Page 36 - To Dragma October 1930

34 To DRAGMA J

moves out to make up for the long winter. They sleep out and live out- S
of-doors. They dance, sing and have their concerts outdoors. That does ze
not mean, however, that they are, conversely "sewed-up" for the winter co
indoors. Their joy in the summer comes to a climax at mid-summertime
when there is daylight twenty-four hours a day. I t is a time of song and s
flowers. Eight years ago I spent a most gorgeous midsummer night in s
Sweden. After helping deck the house in garlands and wreaths of flowers, t
and celebrating generally, it pleased me to spend the night on the lake. o
There was a warm softness in the air; the lake was still and clear as a c
mirror; deep impenetrable shadows of the forest fringed the shores. The f
sun crept reluctantly to bed in the northwest, but left a glow as a re- H
minder that it was not for long. A big lugubrious moon hung over a w
mountain, looking rather pale and surprised that he had to be present at n
all, on such a night. The scent of the twin flowers, linnea, and of lilies of b
the valley stole out from a wooded point jutting clearly out into the quiet t
waters. The farm houses in the shadow of the forest were like bunches of w
red roses clustering in the lighter green of the fields. b
a
At two the sun was done resting, so were the cuckoo birds and the m
starlings. The larks rose on joyous wings higher and higher into the n
blue of the sky, evidently thrilled beyond all telling at the splendor of b
the new day. A flock of loons coming from the terns in the forest s
swooped down into the lake and settled down to their sort of concert t
which is far from pleasing. But one laughs at them as one would at n
a rowdy crowd of noisy children. They seem to have so much fun. The w
sun was very high when I beached my boat and even now the memory s
of that midsummer night lingers. w

Parts of Sweden remind one of Scotland as does this view of Giansfjorden near StaiWS-