Omaha daily bee., 1894-12-17
A CHRISTMAS In THE ARCTIC
Recollecticns of Natal Day in the Ica
Bound Regions.
MRS. PtARY RELATES HER EXPERIENCE
e. ,s'ssS 80.
A Christmas Box from Home Received Up
Near the Pole - Good Cheer Amid
Arctic Darkncss-The Christ
mas Sports.
Copyrighted, lS9i.)

not seen the sun for two months, 1t was
the gath day of October, at high noon, when
we last looked upon old Soils smiling face, |
and then he only bobbed up over South Point
for a few moments, filled our little bay with
his golden light, nodded a friendly goodnight |
and went south for the winter.
From that date the twilight Of midday
grew DINNER and DINNER the hours of its
duration less and less, until unchanging
darkness enwrapped us during the entire
twenty-four hours. On December 81 the sun
had reached the southern limit of his wander
ings and was Just on the point Of coming
north again, so that we we're making our
Christmas preparations at 'the wltching hour
OF midnight" and that the midnight of the
Arctic night.
The bay had been frozen over for nearly
two months, and numerous snowstorms had
thrown over the dark rocks and new bay ice
fleecy covering, which reflected back the
meager light of the stars or gave additional
brlliancy to the Arctic moonlight.
Every alternate fortnight the moon crcled
around the heavens gradually lengthenlng her
stay in the sky until for eight or ten days
she never went below the horizon at all,
though regularly retiring behind the noun
tains which surrounded us on three sides.
Then just as gradually she shortened our
allowance Of light until for eight or ten days
she left us altogether and only the stars gave
us light.
The December moon was with us at Christ
mas time, and as early as the 18th of the
month Mr.. Peary had taken advantage of the
light, and had gone with Entrikin, Carr and
Swain to Kongardluksoah thirty-ive miles
away, for a load Of dog food. He took
through train-two sledges and thirty-fve
dogs-and was home again the next day.
The day following Astrup and Lee went to
Kamah, twenty-five miles distant, to bring
in more material for the dogs Christmas
dinner, while on the 21st Entrikn and Carr
went to Kongarduksoah to try the experiment
of midwnter deer shooting by moonlight.
By the 23d every one had returned from the
various trips and was given two days rest,
so as to be in good condition for the athletic
sports which were to come off on Christmas
day.
Our larders were now well filled. In the
covered passageway which ran entirely around
the house hung dozen reindeer and punches
of delicious salmon trout fresh from the
mountain lake back Of Kongardluksoah, where
they had fallen victims to the persistent pa
tience and unerrng skill of the Eskmos, who
speared them through holes cut in the ice.
Some Of the trout weighed between four and
five pounds and were gladly welcomed to our
larder something that did not come out
of tin can.
The cache or storehouse for dog food
groaned-as did every one who had to enter
it-under the weight of over 1000 pounds of
the meat of walrus which we had killed the
previous August.
So, feeling assured that that most important
part Of Christmas festivities-a good dinner
could be provided, instinctively my thoughts
turned toward decorations. How / longed for
| the holly branches with their red berries, for
the festoons Of crow foot and the aromatic
boughs Of pine, which are SO suggestive of
Christmas cheer But out Of doors was a
| wilderness Of whiteness, only the bold pre-
| cIpitous brow Of Mount Bartlett lowered up
| black and threatening and even that was
| lined with white where the clingng snow
| flakes had found a resting place in the marks
| left, even on that rugged brow, by Father
| Time. ! was confronted by a paradox-noth
| ing green to be had in all Greenland.
Turning from the window with a sigh of
| disapp, intment l overhauled my rather
| scanty stock Of finery and discovered some
pretty ribbons, with which l decorated the
photographs of our dear ones which hung
against the wall. Next l took the stars and
stripes which had flown at the Falcons
masthead and draped them against the wall.
| The brilliant colcrs seemed to light up the
room and give it a holiday appearance, which
was highly encouraging to "the committee
| on decorations" Then, from their secure
resting place, l brought the veterans of the
previous campaign-the flags that had made
the long journey ever the Ice Cap with Mr..
Peary two years before and had tapped their
silken folds in the breezes Of Independence
Bay. Their colors were dimmed and stained
| their folds wrinlSled and creased, their edges
frayed and torn, but they represented what
we love to have about us at all times, and
especially at Christmas, that Is, old friends.
1t would have been dusk If had imports ed
my Christmas eve firm New York before l
had finished the decorating of the room
would have rung for lights at home, but the
lights had b2en burning all day and every
day for weeks, so that operation was unneces-
sary. The long evening passed quickly away
in the genial company of our little daughter,
| now ever three months old, who entertained
us with songs (0 and laughter in alternate
but unequal parts. Despite the fact that she
had spent two-thirds of her life without the
! light of the SUM- she was the roundest
rosiest, merr.est baby in all Greenland, and,
in fact, was told by the natives, young and
old, that she was the finest "kabloonah
mickanlnny" (white mans baby they had
ever saen. CThey might have added, and
the only one
jump up and rush out at all hours that /
paid no particular attention to his departure
when he suddenly glanced at the clock and
dashed wildly out of the room. A few
moments later. feeling rush of cold air, l
| called out the usual warning about draft
On the baby, and, not hearing the door close,
looked up to see the cause of the delay and
beheld my husband struggling with good
| sized box, which he finally succeeded in
bringing into the middle of the room.
Upon inspecting this mysterious looking
bundle more clcsely found that it bore the
following legend;
"Mr., Mrs. and M? Peary,
| Anniversary Lodge,
"Bowdoin Bay.
| Greenland.
per Santa Claus Express.
ITO be delivered and opened Christmas
eve at midnight"
Involuntarily / glanced at the clock and
saw that 1t lacked only minute of the
specified time, and l understood at once Mr..
| Peary's haste.
The lid was half on when the cl ok began
to strike and ! heard the man on watch call
out: "Its Christmas, boysl Get up and be
merry"
Christmas had indeed come, and before
us were the remembrances of kind friends
packed months before and sent with words
OF love and good cheer over many mile Cf
stormy sea and frozen ocean. AS we lifted
out the little presents one after another and
read the kind messages that accompanied
them the lump which somehow had risen in
my throat grew larger and larger, the lights
became mister and mister until when
unwrapped a little bowl and a tiny spoon
and read In my own mothers hand the
heartfelt prayer for the welfare OF her
daughter and little grandchild, | could see
M n1n huf nnaAa nR =,