solid surface. No wheeled traffic is now to be seen; everything is on
runners, from the carriage of the King to the doll's perambulator. One
no longer hears the rumble of the _carrioles_ and _stolkjaerres_ over
the rough flags, and the silence is broken only by the jingling of
the sleigh-bells.

It is a strange sight indeed, this winter city, with its fur-clad
men and women, and snow-covered houses and gardens, its keen, crisp
air and pale blue sky. What a change from the fogs and dampness of
our English climate!

Christiania is gay at this time of year, for it is the "season." The
members of the Storthing, with their wives and families, are in town
for the session, and all sorts of gaieties are in progress. But all
those Norwegians who have leisure to enjoy themselves turn their
attentions to the real pleasures of winter--sleighing, ski-ing,
tobogganing, and skating. The boys and girls are thoroughly
happy. Directly school is over away they go, with their skates,
snowshoes, or toboggans, to have a right good time in their different
playgrounds. The hill on which the palace stands is given up to these
little revellers, and in the evenings dozens of them of all ages may
be seen descending the slopes face downwards on their _kjaelker_, or
racing through the trees with their long ski on their feet. The public
gardens also are flooded to form a rink for the sole use of the infant
skaters, and, judging by their rosy cheeks, the outdoor exercise in
the cold, dry air makes them as healthy as any children in the world.

But grown-up people consider skating feeble sport in comparison with
ski-ing, which may be called the national sport of Norway. Not so
many years ago it was restricted to that country; but now the sport
has become a favourite one in Sweden, Switzerland, and in other
parts of Europe where the snow lies deep. Yet, to see perfection
in the art, one must go to Norway--the real home of the great long
wooden snowshoe. From earliest youth the Norwegians of both sexes
are accustomed to go about the country in the long winter months on
these strange contrivances, for without them it would be absolutely
impossible to move off the roads. Children are taught in the schools to
use them; soldiers wear them at winter drill and manoeuvres; farmers,
milkmaids, cowboys, all may be seen daily in the country parts going
from place to place on them, and so keen are the young rustic lads
on becoming proficient ski-runners that al