The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-10-22
WHOLE NO. l476.
swEDEs LETTER.
tFrom our regular eorresp,nden,l
November -. 1879

November l2, 1879
Though Sweden is the greater
member of the Scandinavian Union,
she is somewhat unfairly eclipsed by
her Norwegian brother. l myself,
till came here, held the charm of
Sweden in small esteem, compared
with the fiords ard mountains OF Nor
way. But an autumn tour here has
changed nv opinion. heard before
came that Sweden was poor coun-
try, poor in natural charms, poor in
resources, poor in enterprise; that
her people were improvident, drunk
en-, and superstitious; that, in short,
you had only to scratch her eiviliza-
ton and you found mere medieval
barbarism. | can now say that hard
Iy any of these statements was found
ed on anything like fact As regards
the natural beauty, need only point
10 the Frollhslta falls, where great
river rushes down long series of
cstarscts between pine clad hills; to
the many lakes, such as Malar, set
with islets whose trees kiss the wa
ter /; to the quiet beauty of southern
Sweden, with its streams and mead
ows and red-brown houses, backed
by woods of oak and beech and silver
birch. All that Sweden wants TO
make it perfect is mountains. But
the beauties she has are 80 set of by
the marvellous purity and brightness
of her atmosphere. as clear as that Of
Upper Egypt, that even prosaic
things seem beautiful to tie traveller.
Then the people are as bright and as
pleasant es the air. The men pass
you with q nod and word of well
come, the women with g smile. If
you ask the way in any of the towns,
they will answer in English more or
less pure, and turn cut of their course
to taks you to the place you seek.
Nothing pleases them more than to
treat you to their Swedish punch,
and they cry "Schole" as they drink
to give you welcome in their kindly
Swedish way.
OF course. the whole country ia
more or less poor That is a natural
consequence Of its latitude and its
physical conformation. Four-sev-
enths Of its area is covered with for
ests. Another seventh is occupied
By lakes and rivers. Even in the
open spaces the granite constantly
crops up and deties all hUsbsndry.
Only one-seventeenth part is eultiva-
ted soil. There are mipes Of iron and
copper, and Swedish u is the best
the world produces There are coal
mines which are now work, 4 at a
profit. But no country. even With
resources q hundred ] ID -eater,
could be rich which Is frost bound
and mostly covered with snow from
October to April every year. What
do you do in winter 2" / asked Of
steamer-owner the other day "We
lie up" was the answer. "Why
don't you take TO a winter trade 2"
/ got the significant reply, IN st
other trades are forced 20 lie up too"
OF course, 8 country which is thus
driven to hibernation Ike q certain
class of animals cannot be otherwise
than poor country. | was not sur
prised to hear at Gothenburg that the
number OF emigrants TO America this
year from that port amounted to
nearly 5000. But in another sense
Sweden is by no means poor. | have
seen in the last three weeks al least
8 dozen email towns. Each had its
school house, its church, its newsps-
per and most Of them had their pub
lie garden the streets were paved,
and lighted with oil-lsmps swung
across as they were in old Paris the
houses, though mostly of wood, were
trim and neat; no broken windows,
or dilspijsted walls, or heaps Of re-
fuse offending the eye as they do in
English country districts. The peo-
pie were as neat as their houses. /
have not seen hslf-a-dozen beggars
since / have been in the country.
Even in the capital, where misery as
well as wealth generally congregstes,
/ saw no signs of poverty, while a
crowded opers-house, overfowing
cafes, and brilliant shops betokened
an easy opulence. In short there is
a general level of comfort in Sweden
without any violent contrasts. Per-
hsps some explanation ia TO be found
in the fact that Sweden is not oee of
the great powers of the world. Sne
takes low place in the councils of
the nations. But her army and navy
cost her only irihe; her taxation is
light aud her national debt is trihinz
$3.50, 600, ,000), and has been solely
in the construction of rail-
ways Finally, ell her children go
to school, and over 90 per cent. of her
people can read and write. There
are superstitions in the country plsc-
es, but they mostly come Of the noble
North mythology. Children whose
are fed on such stories
as that of Bladder the Beautiful" !"
may grow up with odd fsncies, but !
would not for ell that Danish such
tales rom the nursery