The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-01-20
The Land of The Midnight Snn.
NORWAY AND SWEDEN

Mr.. Z. B. Du Chailu, in his ncw Ice.
ture, The Land of the Midnight Sun,
says There is a country far away fiom
our shore-far away toward The the icy
north 1t is a glorious land, with bold
and magnificent mountains with deep,
narrow, well-shetered valleys, wild ra-
vines, picturesque and lovely lakes, i'm.
mense glaciers-the largest in Euiog,,
and, perhaps, the largest in The world
immense forests Of pine, birch au1 ir
trees, the solitude Of which seem to s9o.uc
the turbulent spirit Of man, counit,.
rivulets, which in their fight toward the
sea, fall in thousand cascades river
and streams which rush into the chasms
below in gigantic waterfalls that aston
iohes the delighted bohodor In the
north Of that land the sun shines day aud
night in June, July, and part OF August.
At that period NJ stars are to be seen.
The moon sheds no lustre upon the earth.
Tho summer is short II is Just long
enough to give time 70 the wild flowers
to bloom and Fl dc away Then cold
winds blow and gras, begins TO look }el.
low and leaves begin to wihcr, aud sw1l-
lows and other birds fly toward the
south the moon shines once more, and
at last there is no more sun to be sc.n
Then the heavens seem to Be in . h,eze
of light How many nights have trav-
eled miles and miles, and cujofll tho
magnificent scenery and glorious climate
of that country! 1t is the Land Of the
Midnight sun" love these Scaudioa.
vians. | love these pleasant hearted and
bue-eyed people love their Kindness
their honesty. There is no pcoIe in the
world SO good as this northern people oi
Europe Churches are seen everywhere,
and churches in that country are the
grald rt9nd. point, Schools also abound
OF course. they ore not like our public
school, bat. nevertheless, they are good
school. fhc people are Protestant and
Lutheran
bad sn idea before 1 wen, to san
dinavia, that it was a sort Of wild cora-
try, having population that was only
half civilized, but that is a mistake.
They all know how to read aud wi,e
In the public schools the pupils uIo
obliged to learn French, English aud Ger
man, 1t is good and-that Land ct
the Midnight Sun''--and | am going to
try to lead you into it. On Cue sum.
mer's day lei, Stockholm. which, bv the
way, il ne OF the most delightful and IL.
tercsting cities in Europe Toward mid.
lay we came to place where we were
;oing to get dinner. came to large
hall ia lhe midst Of which was q table,
On which VAS very white tahie.cloth.
The meat and vegetables were cooked,
and | sat down expecting one Of the ser
wants 10 asl; me what was going to eat,
when, to my establishment, every man
comlnenced to help himself, ate also,
nd when | had finished the meal | ex.
iected to be asked for mony. Nothing Of
aid the cost twenty telNe9 .sge, win.
eft. While was in Stockholm thought
| would very much like to sec the King.
lIe came to the city two days after my
arrival and received me il the most
charming and agreeable manner. He
asked me to spend the next day at his
summer palace, a few miles from Stock
holm, and of course gladly accofted the
invitation When | went there | saw 10
policemen, no soldiers, no servants, and
when | entered the apartment in which
the King was, found him in his shirt
sleeves engaged in painting. | then le''
to see the Midnight SUN and, to my
astonishmeni, met an old gentleman "a
scventy.six, from Philadelphia, who va-
] .;y,il,r Ea- IN
the summer, and there was 10 snow,
After time got to the farms, and to
nv utter astonishment, found that the
cows were fed on raw fish Then after
while | found that not only the COWS, but
: the sheep aud goats were fed on raw iish.
Finally | reached Finland. The Fins
are exceedingly agreeable people. Now
and then | would come upon church III
the desert, as you might say. and there
around the church was the graveyard
No matter if you die 200 or SEQ m.!ca
away, your people carry Your bods f.
that grave yard to be buried there. |
found the clergy well educated and cz-
ceedin6y simple and amiable. Thee J
went on following the "midnighV sau'
days and days. Finally l reached the
northern extremity of Europe, and @hat
great finish it was to my journey :
There stood that midnight sun and that
Polar sea IN all its stiffness and beauty.
= At last | was obliged to leave it. /
', went to study the Norwcg;ans. l found
J, that three of my books had been transla-
\ ted into Norwegian and Swedish, and that
the people knew me somewhat hy name.
'' | admired the simplicity Of tho rch the
modesty Of the women, and the simple B!
Of the whole people. Never have seen
IS such honesty as | experienced amoug 'h'
: people there The simplicity o! mauusr
j. among the rich surprised me. | remem-
i ber being in magnificent country sea.
d in the south Of Sweden, owned by mau
F. whose annual income from land was
s. SIS 900, aud yet his wife daily appeared
l. in calico dress, with nothing in ths
u shape of adornment except velvet rib-
d bon round her neck. The simplicity o.
ID the engagement ring is remarkable. Eyei
le the king would not think Of giving more
d. than plain gold ring as an engagement
ring. After the marriage, two rings ar
's worn. and three when tho lady has 9
ne family of children. Tho way TO trave
g. in Sweden is exceedingly pleasant. Th'
n roads are just as good as ia Contra
-. Park. People fancy it is long way .
= 90 to Sweden. 1t takes only twelve day
Go direct to London, and from ther
, two boats week leave for Chrlstion
'd and Stockholm, the duration Of the jour
's' uey being about fifty or sixty hours. Th
more l knew the people the more l love
them. They are grand, noble race
ia good, steady, honest, law.abiding peopb
IT, and l hope lots of them will come herr