The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-10-17
90. -.
A STRANGE ILLUMINATION.
II Was n Scandinavian Snow Lamp Tbs
Made the Picture of Beauty,

IL Was Scandinavian Snow Lamp That
Made the Picture of Beauty.
"At the house Of friend on West Nine
ty-third street on the day following our
recent hesvy snowstorm, " said west side
dweller, 1--WE were called from our after
dinner game of whist to come to the rear
of the house. The summons, proceeding
Enthusiastically from the small but potent
lungs of Harvey, the eyear-old scion OF
the house, caused us to 20 to the back par
Tor windows in haste to see what inven-
tiveness of mischief had seized that lively
youngster at such an hour.
"Harvey was in no trouble this time,
but was in high glee over sight that for
the moment took us aback with its beau
ty and strangeness. The yard, the drift
and the dull brick walls were softly illu
minated in the mellow but fervent light
that radiated on all sides from what seem
ed miniature Eskimo snow hut beside
| the drift. This edifce, built, as we pres
emily discovered, of large, loosely made
| snowbulls was In shape an elongated half
! sphere set on its base, being perhaps feet
! high by ga feet in diameter at the base.
Its walls drew together as they rose, clos
| ing at the rounded top. 1t was as lumi-
nous as n porcelain lamp globe, but its
glow was varied by delicate shadings caus-
ed by the curves and inequalities Of the
balls of snow and bright shafts and CLEANS
where light from within came here and
there through an open chink.
"By the side of this glowing cairn stood
Edith, the Swedish maid of all work, tall,
slender and blond of hair and skin. Har-
vey at her side stood rapt in the joy of his
cold, flaming mound, but the girl looked
up laughing.
" What ON earth is that, Edith called
out my host through the open window.
cit is sno lykta. What you call it
in American? Tampa snow Tampa
lightS' her teeth flashing white as she
laughed the more, what we make in Swe-
den. mt home. the girls and the boys
Z" 'She made it this afternoon when the
snow was damp in the sunshine, said my
hosts wife, who was In the secret. Then
it froze hard at nightfall. You ought to
have seen how quickly she did it. It's a
candle set up in lido you see that little
square hole in the bottom where she puts
it in5 That makes the illumination.
Would you believe that one candle could
throw out such light through snow9 She
made the sno lykta, as she calls 1t, to
please Harvey, and she was as much de-
lighted as he was to be piling up the snow,
Imagining as Sne worked. one got IL UullU,
and then, poor girl, of a sudden l missed
the sound of her laughter and looked to
see her standing by the snow mound cry
ing. 1t had brought to her so many mem
cries of home.
wasn't this strange scene for the
heart of New York cityS The snow lamp
shining with that wonderful soft flame
light through translucent snow, the laugh
ing Swede girl standing beside the drift,
bareheaded, in her gay skirt and blue bod
ice, beside the delighted child; the dark
surroundings of somber brick house walls
Beyond these the steeple of the new Trini-
ty chapel stood carved against a cold sky,
from which the winter stars looked down
upon Swedish farms over seas in the far
northeast, where youths and maidens per
chance were gathered on many an emf
hence, laughing and calling and whisper
ing in the glow of their snow lamps or by
the same mellow radiance signaling mes
sages well understood, to distant friends
across wide valleys, dark pine forests and
sheeted lakes. New York Sun.