LAPLAND. 83 



in Wermland they disfigure tlie sheep in the same 

 fashion. They really and truly appear to live 

 from hand to mouth. Each one has a small patch 

 of cultivated land, on which, if the season permits 

 him, he can grow a little barley and potatoes, and 

 each one owns a few cows. Except just in the hay 

 season the men appear to have very little to do, 

 save to fish and to shoot. Every boy of ten years 

 old can shoot, and eYery man's heart here may be 

 truly said to be "in the forest or on the fell." All the 

 " small chares " are done by the women, who, like 

 all the women in Sweden, are most industrious, 

 and never seem to know rest ; and considering 

 they all have large families to bring up — for they 

 are all very prolific — they must have plenty to do. 

 But certainly the men take it remarkably easy. I 

 never saw better smokers in my life. I used to 

 think that we blew a pretty good cloud in Australia ; 

 but we did take the pipe out of our mouths while 

 at work. Here the pipe follows a man like his 

 shadow, and, except when they sleep, appears to 

 be continually in their mouths. But rough as it 

 is, each one seems contented with his lot, and 

 nearest to every one's heart appears to be — 



" The wish which, ages have not yet subdued, 

 Of man to have no master save his mood." 

 As may be easily imagined, the cure of the souls 

 in a parish consisting of four families was not a 



