Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-07-05

We found her al an employment office
Just arrived from Sweden. A. noticed her
SUNNY hair and blue eyes and strong, free
step. thought of what someone said OF
Jenn, Lind that she ought to have been
called the Swedish Lioness, rather than the
Swedish Nightingale. from the freedom and
strength of her hearing. Not able TO speak
a word Of English. She sat looking at me
with such confident blue eyes that no one
could feel otherwise than kindly towards
her. when the world seemed to her such a
fair. honest place.
She held out little book printed in S1ed-
sh and English, by which We were 10 con
verse together looked il over. and saw
that it contained directions, given to ser
wants in their own country, by which they
were TO conduct themselves. Among other
things, they were told 10 "step softly, move
lightly, and deSire nothng."
After | came TO know more of her IN
tensely social nature. often wondered how
She survived the first few weeks, when We
never attempted anything more in the way
of conversation than cup plate" etc.
AT length, in an outburst Of desperation,
she exclaimed, II want TO talk :" 50 did
We. but the difficulty was now to begin.
She solved il herself BY asking If We knew
George Washington and benjamin Frank
lin. We. IN return, asked if she knew Lin
nHus and Swedenborg, to both of which
questions she replied in the affirmative, and
also recognized, with delight, picture of
Luther After this, conversation became
easy she was SO very apt and eager. She
was soon able to give little account Of her
H.. Ia h,,,,l a a
other girls came as steerage passengers, on
great steamer and how. in leaving, they
sang together the Fatherland Song; and
how the passengers on the upper deck all
clapped their hands, as well they might if
the other voices were like hers. They had
great luncheon baskets; but she lost hers
overheard, in a storm. and also her hat.
Now | must every day say to someone,
Please give me little bread" In the
storm she thought, "By and by dead" 1t
is wonderful, the courage of these girls,
starting alone for an unknown world. Some
of her friends in Sweden. she said, thought
that to come to America they would have to
travel through the earth. But she had been
taught otherwise at school taught also TO
knit, embrolder, crochet, and make baskets.
| The dress she had on she had not only fitted
for herself, but had made the woolen cloth
for il, and had woven her PLAID shawl. She
wore generally, on her head "a little black
shawl One day she said to me. touching
! it, Every woman in Sweden all the same.
| She readily understood that We enjoyed
hearing about her country, as she took so
much interest herself in learning everything
possible. She soon began to tell us about
| the Lapps, as the most curious little people
in the world very snort, but wearing tall,
pointed hoods. made Of reindeer skin. She
always talked with great enthusiasm about
the "rein," as she called the reindeer: said
that if man had Thousand rein he was
rich; that the Lapps travelled about all the
time, only assoing some rein and travelling
on to find moss for them, the rein furnish
ing them with all their food. When they
went to church they left their babies outside
in little holes in the snow, sewed up in skins.
| They themselves wore one garment of skin.
Swedish babies had little knit garment,
that covered them all over, arms, legs, and
feet. Lapp babies were always cold, and
the Lapps were very, very poor. ! asked,
.'Whv not come to Boston," She ans
wered, "Oh, Lapp say Lapland good.' She
mocked their funny ways Of talking, in mon
osyllables. They could not open their
mouths, she said it was so cold. She used
to mock, too, the peasants walk stiff, un-
gainy strides crouching as they went along,
because it was so cold 1t was very differ
ent from reading these things in the geo.
graphy to hear them from one who had act
ually seen them. and touched the little cold
Lapp babies.-July atlantic.