The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-07-29
A Swedish Servant.

We found her at an employment Of
flee, just arrived from Sweden As |
noticed her sunny hair and blue eyes
and strong, free step, ] thought of what
some one said of Jenny Lind; that she
ought to have been called the Swedish
Lioness, rather than the Swedish Night
ingale, from the freedom and strength
of her bearing. Not able to speak a
word of English, she sat looking at me
with such confident blueey that no one
could feel otherwise than kindly towards
her
She held out little book, printed in
Swedish and English, by which we were
to converse together looked it over,
and saw that it contained directions,
given TO servants in their own country,
by which they were to conduct them
selves. Among other things, they were
told to step softly, move lightly, and
desire nOthHg'
After | came TO know more of her
intensely social nature, often wondered
why we never attempted anything
more in the way Of conversation than
"cup,' plate etc. At length, in an
outburst Of desperation, she exclaimed,
81 want to talk SO did we, but the
difficulty was how to begin She solved
it herself by asking if we knew George
Washington and Benjamin Franklin 49,
We, in return, asked if she knew Lin
nTus and Swedenborg, to both of which
questions she replied in the affirmative,
and also recognized with delight pic
ture Of Luther After this, converse
ton became easy; She was so very apt
and eager. She was soon able to give
little account Of her voyage: telling
Us how she, with hundred other girls,
came as steeragc passengers, on a great
steamer; and how, in leaving, they sang
together the fatherland Song; and how
the passengers on the upper deck all
clapped their hands, rs well they might
il 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 some one. Please give me little
bread, y 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 in school; taught
also to knit, embroider, crochet, and
make baskets The dress she had on
she had not only fitted for herself, but
had made the wooden cloth for it, and
had woven her plaid shawl. She wore
generally, on her head, little black
shawl. One day she naid to me- touch
ing it Every woman in Sweden all the
same
She readily understood that we en-
joyed hearing about her country, as she
took somuch Interest herself in learning
everything possible She soon bcganto
tell us about the Lapps, as the most
curious little people in the world; very
short, 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 q thousand rein he
was rich; that the Lapps travelled
about all the time, only lasSoing some
rein and travelling on to find moss TOR
them, the rein furnishing 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, why not come to
Boston, She answered, "Oh, Lapp
say Lapland good" She Knocked their
funny ways of talking, in monosyllables.
They could not open their mouths, she
said; it was so cold. She used to mock,
too, the peasants walk stiff, ungainly
strides; crouching as they went along,
because it was so cold. 1t was very
different from reading these things in
the geography to hear them from one
who had actually seen them, and touch
ed the little cold Lapp babies. Caro-