greatest
attraction of Skansen. On alternate nights the dancing is by the
children, of whom there are thirty-seven under fifteen years of age
living in the cabins with their parents, dressed just like their
great-great-grandfathers and grand mothers when they were of the
same age. The music for the dancing is furnished by old-fashioned
instruments, and none but old-fashioned tunes are allowed. There is a
society in Sweden known as _Svenska Folkdansens Vaenner_ for preserving
the Swedish national peasant dances and for encouraging their use in
the higher circles of society in preference to the French dances.

There are several fine museums and picture galleries in Sweden. The
national gallery in Stockholm, which is across the bay from the royal
palace, and the Northern Museum founded in 1872 by Dr. Hazelius. Then
there is the Royal Opera and the National Theater, so that the people
of Stockholm do not want for places of amusement in winter as well as
summer.

The father of athletic sports in Sweden is Lieutenant Colonel Victor
Gustaf Balck, who holds a military position in the garrison at
Stockholm. He introduced lawn tennis, cricket, baseball and football,
and has established numerous athletic clubs in different parts of the
country. Sailing is popular, there being many yacht clubs with good
houses and fleets. And swimming is a part of the national education,
nearly every man, woman, and child in Sweden taking naturally to the
water and being able to swim. Everybody can skate as well as swim. In
the cities rinks can be found with music and many conveniences. In
Stockholm there is a general skating club, with a rink large enough
to accommodate six thousand skaters, and popular fetes given there
at intervals during the winter are attended by the royal family and
members of the court, and are regarded as important social functions.
All skating is done upon the numerous lakes, and often during the long
nights of the winter hundreds of people, young and old, will gather
at an early hour--it gets dark at four o'clock in the afternoon--and
spend the entire night skating by moonlight. A big fire is built in
some convenient place for the crowd, and smaller fires by individual
parties, who bring luncheon with them and have a picnic in the snow
in the winter. In various parts of the country, national and
international skating contests are held, and winners in local
tournaments, both for speed and fancy skating, are sent to Stoc