The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-01-05
SUNSHINE AT MIDNIGHT,

There is a mountain in the north of Swe-
den, almost on the boundary between that
country and Russia, situated SO near the
Arctic Circle that from its summit may be
seens.the phenomena of the midnight sun
It is called Avasaxa, and parties of "travel-
ers to the gun" frequently climb tits wooded
sides to get view of the sublime spectacle
that may be seen from the summit We
6nd in an exchange the following description
of the scene:
1T is midnight now, and over the bound
less prospect of wooded darkness the sun
shines without lighting it up Bright, but
without beams, it stands above the horizon,
cleaning with softened light, and casting a
rple glow on the figures moving about
on the mountains. Now floating cloud OBJ
scures its broad disc, and great columns
Of smoke ascend here and there along the
horizon toward heaven. The night ia warm
calm and delightful and everything is in
harmony with the festive Of nature. Over
the grazers comes feeling Of fear and re-
yerential awe, mingled with the sublimity of
the scene and sense of it's exceeding beau=
ty The mysterious hour, the mountain
summit, the earth quietly sleeping, with its
dark woods, its still waters, its silent habita-
tions, and the soft mist hanging over its val.
lcys slowly moving in the celestial
archway, the midnight sun shining in its
softest splendor, quiet and pure like watch-
full eye bcaming with love, give the elements
Of scene whose loneliness exceeds the Wild
est dream of fancy.
''Such is the midsummer festival of tie
far North, where the God of Light himself
conducts the mighty solemnity where in
the short summer the luxuriant growth Of
vegetable life is like creation of magic
where birds sing, flowers bloom, insects
faunt their gorgeous colors, and in few
weeks the life is over, gone as swiftly as the
dream it resembles. 1t was among these res
gions of short enohantment, these lovely is
| lands of bliss, that the Norsemcn placed
their mystic Valhalla. Here was their long
ed for home beyond the North wind, undcr
light which never sets, in the society of
gentle and righteous spirits, in communion
with the gods beneath eternaly bright
heavens, wherethe combat of every day Ia
sport and every night feast OF victory
| Thus did the physical characteristics Of their
| Northern cline inspire the fancy OF the
Northern poets to locate the pleasure garden
| of the sun in regions always illuminated by
his light.
! "In our latitude no midnight sun circles in
brilliant course above5 the horizonss at the
midsummer festival, and frightening tWilight
blends together the crimson of evening and
the crimson of morning. But this very night
Of the summer solstice the sun will not set
to all jewellers within the Arctic circle, and
on Avasaxa and all mountains of the same
latitude parties may gather, like the one to
ghich we have alluded, to witness his mys-
ferrous midnight presence. In ouresown
part of the earth it is the supreme moment
of physical perfection Fapthost to the
'orth this day roll the chariot wheela of the
sun, highest in the heavens reaches his mo.
ridian course, and farthest to the north sinks
his descending wheels. Morning twilight
and evening twilight linger longest over tho
landscape; while the dominion of darkness
has her shortest ways"