Copenhagen

T H E SURROUND INGS OF COPENHAGEN.

coast. In front of the slope the g reat expanse of blue w ater spreads itself out, w ith the sky for its border. F rom the m idst of all this summ er blue a lon g way ou t, w hite banks rise. T hat is the island of Hveen, w here D enm ark's g reat son, Tycho Brahe, the astronom er, erected his U ran ienbo rg . Now K ing O scar of Sweden hunts upon the white "star-island", w ith his guest, the Czar of Russia, w ho comes across from F red en sb o rg Palace in Denmark. To the gazer stand ing on a S kod sbo rg balcony on a fine summ er day, sea and sky seem to melt into one — one light brilliant blue. Ships sudden ly appear; w ith ou tsp read sails they float along as if floating away into infinity. The eye loses itself follow ing them . O ne seems to be living in a dream , a dream of eternity. F rom the very day that Skodsborg's first house was erected, C openhagen knew w hat beauty was to be found there. It becam e "the th ing " to live at Skodsborg. All knew that now here else was the sea bath ing so health-giving, and some actually discovered that now here else was the sky so blue. G arden s w ere p roduced as if by magic. Lawns, flower-beds, h edges of w ild roses covered S kod sbo rg ’s sand. All summ er tim e the place seemed to be perpetually en fê te ; for C o p en ­ hagen g o t into the way of taking all its visitors there, to show them th e m ost beautiful sight in the country — the beauty of the Sound. S kod sbo rg ’s fame for brilliant festivity w ent forth over the world. N ow adays no stranger leaves Denm ark w ith ­ ou t having gazed w ith adm iration tow ards Hveen from the slope of Skodsborg. A little to the South of the hotel of S kod sbo rg lies the "W hite Palace". Here, am idst the beatiful gardens, the m erry K ing Frederik VII. held his court. The road along the shore from this po int seems to run th ro u g h one g reat flower garden for a distance of six or seven English m iles to C o p e n ­ hagen. How well I rem em ber the place we are com ing to now ,

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