Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-10-03

drawn from the public treasury to the
amount OF 100000 kroner, which
may be increased as tn circum-
stances may demand upon the vote of
the city council.
| Sweden. with the exception of Nor
way. is the healthiest country in the
world. and the mortality is lower than
that OF any other. The two neigh
bors run a very close race. Some
times Norway and some times swe-
den is fraction ahead, and taking
the average for 20 years they would
be about equal. During the last ten
years Sweden has been little ahead.
and the death rate for the entire king
dom has been 16.49 per cent per
1000 population. the lowest ever OBJ
served for any nation. In certain
parts of the United States and Aus
tralia the rate is lower, but not for the
entire nation. During the same Pc
riod the death rate In Norway was
l6.s; England 1873, and France 22.2
| The kings of Sweden for the past
3oO years have been buried n what
is known as the Riddarholm Church,
which stands in the rear of the palace
and can be distinguished by its pecu-
liar spire. 1t was built In the 18th
century as the chapel of a Francis
can monastery. but after the reform
ton 1t was remodeled to its present
FORM, and has not been used for wor.
ship since 1908, The spire Is made
OF iron fretwork, which has peculiar
erect particularly when the sun is
shining upon il. The tracery then
! looks like lace work Under hun
| dreds of flags and banners won in
| battle, and the escutcheon of his
brave knights of the order of the Ser
aphim, lies King Gustavus Adolphus,
the hero of the thirty years war and
one of the greatest generals and states
| men the human race has ever produc-
| ed-a man who wrote religious hymns
by the camp fire. and taught his sol.
diers to sing them as they went into
| battle.
The last burial in the Riddarholm
Church was that of Queen Sophie the
wife of King Oscar. in 1898, who was
| mourned by the entire Swedish peo-
pie. Sne was good woman. a moth
er In Israel, famous for her piety. her
charity and her amiable disposition.
She was the daughter of the duke of
Nassau. when, In 1857. she married
the duke of Ostergotland, who never
dreamed of becoming king. but when
elevated to the throne she filled her
exalted position in n manner which
never excited criticism. She spoke
English freely. was particularly fond
of Americans. and subscribed for re-
ligious newspapers published in the
United States. Several of Moody's
sermons We're translated into Swedish
by her majesty and published by the
missionary societies. although few of
the people knew the translator. NJ
Moody was her favorite among all the
writer's and speakers. She was never
without IL volume of his sermons by
her side. while his biography still oc-
cupies conspicuous place upon the
book shelly in her little boudOir
Queen Sophie erected her own monu-
ment In the form of a hospital for per-
sons undergoing surgical operations,
and a training school for nurses at
tached thereto. 1t is one of the most
perfect and complete surgical insti-
tutions in the world. The attending
surgeons have n high rank in the
profession. 1t is devoted to surgery
exclusively. and many persons who
must be operated upon go there rath-
er than cal the surgeons to their own
homes.
Notwithstanding her religious tend
encies and the attention given to char
tiles. Queen Sophie never fof a
moment forgot her official responsible
tiles and required the strictest OBJ
servance of etiquette that any court
could exact. She filed her place
with grace and dignity. She was
stately. handsome woman and in the
drawing room was an Ideal of the
erande dame, but in her family sha
was tender. devoted and sympatLct-
ic mother, and among her intimate
friends she was the queen of hearts.
1t is said that aer greatest pleasure
was found in receiving at tn palace
clergymen or evengelists from foreign
countries and inviting few of her
kindred spirits to a little meeting to
hear them preach and pray.
Her sister-in-law. the Princess Eu-
genie, sister of the king, who died
about ten years ago. was her constant
and sympathetic companion. She
had apartments in the palace where
she reigned with "a little court of her
own. composed chiefly of Christian
workers. who cared nothing for the
pomp and ceremony of royal life and
were only interested In benevolent
enterprises. Her drawing rooms
were filled almost daily with people
interested in promoting ,the moral
welfare of the Swedish seamen, or
the spiritual welfare of the Lapps. or
raising funds for the support Of candl-
dates for the ministry at the Univers-
tiles of Lund and Upsala, and many
pretty and useful things were made
by her own hands to be sold at ba-
zaars for the benefit of some cause
She loved. She was skillful in en-
broidery and wood carving. and was
an excellent modeler in clay. A bust