Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-04-12
A STRANGE ILLUMINATION.
It Wa. a ss.sdIssyIan SNOW Lamp n

A
ID Wa q seandInavian 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 a 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
uDmistakably from the small but potent
lungs Of Harvey, the 6-year-old scion Of
the house, caused Us TO 60 to the back par
lor 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 q 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 iliu-
minated in the mellow but fervent light
that radiated on all sides from what SEEM
ed miniature Eskimo snow hut beside
the drift. This edifice. built, as we pres
emily discovered, Of large. loosely made
mowballs, was in shape an elongated half
sphere set on its base, being perhaps feet
high by 21I feet in diameter at the base.
Its walls drew together as they rose, clos
ing at the rounded top. It was as lumi-
nous as 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 shatts 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, Edithp called
out my host through the open window.
"'It il sno lykta. What you call 1t
In Americana A lamp-s snow Tampa
lightP her teeth flashing white as she
laughed the more, what we make in Swe
den, at home, the girls and the boys
"'She made it this afternoon when the
snow was damp in the sunshine, said my
hosts wife, who was in the secret. Then
1t froze hard at nightfall. You ought to
have seen how quickly she did 1t. It's
candle set up in lido you see that little
square hole in the bottom where she puts
It ini That makes the illumination.
Would you believe that one candle could
throw out such light through snowi 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,
laughing az she worked. She got 1t built,
and then, poor girl, of q sudden / missed
the sound Of her laughter and looked to
see her standing by the snow mound cry
ing. 1t had brought 10 her so many men,
cries Of home.
Wasn't this a strange scene for the
heart of New York cityi The snow lamp
shining with that wonderful soft fame
light through translucent snow, the laugh
ing Sweds girl standing beside the drift,
barehsaded. in her gay skirt and blue bod
ice, beside the delighted child; the dark
Of somber brick house wallsl
Beyond these the steeple of the new Trini-
ty chapel stood carved against 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 emil
nence, laughing and calling and whisper
ing In the glow Of their snow lamps or by
the same mellow radiance signaling mes
sages, we'll understood, to distant friends |
across wide valleys, dark pine forests and |
sheeted lakes. New York Sun.