e returning boats of the fishers. Over all the land
brooded an atmosphere of sleep, of serene, perpetual peace. To sit and
look upon it was in itself a refreshment like that of healthy slumber.
The restless devil which lurks in the human brain was quieted for the
time, and we dreamed--knowing all the while the vanity of the dream--of
a pastoral life in some such spot, among as ignorant and simple-hearted
a people, ourselves as untroubled by the agitations of the world.

We had scarce inhaled--or, rather, _insuded_, to coin a paradoxical word
for a sensation which seems to enter at every pore--the profound quiet
and its suggestive fancies for the space of half an hour, when the wind
fell at the going down of the sun, and the humming mist of mosquitoes
arose again. Returning to the town, we halted at the top of the common
to watch the farmers of the neighborhood at their horse-dealing. Very
hard, keen, weather-browned faces had they, eyes tight-set for the main
chance, mouths worn thin by biting farthings, and hands whose hard
fingers crooked with holding fast what they had earned. Faces almost of
the Yankee type, many of them, but relieved by the twinkling of a
humorous faculty or the wild gleam of imagination. The shaggy little
horses, of a dun or dull tan-color, seemed to understand that their best
performance was required, and rushed up and down the road with an
amazing exhibition of mettle. I could understand nothing of the Finnish
tongue except its music; but it was easy to perceive that the remarks of
the crowd were shrewd, intelligent, and racy. One young fellow, less
observant, accosted us in the hope that we might be purchasers. The
boys, suspecting that we were as green as we were evidently foreign,
held out their hands for alms, with a very unsuccessful air of
distress, but readily succumbed to the Russian interjection "_proch"_
(be off!) the repetition of which, they understood, was a reproach.

That night we slept on the velvet couches of the cabin, having the
spacious apartment to ourselves. The bright young officer had left for
the copper mines, the pilgrims were at Valaam, and our stout, benignant
captain looked upon us as his only faithful passengers. The stewards,
indeed, carried their kindness beyond reasonable anticipations. They
brought us real pillows and other conveniences, bolted the doors against
nightly intruders, and in the morning conducted us into the pantry, to
wash our faces in the basin sa