Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-08-24

Life at Swedish farm is like lif
nowhere else. Contented, rather thai
ambitious, the people cling tenaciousl,
to the manners and habits of thei
ancestors; carrying their love for prim
tive customs so far that they seem t.
belong more to the seventeenth than Il
the nineteenth century.
The present farmer or "bonde,
forms an important class in Sweden
class which has been Justly called tn,
backbone of the country. Indepen
dent, industrious, and self-respectlng
he is not unlike the British yeoman o
olden days. But he will not change
like our yeomau. A bonde never as
pires to rise above his ella $, and is, IL
fact, too proud to be other than he Is
His farm, or "gaarde," has come down
to bin through long line OF bonde
anceStors, and he has no higher ann
than to live and die as they lived and
died, with sons, daughters, and grand
children growing up around him, and
a goodly following Of men-servants
and maid-servants, who are treated ~
members of the family.
Since the greater part of Sweden is
stiIl covered by forest, it follows that
wood is cheaper than stone, and is,
therefore, largely used for building
purposes. Houses are sometimes made
6f great trunks of trees, laid horizon
tally one above another, the interstices
being filed with moss. This is the old
style, A more mo 1ern plan Is to saw
the logs lengthwise into two, or to cut
them into very thick plants, which are
either placed horizontally or upright
the latter being thought the more dura-
bic, is often used for the building of
churches
A farmhouse, or gaarde, Is sometimes
built in "a quadrangle; the court il the
centre being entered through an arch
way; but more frequently the square is
surrounded only on three sides, the
dwelling house in the centre, ianked
on one side by stable, on the other
by the cowhouse, "ladugaarde. These
are not under one roof, slight space
between each building serving as "A
safeguard against fire. All wooda1
erections-houses, barns and stake
fences-are painted -c2. adding n pic
turesque element to the scenery; the
artistic shect of which Is heightened by
the green roofs common in many rnral
districts. In places where neither tile
nor slate can be procured, the farmer
roofs his house with wood; and as
straw is too precious a commodity to
lie used for thatch, he Overlays his
beams with earth. Thither the wind
carries grass, fern and flower seelIs
often also the seed of fir and mountain
ash trees; SO that quite pretty garden
Is frequently to be seen upon the roofs
of houses and barns, especially if the
district is mountainous. The thrifty
Swede does not fail to make use of this
impromptu hay crop. Upon the true
"Many q little makes a mickle" princi-
pie, he carefully mows his roof, and
adds the produce to his scanty store of
fodder.
A Swedish gaarde is rarely more
than one story in height, and consists
of two large rooms-a kitchen and an
other which is literally the living
room of the family; for 1t is here they
eat and drink, work, play and also
sleep Some OF the more wealthy have
third room; bat this is It as a
guest chamber and is only us q by the
family as safe storing place for their
best garments
The roomY kitchen looks what 1t is
place i'll which to cook, bake brew
and churn. The appliances for these
housewifely arts are plainly to be seen.
There are racks for crOckery, shelves
for pots and pans, and hooks for many
small necessaries. A place for every.
thing, and every thing In its place, is
evidently the good house mothers 5 rnle
FiTeplaces differ with locality. In the
south you see stoves; but III the
country open ranges are more usual,
and III many parts the fire burns upon
broad stone platform, raised altar
like about two feet above the kitchen
floor. Beneath the wide open chin
ney, supported by strong bar, hang
one or more chains, from whence the
pans and kettles dangle over the
blazing logs.
The living room, or lofva, is large
and comfortable, though stranger
might consider it too hot; for hardy as
lie is a Swede likes warmth within
doors, and loves to see his Learth piled
with blazing pine logs. There is no cell
ing to the room, only broad rafters black
with age, from which hang bunches of
herbs, hanks of yarn, or other articles
III general use The floor is strewn
with sprigs OF pine or spruce, which
emit delightfully."- refreshing odor
when trampled under foot The robust
health enjoyed by the Swedish bonde
may possibly be greatly owing to this
wholesome practice, which is universal
from north to south, and, unlike most
peasant costumes, is also to be oh
served ia towns.
Saturday is Washing day If there
is no proper bathhouse Ur "badstuga, "
the ladugaarde serves the purpose
The great pan, three feet in diameter, in
which cattle fodder is prepared, now
swings over the log fire full of steam
ing water; and by the time the evening
meal is ready. the family assemble,
fresh. rosy, and smiling, with hair neat
Iy brushed ard braided, and clothes
sweet, clean, and tidy, So the week
ends, and they are ready Tor the
next.
A bonde is of all men the most in
dustrious. "LaHness is the devils
cushion, he says, with wise shake of
the head and certainly no one can ac-
cuse him of borrowing that Satanic
luxury. Even in winter he rises at
there o'clock in the morning, and MS
good wife and her maidens have
finished their dairy work and set the
house IN order long before their more
Indolent sisters of the sunny south sit
down to breakfast. The morning work
accomplished, the house-mother
seats herself at her loom,
her daughters take each her
spinning wheel, while the maid ser.
wants are busy csrdlng wool. A happy
party 1t is, and merry one, for
tongues may wag as fast as fingers, A
story is told, or Jokes fly round the
circle, or perhaps one, with a sweeter
voice than the rest, begins singing ore
of the ballads, or folk-viser, of which
the bonde is so fond. Thus time flies.
Except in towns, there are no shops
in Sweden, and no tradesmen. Every
farmer is his own blacksmith and car
Penter, his own glazier and his own mil
ler- If be needs another barn, he applies
to no builders, but bids his lads tax
their axes and follow him to the forest,
where he chooses the trees best suited
10 his purpose. There is, in fact. no
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