After the concert we had our picture taken
Mr. Carlson gave strict orders that nobody was to make an appearance or make any noise until 10 o'clock, A.M. The train drew in at Jeppo station at 9:30 and a large crowd was assembled to meet us, and here we were--still in bed. We jeered at Mr. Carlson, of course, while we dressed, and in not-such-a-very-long-time we were all out greeting the crowd and the sunshine.
They walked us to a hall for breakfast, and then they gave us a few hours to do just what we pleased. We wrote postcards, walked and talked. We went down to the store to see if we could get hold of a newspaper, but none was to be had. At about noon two big busses stopped for us and we were soon on the road to Nykarleby. The day was beautiful and we could have had a nice ride had it not been for a half-intoxicated man in our bus who was quite a pest. We got rid of him before we went back, however. When we came to Nykärleby we went to the church, where a short service was held. They had two organs in this church, a new one and a very old one. The big organ is an electric one, very beautifully toned, while the small organ was one that was heaven knows how old--quite an antique.
We walked through the town and out to Topelius' birth place. On the way out there, we passed a car which had a sign on the back which read "South Tacoma, Washington to Finland". Wasn't it nice to see a car from so far away, especially when we knew the people. They were Gustafson's from South Tacoma. They had driven across the United States, taken the same boat as our crowd--with the car on board and had driven from Oslo to Nykarleby, where we met them. They were now on their way to Malax.
We had a beautiful half hour at Topelius' birth place. We had coffee and cake under the trees by the summer house where Topelius played when he was a child. We were taken back to Jeppo in the busses, and we stopped at a monument about half way between the two towns and sang a song. After we returned to Jeppo we had dinner in a home near the hall--a big dinner.
Our concert that evening was held out of doors. It was a pretty evening, altho rather cold. After the concert we had our picture taken, and then went to the hall for refreshments and dancing. Olga and I went home early, as we were tired. I finished a letter at 12 o'clock midnight--without a light except the daylight coming in through the window! At the concert that evening we met Gust Gustafson's brother and sister. They had come from Orawais to hear us sing.
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