selves on board a yacht, was ready to take | grew denser, the pines became more imus up the Göta Elf against stream. Here posing, and the hills seemed to draw closer the river has not yet joined the sea on its in around us. When we reached Trolljourney from the great Lake Venern, after hättan the sun had already set, but the leaping the Trollhättan, and it is much wonderful northern twilight did but soften narrower than below Gothenburg, where the contours of the distant hills, leaving an its waters mingle with ocean. Immedi- opal glow which, as late as ten o'clock, ately upon leaving the town the charm of made it possible to read a letter in the the journey began to grow. open air. Trollhättan means the "roaring wizard," and the falls fully justify the mythic title. On the top of a steep hill just above our landing-place lies the village of the same name, overlooking that part of the river which flows from Lake Venern towards the fall. Here the stream runs placidly enough, winding past mossy banks, with graceful weeping silver birches moistening the tips of their leaves in the current. But near to the hotel the bed narrows suddenly; a little farther on the river leaps down among large boulders in a curved volume of deep green water, which at once is churned into a wealth of bubbling foam. Leaping the rocks again and again, it rushes downward on a sharp declivity for nearly half a mile.

On either bank were verdant meadows with contented cows placidly browsing. Here and there, from surrounding clumps of feathery birch and larch, peeped forth some substantial homestead, built of timber of course; the dwelling-house painted deep red, relieved by a border of white round the window-frames; the wooden shingled roofs tarred and weather-stained to a sombre blue.

The groups of buildings, thus set in three shades of vivid green, from meadow, birch, and larch, made delightful harmonies of color. They occurred perhaps too rarely, however, the farther Gothenburg was left behind, and presently the sense of being in a large country where space was not yet cramped, and where there was On one side of the cataract the cliff a breadth and vastness that one generally rises high and steep, clothed with closeimagines exists only on the other side of set files of sombre pine-trees, enlivened the Atlantic or at the Antipodes, was here and there with patches of birch. On borne in upon one. We glided by saw- the village side the hill descends gradually mills, either sunk in a dell or hollow on with the falls, and on its top a row of deepthe river's edge, or near a lock, the water red buildings seems almost to overhang the of their mill-ponds supplied by the Elf, torrent. These are merely prosaic ironand falling with full force over the huge works, saw-mills, and other factories that revolving wheels. In adjacent reservoirs use the energy of the fall as motive power; were men with long poles with hooks, sort-but, being built of timber, colored to the ing the pine logs, which, after an adven- universal red tint, their solid outlines do turous and independent course across not clash with, but even lend to the picgreat lakes and down streams, arrive here turesque. From one of these factories an from far away inland. Frequently our iron bridge is thrown across; and, standsteamer would slacken, and peasants (the ing on this, one best realizes the mighty men almost invariably provided with a power of this seething volume, flowing leathern apron, the most distinctive feature incessantly and with giddy velocity be of their dress hereabouts) would come neath one's feet. The noise is deafening, alongside in their boats to fetch sacks of and one wonders unconsciously why this flour and sundry groceries, or a bundle of rush does not finally empty all the lakes children and a wife; or we passed by oth- in Sweden. Above, where the fall beers ashore waiting for the ferry with cart gins, from time to time a log floats unconand horses, their figures reflected in the cernedly to the brink, when suddenly down limpid water. In the distance were vil it is hurled into the fuming cauldron belage spires, and, as a background, an in- low, disappearing, reappearing, end up, to terminable line of bald grey hills with be again and repeatedly flung forward, scanty patches of moss on their hoary only recovering equilibrium when finally tops. Formerly their ridges were thickly reaching less turbulent waters below. covered with pine woods; but, being so The huge trunks cut in midwinter and sent easy of access, these forests were the first adrift in spring to continue their eventful to fall before the constantly growing de- journey, each bear a distinctive mark. At mand from abroad. various stages on the rivers men are staBy imperceptible degrees the character tioned who intercept, sort, and retain of the landscape changed from pastoral to those intended for their particular mill, sylvan. The copses of birch and larch | sending the remainder onward till ulti

The

ashore at a small private landing-stage. | cutting the Gordian knot. When a casual Having proceeded up a broad birch-tree acquaintanceship has ripened into genial avenue two miles long, and through a gar- sympathy or mutual respect, your Swedish den, I stood before an imposing white friend at once proposes a brotherhood." mansion with a tall pointed roof. The This is a distinct social ordeal, the initiawide-open hall doors showed me a spa- tion to which demands a special rite. cious ante-room, but it was impossible to man who has requested the honor of bediscover either bell or knocker, and no coming your brother provides you with a one appeared. Within, an open door to glass of wine filled to the brim, he himself the right disclosed a study, or smoking. holding another; both rise, each linking room, with guns and several sets of elks' the right arm of each; looking one anantlers on the walls; to the left, through other boldly in the eyes and pronouncing another open door, a billiard-table was the words Skal bror!* the beakers are visible, and in front a flight of carpeted emptied. Henceforth you are expected to stairs led to the floor above. But no liv- use the pronoun "thou," and you take ing being was anywhere to be seen. Hav- your stand on the footing of relationship. ing coughed and given other similar signs Among the reminiscences of this visit to of an embarrassed presence, I was about to Vermland is an evening when I acquired mount the stairs, when a large brown dog no less than six new and stalwart brothsuddenly showed himself, and, coming up ers. On the subject of ancienne politesse, to me, placed a damp nose confidingly in I should mention, by the way, that there my hand, bringing forward a pair of shorn is a well-known Swedish gentleman who and pointed ears, wagging a stumpy tail, always gives precedence to his own son, and looking up with an expression that because "he has one ancestor more than plainly said: "Yes, you see, they cut my his father." ears, but I don't mind now. Having ac- The national character is anything but cepted this new acquaintance, I came to gloomy or morose, and social gatherings the conclusion that my best course would and festivities abound. The people, both be to follow wherever he might lead; and high and low, always find happy excuses as presently he returned to the garden, I for dancing, singing, skating, and sledg. did likewise. He appeared flattered, wag-ing, managing in some way or other to ging the stumpy tail emphatically, and then, turning sharply round the corner of a shubbery, revealed to me three young ladies in an arbor, one with a book, one embroidering, and one leaning back, try. ing hard to balance a flower on the tip of a very pretty little nose. At the sight of a stranger there were signs of perturbation, which sensibly increased when they found themselves addressed in a strange tongue. At that moment, however, my host appeared, and, amidst much laughter and in excellent English, made me cordially welcome.

make existence cheerful. Á fine voice is as common property as are dark eyes in Spain, and with the better classes it is generally well trained. The peasants' dress is not particularly curious, though an occasional red petticoat may help to bring color into the fields; their rich folklore and quaint legends, however, are full of mystic charm, and are still told, and listened to, with awe. Thus, in the house where I was a guest, there had been somewhere about the sixteenth century a certain dame, a widow owning the estate, I who was renowned far and wide for her All through Sweden social intercourse miserly temper and cruelty. Amongst is encumbered with much ceremonious many other things she had one day, in a etiquette, particularly among the landed fit of anger, pushed a poor kitchen wench gentry. The three Scandinavian tongues into a cauldron of boiling water. Enteremploy the two personal pronouns "thou" ing her great drawing-room immediately and "you; "the first familiarly, the sec-after this deed, the irate dame was someond when speaking to a mere acquaint- what surprised to find there, awaiting her, But a well-bred Swedish gentleman a gentleman, grave and decorous, dressed addressing a stranger will always, with in rich black velvet with finest lace rufold-fashioned courtesy, substitute the equivalent for "Monsieur," regardless of harrowing repetitions, and where a title is demanded, even under the difficulties of rapid speech, it is never for a moment omitted. As such politeness, however, in the end becomes both monotonous and wearisome, they have a practical way of

ance.

66

fles, but having a rather fiercely upturned
moustache. Madame,"
," he said, bowing
courteously, "right warmly have I ad-
mired the charm of your character, the
delicate execution of your slightest whim.
May it be permitted a humble adorer to

Your health, brother.

debts, knew well that his uncle would be implacable should he discover the real truth about the strangers, and in his anxiety that all might go smoothly, had proposed to send dress suits of his own to their respective rooms, but this offer was declined. The dinner, however, went off well. Completely unsuspecting, the old gentleman sat at the head of his table, beaming genially upon his guests, and making pretty little speeches through the intermediary of his nephew, the only interpreter, who, very nervous, talked profusely. Luckily for this reckless youngster, the Englishmen who had taken the shooting were not only young men, but also high-bred gentlemen, and their young host's usual charm of manner in the end worked wonders. Some years after the secret leaked out, and the outraged uncle made a will cutting his nephew off with a shilling. Thanks, however, to a bracing climate and a sturdy constitution he lived long enough to tear up this instrument and fold to his manly chest a young scapegrace who has since become an ornament to his country.

But M. Scherer and other critics, who do not require us to admire Amiel's poetry, maintain that in his journal he has left "a book which will not die," a book describing a malady of which "the secret is sublime and the expression wonderful;" a marvel of "speculative intuition," a "psychological experience of the utmost value." M. Scherer and Mrs. Humphry Ward give Amiel's journal very decidedly the preference over the letters of an old friend of mine, Obermann. The quotations made from Amiel's journal by his critics failed, I say, to enable me quite to understand this high praise. But I reIt is somewhat late to speak of Amiel, member the time when a new publication but I was late in reading him. Goethe by George Sand or by Sainte-Beuve was says that in seasons of cholera one should an event bringing to me a shock of pleasread no books but such as are tonic, ure, and a French book capable of renewand certainly in the season of old ageing that sensation is seldom produced now. this precaution is as salutary as in sea- If Amiel's journal was of the high quality sons of cholera. From what I heard I alleged, what a pleasure to make acquaintcould clearly make out that Amiel's jour-ance with it, what a loss to miss it! In nal was not a tonic book; the extracts from it which here and there I fell in with did not much please me; and for a good while I left the book unread.

From Macmillan's Magazine.
AMIEL.

spite, therefore, of the unfitness of old age to bear atonic influences, I at last read Amiel's journal, read it carefully through. Tonic it is not; but it is to be read with profit, and shows, moreover, powers of great force and value, though not quite, I am inclined to think, in the exact line which his critics with one consent indicate.

But what M. Edmond Scherer writes I do not easily resist reading, and I found that M. Scherer had prefixed to Amiel's journal a long and important introduction. This I read; and was not less charmed by the mitis sapientia, the under- In speaking of Amiel at present, after standing kindness and tenderness with so much has been written about him, I which the character of Amiel himself, may assume that the main outlines of his whom M. Scherer had known in youth, life are known to my readers; that they was handled, than interested by the criti-know him to have been born in 1821 and cism on the journal. Then I read Mrs. to have died in 1881, to have passed the Humphry Ward's interesting notice, and then for all biography is attractive, and of Amiel's life and circumstances I had by this time become desirous of knowing the "Etude Biographique" of Mademoiselle Berthe Vadier.

more

three or four best years of his youth at the University of Berlin, and the remainder of his life mostly at Geneva, as a professor, first of æsthetics, afterwards of philosophy. They know that his publications and lectures, during his lifetime,