Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-12-15
Bayard Tay1Or,s sketch OF an Ice
lMndfc Home.


The boys of Iceland must be content with
very few acquaintances or playmates. The
valleys which produce grass enough for the
farmers ponies, cattle and sheep, are generally
scattered widely apart, divided by ridges of lava
80 hard and cold that only few wild flowers
succeed in growing in their cracks and hollows.
Then, since the farms must be all the larger,
because the grass IL short and grows slowly In
such severe northern climate, the dwellings
are rarely nearer than four or five miles apart !;
and were it not for their swift and nimble pom
les, the people would see very little of each
other except on Sundays, when they ride long
distances to attend worship in their little wooden
churches.
But Of all boys in the island, not one was 30
lonely in his situation as Jon Bigurdson. His
father lived many miles beyond that broad,
grassy plain which stretches from the Gevsers
to the sea, on the banks of the swift river Thor
va. On each side there were mountains 80 bleak
and bare that they looked like gigantic piles of
coal but the valley opened to the southward as
il to let the sun in, and far away when the
weather was clear, the snowy top OF Mount
Hecla shone against the sky. The farmer Sig
urd, joins father, was poor man, or he would
not have settled so far away from any neigh
bors !; for he was of cheerful and social nature,
and there were few at Kyrkedal who could vie
with him in knowledge of the ancient history
and literature OF Iceland.
| The house WAS built on knoll, under a cliff
which sheltered it from the violent west and
north west winds. The walls, of lava stones and
turf, were low and broad and the roofs over
dwelling, storehouses, and stables were covered
/ deep with earth, upon which grew such excel
| lent grass that the ponies wero fond OF climbing
| up the sloping corners of the wall in order to
/ get at it. Sometimes they might be seen, cum
ningly balanced on the steep sides of the
roof, grazing along the very ridge-poles, Oh
| looking over the end of the gable when some
member of the family came out OF the door, AZ
| much as to say, sect me down il you can I
Around the buildings there square wall OF
inclosure, giving the place the appearance Of Z
little fortress.
On one side of the knoll hot spring bubbled
up In the morning or evening, when the air Wal
cool, quite little column OF steam arose from
it, whirling and broadening as it melted away
but the water was pure and wholesome as sooi
as it became cold enough for use. In front O.
the house, where the sun shone warmest, Sig
urd had laid out small garden. 1t WAS grea
labor for him to remove the huge stones ant
roll them into protecting wall, to carry goot
soil from the places where the mountain rill
gradually washed it down from above, and b
arrange it 30 that frosts and cold rains shou
doIthe least harm; and the whole family though
themselves suddenly rich, one summer, whe
they pulled their first radishes, saw the little be-
of potatoes coming into blossom, and the cabba
ges rolling up their leaves, in order to make, a
least, baby-heads before the winter.
, Within the house, all was low, and dark, an
, dismal. The air was very close and bad, 70
, the stables were only separated from the dwell
ing room by..a narrow passage, and punches {
dry, salt fish hung on the walls. Besides it wa
usually full Of smoke from the fire of peat, an
, after rain, of steam from Sgurd's and Jon
heavy wooden coats. But to the boyit WAS d,
lightful, a comfortable home, for within it b
found shelter, warmth, food and instruction
/ | The room for visitors seemed to him the MOI
splendid place in the world, because it had
wooden floor, window with six panes Of glas
$ a colored print of the King of Denmark, and
s geranium in apot. This was 30 precious pai
4 that Jon and his sister Gudrid hardly dared
touch its leaves. They were almost afraid
o smell it, for fear Of smiling away some Of i
: life and Gudrid after seoing a leaf of it la
4 on her dead sisters bosom, insisted that con
angel, many hundred years ago, had broug
the seed straight down from heaven.
r From "The Story Of Jon Of Iceland" by Ba
n ard Taylor, 81. Nicholas for JdnudrY