, 1874-06-28

Manners and Customs in Iceland.
Mauners arc simple in Iceland, az indeed in all
here bocause there il really no distinction Of
ranks. Nobody is rich. and hardly anybody abb
iect1y noor everybody has to work for hi1:ls elf
and works fexccpt, to bo sure, few storek eep-
ers in Reykiay1k, and one or two spots on tie
coaat) with his own hands, Wealth would not
raise q man much above his fellows, aud there
ara indeed no means OF employing it except in
supplying house with what would be thought
in England INDISPENSABLE comforts, Wealth.
therefore, is not greatly coveted (al-
thonph the Icolander likes a Good bargain. es-
neciaily in horsencsh ! and al mir of content
ment rajcns- The farm servant scarcely differs
from tne farmor. and probably. il q steady
fellow ends bv marrving the farmers daughter
and getting farm hi1nself There is no tile OF
resnect save Hera to tho Bishop aud Slra to q
priest not even such q title as 111. or Mrs., or
Eaou,re. II you 90 to cali on q lady you tap
at the door, and ask il Ingibjorg OF VAL
creror ia in: or, il You wish to givo her
her full name, Ipgibjorg Thorvaldsdotrir, or
be, for there is no title of poiitsness to apply.
Hrr name moreover. ia her own name un-
Glanced from birth to death; for as there are no
surnsmas or family names among the Ice1anders,
for wife assuming her husbands name,
and she is Tlorraldsdottir after her marriage
with Gnomundr lust a. before. while her chill
dran are Guouundsson and Guomundsttir, When
snch a concession is made to the rights Of
women IL ~ little surnrising to ind that aLe
mGe an1 ~ otha, Il 1esneeI traatsd a. IN Inferor
not usually citing down to taLle with the men
of The family. but waiting On them and dulng
separataIy. Otherwise, however, women seem
gufloientfy we'll off, having full rights Of prop
ertv and riding yalorous1v about tho country
wherever theT Viii and xe could not hear that
there was anv movement fur their emancipa-
tion ar indeod for aoclnl reform OF any kind,
though. to be suro. imperfect knowledge Of the
laneu.ge restricted our inquiries In one regard
eoualit7 than their sisters in Continental Ec-
! rope, They rocelyo exactly the same education
as the men do There are no schools in the island
naturally, ~ families live mostly dozen miles
apart. and instruction is therefore given by the
father to his sons and daughters alike aud to-
gather, the prieat-where there is priest-some-
times adding little Latin or Danish. Thus tho
girl learns all her parents can teach her, aud ia
| as good an nrithmetician, and as familiar
| with the Sagas, a. her brothers. Ac-
complishuents Of course, ara pretty we'll out of
the question: painti1q. not only fiom the dIlii-
cnItr Of nrocnrtnc mnterials but because there
is really nothing to paint; dancing, because you
can seldom gather sufficiently large party, aud
have no roome big enough instrumental music.
an % sccount Of the lmpossiblIty Of transporting
piano over rocks and bogs on the back Of q
pony. Nevertheless, ne found in 4 remote
house "a good wooden house. by the way,
upon the coast, Hhero we we're hospital
| bIy entertained for day and night, not
onIy a piano, but several yonng ladies who could
| play e1collently on it aud guitar, accompany
| inc themselyes to songs in four or five Ian
ru.ce,. the Swedish, as we thought, tho p1etti-
osr Of n1l. Thay lived in tho most desolate spot
irnarinahle-the sea roaring in front On q long
strand: inland, plain Of dreary log, and behind
| il. miles away. grim shapoless mountains. They
I'D No ne;chbnTa within 10 or IS m,lee. and told
ua @ thev be- we9e often without a visitor for months
tnca1her Rnt thew were "a bright and
clesrful as possible and though they
aid not respond 10 the suggestion
~ a a,nca thew sanq and nlayed to two Of us
ri ayeninr long in he tiny drnwing. room, rhile
tho storm howied without; and their worthy
IT,. ...e4 ~ ~ ;.I.nd, ond tr,a lord Tienten-