X.

COUNTRY LIFE IN SWEDEN.

ULY 6. We are now really settled in the country.

We are at Arsta, the old family property of the Bremers, purchased when the father of Fredrika left Finland, at the time she was four years old.

We left Stockholm yesterday, by the steamer, and had a beautiful sail through a part of the Skärgard, which is very extensive, the mainland being edged by a widestretching archipelago of rocky islets, on which grow fir and birch trees, very much in the character of the Mälar. It seems, indeed, almost impossible to reach the open

sea.

The sea is not visible from the house at Arsta, although it is near. It is a large mansion, not built of wood but stone, painted white. In the front is an extensive court, on each side of which is a long, one-storied, red house, the one occupied by the people employed on the estate, the other by the family of Baron R., who has taken it for the summer. Dalarö is a little bathing-place

situated on a rocky hillside, facing one of the lake-like basins of the sea, with rocky islets and tongues of land before it, on one of the former of which stands an old fort, with its parasol-like top.

We were three hours on the water between Stockholm and Dalarö, where Herr Saxenberg, the present possessor of Arsta, came in his comfortable, old-fashioned, close carriage to meet us.

The coachman who drove the handsome pair of black horses was old Carl Adalfsson, who belonged to the estate in Miss Bremer's time, and was then employed in cutting wood and drawing water. One day when she was living there, seeing him at the well, she asked him if he did not find his life monotonous. "Monotonous! no, indeed. There's plenty of variety in it," he said. "Sometimes. it's wood, and sometimes it's water."

There are two brick houses in Dalarö, but all the rest are wood; snug little cabins, where people make themselves happy during the summer. There is quite a rage now to build little Swiss cottages on fertile nooks in the Skärgard and by the Mälar. This, it is said, is owing to the little steamboats, of comparatively modern introduction, which ply about these waters, and thus make their shores accessible.

Leaving Dalarö, we drove through scenery which is characteristic of this part of Sweden: poor land, woods, and beautiful basins of water and wooded islands, and here and there a little wooden cottage. Before we left the high road to enter upon the Arsta estate, we passed within sight of a large, yellow, wooden country mansion, with a fine avenue, which, in Miss Bremer's time, was

occupied by two old brothers, who had a great abhorrence of women. They always took their dinner standing, having in their youth been made to do so by their parents. As soon as dinner was ended, one brother, by way of returning thanks, said, "As it was in the beginning," the other, "as it now is," and the old servant concluded, "and ever shall be. Amen."

Having entered the Arsta demesne, the carriage was brushed by the young birch-trees which formed thickets on either side of the way, for the fir-wood having been burned, and the land thus cleared, birches always spring up of themselves; then through a pine wood, and over a large meadow, and the white house, with its tall roof and square tower, was before us. Fru Saxenberg and her daughters, Sofi, Theresa, and steps to meet us, in their simple Swedish attire; the mother with the cotton pocket-handkerchief pinned over her head, and all in print dresses, although they must be really wealthy people.

Selma, were on the

Saturday afternoon.-About twelve I went out with Tant* Bremer, down the long avenue, principally of ash, into the so-called park,-really a kind of wood,-which borders the Arsta, and where it is always warm and sheltered. We passed the fisherman's cottage, and walking along the wooded path, with alders growing to the water's edge, came to the little bath-house, standing at the point where the creek expands into a sort of lake, edged with islands, beautifully fertile and wooded. On the farther, northern side, still forming a part of the Arsta estate, little boats bring people to chapel, and in * In English, aunt.

the gay prosperous days of Arsta, brought also many a wedding party, the ceremony taking place in the housethe great staircase being decorated with flowers for the occasion. I wish a wedding would take place somewhere whilst we are in the neighbourhood. I should like to see the large gilt crown of the bride and the jewels which she wears in her hair, for if the family have not jewels of their own they are hired from Stockholm.

On our way back we gathered magnificent wild strawberries, listened to the larks that filled the air with their singing, and examined an old gray stone with Runic characters dimly discernible upon it, which had been placed upon the lawn since Miss Bremer's time. Ancient stones of this kind are not uncommon in Sweden, and people are now beginning to set great value upon them.

This is literally a land of milk and honey, the latter represented by butter, delicious home-baked bread of various kinds, delicious wild strawberries, and such spinach! As for the milk, the glass which was brought me between breakfast and dinner, and which, having had an excellent breakfast, I left till dinner, was by that time almost an entire glass of cream. The water too is so deliciously fresh that one does not know which to choose.

Those larks are still singing like mad! The wild thyme is out, and there are many familiar flowers besides meadow-sweet and dog-daisies and little bright pink wild pinks.

:

Monday. We made a little excursion on Saturday evening with Her Grace R., not the Baroness, as I imagined, but Hennes Nod, as Tant Saxenberg said, for

so, according to the kind usage of Sweden, she wishes me to call her. She lives in one of the red houses, and is an elegant, tall, and young-looking woman, more like the sister than the mother of a Fröken, or noble young lady, of eighteen or nineteen, and three youths, the eldest of whom wears the white cap of a student, and a younger daughter. Both she and her daughter wore simple print dresses, as does everybody here, let them be as rich and great as they may.

Our way was through a birch and fir wilderness, to the house of old Settergren, a kind-looking aged man, the sexton, though he lives a long way from the church, at least according to English notions. He took us over his neat little potato plot and meadow, into a rocky wood, and up a steep crag, whence we had a splendid view of glittering creeks, islands, and woods. Here amongst the glossy lingon leaves we found the beautiful wax-like and creamy pyrola growing to a large size, which we gathered; and also later on in our walk, white orchises, for Miss Bremer, who was not with us, but is very fond of these flowers, for their delicate evening perfume. As we mounted the rock a large brown snake laid its head on Fru Saxenberg's foot, to her great horror. There seem to be many snakes in these woods, a few of which are dangerous.

Again at Settergren's house: he showed me his antiquities, amongst which was a little old stone head of a hammer, a sort of axe-head of stone, multitudes of which are preserved in the Museum at Stockholm, and on which he sets great store. His little plot of peas and broad beans does him great credit. I have not yet seen new