AN OLD DANISH TOWN 5 



twenty-four miles in whatever direction he turns his 

 eyes. I did not try the experiment, but standing 

 on my feet I observed and was delighted with the 

 endless extent of verdant marshes dotted with cattle. 



In the foreground the river flashed in the sun- 

 light, while far away the plain was broken by the 

 dense mass of a wood, and to the left of this by a tall 

 windmill. In the middle distance appeared a build- 

 ing with a roof of brilliant red, and around it yellow 

 stacks. This I took for a farm, but in fact it is 

 some kind of a workhouse, which the inhabitants of 

 Ribe have contrived to render picturesque. Then 

 to the right rose the tall tower of the cathedral 

 dominating the gabled roofs beneath. Altogether 

 the scene was lovely and peaceful, at any rate to 

 one who finds beauty in a flat and fruitful land. 



Many of these rich marshes are the property of 

 the town, and their freehold value appears to be 

 about ^55 the acre. The old buildings I have no 

 space to describe, or the little museum in which 

 there is a nice collection of executioners' swords. 

 I confess that I left Ribe with regret, and with 

 grateful memories of the kind reception that I met 

 with at the hands of some of its leading inhabitants. 



