Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-05-06

@4<s4 f9cked Away fromiscuousIT ~
Marrow. Unds.ir.bEs nanks-
An members Of nm Iceland family
sleep in one room, and this, indeed.
Omen serves all purposes save that Of
Kitchen, says correspondents Of the
Philadelphia Press, Very narrow. and
from six to twenty feet long. according
to the size Of the family, With q row Of
low hunks on either side. leaving q
space three or four feet wide down the
center. these rooms are lighted by one
small window al the end, ventilated by
the door or trap through which they are
entered nom below. and warmed by
the heat Of the bodies collected in them.
The sfeeply- pitched roof, constructed Of
rafters and overlapping boards and
covered on the outside with Q thick
layer Of growing turf rests on low
walls and makes 1t impossible to stand
upright except under the ridge. The
priests house and few others have
guest-chambers, with sometimes stove.
which is only used on extraordinary
occasions, owing to the difficulty Of
transporting fuel from the sea-ports.
Parties OF tourists stopswhere there Is
church and shiyer out the night on the
eightinch-wide benches, the vestment
chests, on the floor; but il there are only
one or two Of you and no guestroom,
or that Is already filed, you generally
share, for experiences sake. in the
somewhat promiscuous nightly packing
Of the family-for experience sake. mind
you, and you always get it, as well as
the only good idea of the home life Of
the people.
Upon this evening found myself in
room smokily and dimly lighted by
seal-oil, burned with wick Of cotton
grass in q lamp Of brass, much like the
ancient lamps Of the Greeks, but fur
nished with an overhanging arm and
q swivel and boat-hook arrangement.
which permits of its being stuck or hung
wherever the user wishes. Two hunks
on one side and one on the other were
literally full. In one man and two
boys, in another two women and child
rem, and in the third three men, all
sleeping like sardines in box, the head
of one on the same pillow as the feet Of
his next bed-fellows, and the space that
was not occupied by human beings
probably was BY beings inhuman.
After shaking up the many boxes and
bundles under the rude mattress and
giving an extra poke or two to the feath-
er or down-bed. which il the only form
of covering known in Iceland, one Of
the girls motioned us to the bed where
we were to sleep Gan Iceland gentleman
was to share my bed), and then, as
If it were an everyday occurrence to
shock the senses Of modest traveller,
while we were undressing she. with
two others, proceeded to disrobe and
take possession Of the bunk opposite
ours, until "the last in bed put out the
light. " My companion somewhat sur
prised me By . warning to secrete any
valuables / might have, but as he was
an Icelander thought it better tofollow
his advice than to trust to the proverbial
honesty of his countrymen, and after an
application from . box OF rough on rats
mo, well, never mind II was soon un-
conscious, breathing carbonic acid gas
by the cubic yard, but in sweet oblivion
until awakened during the general turn
out next morning.
r The daylight revealed nothing new
except, perhaps, the many little articles
stuffed into every nook and crevice.
Furniture Is scarce and chest Of
drawers o luxury in an Icelandic habi-
tation, and odds and ends are hung on
nails in the ROOT, stuffed into the cracks,
or in boxes hidden away under the
mattresses in the hunks. Horn spoons,
knives and forks. bits of cloth, needles,
books, and fish-hooks were tucked
promiscuously away, and old clothes
and fish hung over lines stretched length~
wise Of the ridge-pole. II was interest
ing to see the men, after slipping into
The few clothes they had removed upon
retiring, sit, the edge Of the beds
chatting and slipping the coffee brought
| BY the women.
Several times was reused from my
musings BY the rrstling Of the disar-
ranged covering in bed which had
supposed empty, and presently half
naked child would start up from the
depths and stare in open-eyed wonder
at the stranger, who returned the gaze
| with . sense of the ludicrous rising
within him. From beds where had
counted three the night before four had
already risen, and how many more
were to followr AT the farther end Of
the aisle a mattress spread upon the
floor had served for the resting-place Of
three more girls, whose accustomed
bunk myself and companion had prob
ably occupied. By this time had be-
| gun to feel the need Of d little clean air,
and, getting into my clothes, Niescend-
ed to the guest-room, where I break
tasted on more mutton and trrnips. but
lighted this time with q cup Of chocolate
and some English crackers.