on the top of the
hill and freeze.

We enjoyed this sport till darkness put an end to it; then we returned,
tired, cold, and hungry to town, to dine hurriedly and be ready for the
theater at eight o'clock--a gala performance.

[Illustration:
THE KING OF SWEDEN
From a photograph taken when he was Crown Prince Gustav. The crown and
robe were worn at the formal opening of the Riksdag by his father, King
Oscar.]

J. and I were invited to sit in the royal box. The opera was "Orphee,"
by Glueck. The Crown Princess suffers agonies when she hears music
(everything sounds false to her sensitive ears). Therefore, to spare
her, they had chosen the shortest opera.

In the _entr'actes_ refreshments were served in the small _salon_ which
is kept in reserve for the King. It is the same room where King Gustave
III. retired when he attended the ball which proved so fatal to him on
the night of his assassination. The libretto of "_Ballo in Maschera_"
by Verdi, is made on this subject, and the scene laid in Boston.

STOCKHOLM, _1892_.

Dear L.,--The opening of the Rigsdag is a great event in Stockholm. The
_Corps Diplomatique_ met in the room in the palace called Kronesal. The
walls are covered with the three gold crowns of the Swedish coat of
arms painted on a blue background. They passed on through the rooms of
the Order of the Sword, which had just as many swords on its walls as
the other had crowns. You can never make a mistake as to where you are!
The ladies were told to wear _toilette de ville_, and the gentlemen to
dress in gala uniform.

Just before the time the King was to come in we were ushered down a
little narrow staircase which led into the Rigsdag, passed in front of
the throne, and went up a still narrower staircase to the gallery
reserved for the diplomats, which seemed very shaky. Some day when the
Rigsdag is opening there will be a collapse of diplomats.

The body of the hall was filled with the gentlemen, all the members of
the two Chambers in evening dress and the court officials in their
uniforms.

When the Queen is present, which is not often, she sits opposite the
_Corps Diplomatique_, surrounded by the ladies of the court, who wear
little white fur capes over their shoulders.

The galleries on both sides were filled with the nobility and society.
The throne on which King Oscar sat is on a raised platform filling the
whole end of the hall. The throne is unique, made of silver, silver
lions supporti