpatriotic characteristic OF
the Swedes is suggested by the styles and
names of the various gardens and restau-
rants. The Alhambra, with its fretted
Moorish ornamentation; the Tivoli
and Schweizeri, names best known to
Italians and Swiss, seek to please the
Northmen by thiS silly imitation of the
South Nothing ESQ much priced as that
which bears a foreign stamp, be it per-
son, fashion or thing. That land is poor
indeed that needs to borrow its very
customs, and hopelessly servile if it bows
to foreign standards of taste and criticism
OF all the public buildings of Stockholm
the royal castle is the most imposing for
size and situation. It's history is long, and
are still exposed huge blocks of the foun-
dation of the old fortress and of its walls
of gloomy dungeons. Above the 200 cellar
rooms and vaults, and SO kitchens, the
vast structure contains 800 lighted, warmed
and furnished apartments, some of which
belong to the King, others to, the Queen,
still others to the Queen Dowager, and to
the royal orders, while the rest are appoI-
toned to the royal household and retain
ers.
While there are no vast halls and miles
of painted walls, and acres of frescoed cell
lngs IN this palace to make a journey thro'
1t tediouSly magnificent, as at Versailles
the varied succession of chambers, low and
small enough to be home-lil.e, yet in fur
niture and ornament always kingly, charms
without awing you. There, is no restraint
against your opening gilded volumes, or
stopping to examine regal cOuches, and
there is no safety from viewing pictures
artistlcally arranged, yet not crowded upon
the walls. You pass from the red room
to the white and the green, from the hall
Of gold to those of glass and porcelain n
Everywhere your feet glide over pol
ished floors of various colored wood,
your tongue exclaims before some
darlask curtain richer and heavier
and wonder at the paper of velvet, the
gilded portals, and the crystal chandeliers.
Nothing interested us more than set OF
Colts revoivers, in the Kings story, which
bore the compliments of Lincoln to Charles
XIV. Outside of Slotel the stranger finds
few churches and the National Museum,
worth visiting. One OF the former has
been gradually occupied by tombs, until
now Sabbath services are no longer held III
it. Memorial slabs make up the flooring,
and cast off armor and tattered flags hang
against the walls. Costly monuments OF
black and red granite fill side chapels, and
sarcophagi rest in the gloom of subterran-
can vaults. The church Of KiddarhOlm
bas become mausoleum, and the worship
of God has sunken into veneration for His
creature.
They have worldly notices upon the
walls, faunt human Standards from the
pulpits, and display relics Of dead heroes,
but the living Christ they exclude, or call
ing Him merely Jesus, mention His name
with those of Bacon and Socrates. Beside
other old eathedrals, around whose pillars
echoes chase each other, unmindful OF the
change in the country religion and their
consequent detriment to preaching, how
ever much they may have solemnized the
monotonous Latin of the priest, the chorus
chants, and the organ peals, there are two,
built in the reformed style, and presided
over by preachers instead of showmen. One
of these edifces is copy of Spurgeon's
Tabernacle, and its minister is eloquent
and active as the great Baptist.
A HOPEFUL CONVERT During late re-
vival in Kansas, notorious old sinner
Jim E, was hopefully converted, and
got up in class meeting to give his exper
ience He commenced soto vo0e, and in a
measured tone; ''I-dreamed "a dream.
dreamed-that [ died-and went to hell. ;"
A brother here arose and remarked: 'sWiH
the brother please speak little louder +?
We can't hear him in this quarter" Jim
repeated, alto v0ce: II dreamed that
died, ETC., when another brother rose in