The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-04-01
A STRANGE ILLUMINATION.


" was scandinavian snow Lamp Thss
Made the Picture of beauty.
AT the house Of a friend on West Nine
ty-third street on the day following our
recent heavy suowstorm, 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 6. yenr-old scion OF
the house, caused us to go TO the back par
lor windows in haste to STE what inven-
tveness of mischief had seized that lively
youngster at such an hour.
"llarvey was in no trouble this time,
but was In high glee over a 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 ferveut light
that radiated on all sides from what seem.
ed miniature Eskimo snow hut beside
the drift. This cdiflce, built, as we pres
emily discovered Of large, loosely made
snowhalls, was in shape an elongated half
sphere set on its base being perhaps feet
high by "a feet in diameter at the base.
Its walls drew together as they rose, clos
ing at the rounded top. 1t was as lumi.
nous ms porcelain lamp globe, but its
glow WINS varied by 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.
"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, Edithi' called
out my host through the open window.
alt is sno lykta. What you call 1t
ia Americana A Tampa snow Tampa
lightg' her teeth flashing white as she
laughed the more, what we make in Swe-
den, at home, the girls and the boys.
"'She made 1t 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 &c
| have seen how quickly she did it. It's Q
candle set up in lido you see that little
square hole in the bottom where she puts
| 1t INF That makes the illumination
Would you believe that one candle coult
throw out such light through snowp Sh'
made the sno lykta, as she calls it, t.
please Harvey, and she was as much de
lighted as he was to be piling up the snow
laughing as she worked. She got it built
and then, poor girl, of a sudden missed
the sound of her laughter and looked Il
see her standing by the snow mound cry
ing 1t had brought to her so many mem
cries of home
wasn't this a strange scene for tn
heart of New York city, The snow LAM
shining with that wonderful soft fam
flight 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 darl
surroundings of somber brick house walls
, Beyond these the steeple of the new Trim
] ty chapel stood carved against cold sky
from which the winter stars looked dow
upon Swedish farms over seas in the ia
northeast, where youths and maidens pei
chance were gathered on many an emi
hence, laughing and calling and whisper
ing in the glow of their snow lamps or b
the same mellow radiance signaling mes
sages, well understood, to distant friend
across wide valleys, dark pine forests an
sheeted lakes. New York Sun.