Evening star., 1902-04-12

ley and thrust my hand into the pulsator
Mnere me diamonds and gravel and garnets
were being washed. and have seen the as
| sorted gems spread out on the counters but
| never saw in South Africa anything half
| Sweden.
Another charm OF this winter climate is
1 Its perfect stiffness. Perhaps It sometimes
| blows in north Sweden, but there is very
selaom gale and saw nothing that could
De called breeze in the course of nearly a
week. Morning after morning the smoke
rose from the chimneys either to the north
or south or east or west. For weeks at a
| tune the same snow falls clothe the pine
breeze.
For hours every morning the boar frost
! rests on every twig and twiglet on every
| tree and telegraph wire. and is not disturb
ed by the highest zephyr. This absolute
frosty calm is one of the peculiar charms
| OF this, Swedish winter and makes IL pos
sible to endure a degree of cold without
| suHering, which In a windy country would
| be unbearable.
1t must be confessed that for much of
| tne long Journey between Stockholm and
GeillVare the scenery, apart from the snow
| cnarms, is neither magnificent or impress
| slve There is much of quiet loveliness,
ana in summer the abundant greenery the
dashing brooks and the many lakes add
their own charm and make up for the loss
| of the snow.
Still there are many imposing and mem
orabie views in this journey. If 1 should
say that between Langsele and Hasjo the
scenery was unusually fine, these names
would not mean much to most of my read
ers. Here, half way between Stockholm
| ana the arctic circle, the view widens out,
lovely valleys with wide rushing streams
that even in winter. unfettered. go leapine
| to the sea, and high hills, ali of these
"nlte mountains" Of course, stretching
| to the horizon.
But whether 1t is the near beauty of the
Whlte trees and hedge rows or the distant
| beauty of the white hills the eve never gets
tlred OF this exquisite sparkling purity.
| II you look at the map of Sweden in
| which the rivers and lakes are traced in
| pale blue as in the railway map which ac-
| companies the Indispensable travellers
| guide, the whole of Sweden looks like a
| delicate, well-bred hand covered with blue
veins. White blood seems to run in these
veins at this time Of year to be sure, but
| you can see where the lakes lie nestled
J among the hills. and every now and then
stream breaks it's white fetters and comes
| leaping and gurgling down the hills as
though laughing at the attempts of the
| frost to bind or check it.
Ihe day passes none too slowly and
| about o'clock the sun, which has been cir
| cling few yards above the horizon drons
below 1t again, and for two hours leaves
behind him remembrance in the twilight
Whlch is so slow in passing in these north
ern latitudes.
Wear Fur Coats.
My fellow passengers and the country
people at the stations afford Interesting
studies when the scenery, because of its
constant loveliness grows monotonous
Every man in the car has a heavy fur
overcoat, which he hangs up in the corri-
dor while in the car and religiously puts
on when he steps out Why he wears It L
90 not understand. for though I am clad
in the same garments without and within.
that are fitted to a New England winter. T
am quite warm enough. But 1 suppose
have struck a mild SPELL" and doubtless
there are many days when a fur coat is
none too warm. Every man, too, puts on
MS goloshes, though he steps out of the
car but for a moment and though the snow
is dry and hard The railway stations blaze
with the advertisements of 'goloshes,"
which, naturally, are large article of in
dustry and cost about the same as our rub
bers and "arctics' in America
The neat stations. usually built of hewn
logs, are disfigured with many advertise
ments.
The peasants at the stations alwavs form
the most interesting groups Here comes
a woman shuff1ing along the country road
on skidor, each eight feet long. SO that her
wooden snow shoes If stood on end are
nearly three feet taller than she is herself.
Here Is little rosy-faced girl standing
upon a peculiar Swedish sled. With one
sled she propels herself half running half
coasting, at rapid gait. On the middle of
the light runners are two uprights some
domf 1i1. Ieet nigh. and in front of the uprights
herself. -'Ne
Here comes man driving a long Swedish
sledge, in which one can bury himself in
the hay and robes and stretch out and go to
sleep.
The Panorama Passes.
mus the constant panorama comes and
goes, and Is never tiresome. At many of
the stations you can get a good cup of
tea or coffee If you choose for 25 ore q
cents). and three or four times a day YOU
can, If you wish, get square meal" and
always good one, for about half a dollar.
About noon Of the second day from Stock
holm. II you keep sharp lookout, you will
see by the road side white stenboard.
and on the board in black letters the word
polcirkeln,' and you know that you have
crossed the imaginary line that divides
the temperate from the arctic zone Soon
after the train pulls up at a station that
pears the same name, "Polcirkeln," and
stops long enough for you to pace up and
down few times on arctic soil, or rather.
at this time Of year, on arctic snow, and
perhaps to buy picture postal card of the
station, for the picture postal card craze
has got far beyond the arctic circle.
But the arctic zone bears a striking re-
semblance to the north temperate The
trees grow smaller and more stunted as
you go north, vegetation becomes almost
impossible, except for potatoes and few
hardy cereals, but the snow Landscape is
Just as beautiful, the air as 'tonicky' and
pracihg, the sun as bright and the frosty
trees as brilliant and sparkling
The wonder is, judging from our own con-
tlnent, that any one can live or any tree
grow In this region. This latitude Is
abreast Of central Greenland. Draw a
line across the Atlantic and 1t would go
north of Iceland altogether, which does
not touch the arctic circle. Extend it and
1t would strike northern Hudson bay terri
tory, where the brave Franklin and his
men perished Of cold and hunger Yet at
this point In Sweden you come In a com
Portable, well-warmed compartment car at
the rate Of twenty miles an hour and
reach Polcirkeln exactly on scedule time
The railway Is being pushed nearly two
hundred miles north of this and the bor-
ders of the Arctic ocean, as I have said
but here, for today, we must leave it.
F. E. C.
A Vain Wait.
From the Chicago News
The shade Of the great Ronan,r.o .;,,z