rty or forty ladies and gentlemen, assembled by appointment at a
wharf near one of the principal bridges, where a small steam-boat
belonging to Mr. Fristadius was in waiting. I was a little astonished,
not to say taken aback, at the display of elegant dresses, liveried
servants, and white kid gloves that graced the occasion, and looked at
my dusty and travel-worn coat, slouched hat, and sunburnt hands--for
which there was no remedy--with serious thoughts of a hasty retreat.
One doesn't like to be a savage among civilized people; yet, if one
undertakes to travel with little baggage and less money, what can he
do, unless he holds himself aloof from the world altogether, which is
not the best way of seeing it? There was no time for reflection,
however; the whistle was blowing, and we were hurried on board by our
kind host, who seemed determined to make every body as happy as
possible. The trip down the lake was delightful. On either side the
hills and islands were dotted with villas and gardens; sail-boats were
skimming over the water with gay parties intent on pleasure; the views
of the city from every turn were picturesque beyond description, and
the weather was quite enchanting. As we swept along on our course, the
gentlemen of the party, who were nearly all Swedes, united in a wild
and beautiful Scandinavian glee, the mellow strains of which swept
over the water, and were echoed from the wooded islands and shores of
the lake with a magnificent effect. Whether it was the scenery, the
weather, or the singing, or all combined, I could scarcely tell, but
this little trip was certainly an episode in life to be remembered
with pleasure in after years. In about half an hour we drew near a
perfect little Paradise of an island, upon which, half hidden in
shrubbery and flowers, stood the villa of our friend, Mr. Fristadius.
Here were winding graveled walks overhung by rich foliage; beds of
flowers in full bloom; grottoes of rock laved by the waters of the
lake; immense boulders of granite surmounted by rustic pavilions;
hedges of privet and hawthorn to mark the by-paths; a miniature bridge
from the main island across to a smaller island, upon which stood an
aquatic temple for the fishing-boats and gondolas; with a wharf
jutting out into the deep water at which the little steam-boat landed.
Nothing could be more unique than the whole place. Nature and art
seemed to have united to give it the most captivating effects of
wildness, s