the country, no matter how humble or primitive it may be, and if he
can not afford a cabin, he pitches a tent in the woods under the pine
trees, and if necessary cooks his own meals. The banks of the lakes
and rivers throughout the entire kingdom--and there are more than
1,400 lakes in Sweden and 1,700 islands in the Stockholm Skärgard--are
surrounded by such dwellings and camps, for the Swedes love the water.
Those who are compelled to remain in town take their meals and spend
their evenings at the open-air cafes, which are found in every part of
the city with bands of music, and take daily excursions on the boats
which ply through the fjord and the lakes which encircle the town.
In the suburbs are circuses, open-air theaters, concert gardens, and
other forms of entertainments, simple and serious. A number of fine
restaurants are maintained in the parks, where people can get a good
dinner and spend the evening under the cool foliage, listening to
an orchestral concert or a band. Every form of outdoor amusement is
furnished, and the people eat, drink, and are merry, making the most
of their time from June to September before the long and dreary winter
comes upon them.

The working classes have their simple amusements also, and during the
summer evenings in every village there is music and dancing, even if
an accordion or jewsharp is the only instrument to be obtained. The
national dances are quite energetic, and furnish a form of exercise
which lazy people would not admire, but both the men and women of
Sweden are famous for their muscular strength, and the young woman who
can dance down her companions is as much of a hero as the champion
wrestler of the town. Those who can not enjoy the opportunity of
visiting rural Sweden will find in the suburbs of Stockholm, at the
favorite resort and place of amusement of the common people, a perfect
representation of Swedish country life. It is called Skansen, and