The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-21
riding behind the King, laced and braided as
he goes in procession to the public gardens2

IluInS Dennu INC Aines l6cou onu OA"'oSo 40
he goes in procession to the public gardens2
a SWEDISH HOME.
For you win observe that this is the Assem-
sion day. Stockholm, having Lutheran re-
spect for saints and holy feasts, has closed
her shop windows And, blessed be God, the
sun shines In this peculiar land no festival
excels the May. May brings life, sunshine,
happiness to all classes. The pendulum Of
the days life has q long swing in Sweden. In
midwinter the day begins at eleven in the
morning and closes at three In midsummer
it begins about two in the morning and closes
at eleven, if it closes at oil, for when the sun
sinks the sky is flushed with clear white
Polar light. / have seen midsummer nights
when the twilight never ceased, and have
sat under the spreading oaks Of the
Deer Park reading by sunlight, and
midnight ct hand by the clock. To the
swede Winter means the cloister Summer
the fields. The short days and the long, cold
weeks are exhausting, and housekeeping art
has exhausted every device to fight the frosty
air and Winter sunshine. ! am writing these
lines in private hsnss. The hotels were
filed with strangers, and was tunhled into
this apartment by the hotel servant. You
turn two or three alleys and ascend three
pair of dark stairs before you find q resting
place ] refer to it because it is famous
old house, and was tenanted by noblemcn in
it's day, and by no less person than the
dentist to Bernadotte, and shows you the
inside home-life of the Swede. All that is
forbidding fades with the doorwaye, and there
is exceeding comfort in the decorations and
furniture. There are evidences of sim
Cere scrubbing on the floors; the
windows ore double and sealed up to exclude
the air. Heavy curtains drape them heavy
curtains of red supplemented by heavier ones
of blue, SO as to debar' the Winter blasts as
we'll as destroy the resolute and persistent
Summer sun. You see the preparations for
fighting the long Winter evenings. In each
room there is o stove not an ordinary stove,
doomed to the woodshed in Summer and
doing only half duty in the cold days, but q
stove that reaches to the ceiling, and might be
model for new kind Of cannon or locomo-
tive, and is duly FURNISHED in brass and
covered with some glistening enamelled stone.
I count twenty-six separate candles ready
for service. Eighteen swing from chandeliers,
the others are slowed in crevices and on
shelves. In'addition there ore three lamps,
in trimmed condition, filed with oil. The
floors lack carpets but are not carpets, like
fences, evidences of suspicious and i'm
perfect civilization do not know even the
name of my landlord We sought speech the
morning of my coming; but as he was limited
to Swedish in his modes of talk we merely
smiled on each other. have not seen him
since l have fancy that he is noble
man in depressed condition, and spends his
time reading the court news. He certainly
a mysterious message appears on my table,
written in French, in large, school-boy hand,
asking if am in need, and begging me to rap
twice on the door if / como home after ten,
and urging me to have little supper of bread
and milk. The other day was informed the
French Minister had called, and would return
again. And much / marvelled at the
| assiduous courtesy of gentleman with whom
had no acquaintance. But it was not the
French Minister, only o mild, middle-aged
citizen, with two crosses on his lapel, craving
my autograph, under the delusion that was
an eminent American. He spoke French and
was supposed to be the Minister. Occasion
ally the written forms Of intercourse do not
suffice, and an apparition comes in timidly
with prepared sentence of inquiry, which she
speaks with wandering eyes, like child re-
citing lesson only half remembered And a
child it is-my apparition--with coy, soft
beauty that frank, marvellous expression of
innocence that hovers over the fresh, unfold
! ing virgin face, and that must, one thinks
have been the inspiration which taught our
rude ancestors the first lessons of the gentle
man. But if venture further speech with
the child her language has no other resources,
and she only reddens like the rose and steals
| away.