The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-04-24
A STRANGE ILLUMINATION.



Made the Picture of Beauty.
"At the house of friend on West Nine
ty-third street on the day following our
recent heavy 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 g. year-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
youngstor ut such an hour,
"Ilarvey was in no trouble this time,
but was in high glce over II sight that for
the moment took us ahHgk with its beau
ty and strangeness. The yard, the drift
and the dull brick walls were softly illu-
minated in the mellow hut fervent light
that radiated on all sides from what seem.
ed a miniature Eskimo snow hut beside
the drift This edi,icc. built, as we pres
emily discovered OF large, loosely made
snowballs. was In shapa m elongated half
sphere set ON its base, being perhaps feet
high by "a feet In diameter Mt the base.
Its walls drew together AZ they rose, clos
ing at the rounded top. 1t was rs lumi-
nous as porcelain lamp globe, but its
glow was varied 10y delicate standings 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.
"l}y 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 enrth is that, EdithG' called
out my host through the open window.
"'It is sno lykta. What you call it
in American y Tampa snow Tampa
| lightY' her teeth flashing white as she
laughed the more, what We make in Swe-
| den, at home, the girls aud 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
| it froze hard ut nightfall. You ought to
have seen how quickly sic did it. It's II
candle set up in lido you see that little
square hole in the bottom where she puts
it in? That makes the illumination.
Would you believe that one candle could
throw out such light through SNOWY She
made the sno lykta, rs she calls it, to
please Harvey, and she was as much de
lighted as he was to be piling up the snow,
| laughing as she worked. She got 1t built,
and then, poor girl, Of Il sudden 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 men,
cries of home.
"Wasn't this strange scene for the
heart of New York city, 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 stecple of the new Trini-
b ty chapel stood carved against a cold sky,
from which the winter stars looked down
upon Swedish farms over sens in the fal
northeast, where youths and maidens per
chance were gathered on many an emf
nence 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 friend.
across wide valleys, dark pine forests ant
sheeted lakes. New York Sun.