Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-05-14
rHE COURTEOUS sweoEs.

FointS "nlcn ATTRACT tho Attention o
Travellers In Oscars Kingdom.
Tho beautiful politeness and courtesy
Of tho Swcdes is thing that is very
striking to visitors, writes contributor
to Temple Bar. Thoy have large rs
sortmcnt OF bows, bobs, courtcsics ant
hat-liftings, according to age and sox
but the lifting Of tho hat to nero &C
quaintances reaches, fancy, muct
lowor down in tho social scale than else
whoro In Europe; 1t looks odd to SEQ the
butcher-boy in q blouse olaboratcly
taking of his hat to tho bakers assist
ant. suspect, on examination, Swod
ish hats would be found to contain lit
Ito extra stifTcning, in order to enable
them to stand tho wear and tear O.
these greetings in the municipalities.
On ono occasion, when going by
steamboat to Upsala, 1 noticed a very
quaint example Of this National trait
Tho steamboat, as it nears Upsala
passes through many shallow reaches Of
tho Malar lake, where tho depth OF
water Is insufficient to allow of tho pas
scngers being landed in tho ordinary
manner directly on to landing stages
and so have to be taken on shore in
small bouts. Tho forryman on shipping
his complement of passengers would
1lrst tako dozen strokes or SO in order
10 clear tho scrow OF tho steamer, and
thon would carefully 10y aside his oars
Rise from his scat, and take off his hat
with solemn bow to tho people sitting
In the storm whom he had just taken of
the deck Of tho steamer. lie would
thnn IN ~,
This did not occur as an isolated in
stance, but regularly overy timo the
passengers had to be landed by shore
boats.
Tho women of the middle and lower
classes arc littlo If ut all behind their
husbands and brothers in this matter
Their good temper and pretty behavior
nrc worthy of all praise. Tho servant
girls in Dalccarlian peasant dress. tho
catc-mam8eLles and tho young persons
employed in shops all mako tho protti.
est OF all possible little hob courtcsics,
and SO, oddly enough, do tho young Ia
dies OF good family up to tho day of
their confirmation, which coromony
takes place rather later than with us,
generally about tho ago Of sixteen.
From that day forth they put their hair
up and take to bowling.
Tho Upsala students amuso ono q
good deal by tho elaboration and ccro-
noniousness of their manners. Any
day during tho vacation fcw of Thorn
may BIO sccn gathered around n tablo in
tho garden cafes of Ilas9elbacken or
Iiyoli, drinking their punch. They arc
mostly lads under twenty, but they bow
to each other, and mako littIo civil
speeches., and pledge each other with
solemn salutation, all according to tho
strictcst Swedish etiquette, as If they
woro middle-ngcd gentlemen Of high
dignity and position but slightly &C.
quaintcd with ono another They GER
tainly talIo themselves worry seriously.
Tho custom Of plcdging or hoalth-
drinking Is survival from worry ancient
limos. Tho glassis raised, slight bow
mado, tho word sk2i Qitcrally bowl
pronounced, followed by another Glight
DOW when tho glass 10 replaced on tho
table, generally empty; it is not do
rig eur, however, that it should 30 80,
but III Denmark, whcro similar Gus
tom obtains, tho glass must always DO
drained to tho last drop.
Another point which soon attrccts tho
attention Of visitors is tho punctilious
honesty and truthfulncss OF tho Swcdcs;
this Is bcst sccn in tho many littlo in
cidonta Of daily lifo. When asking for
places 1T tho thcatcr, for instance, The
ticket clerk mover fails to inform you II,
owing to tho crowded state Of tho house,
u better position would DO secured with
u cheaper ticket than tho ono asked
for Again, when parcels arc taken
out by steamers from Stockholm
To country places in tho ncirh-
borhood they arc just thrown out on
to tho quay, whcro they frequently re-
main half tho day without being claimed.
IL mover sooms to occur TO any ono that
they could possibly DO taken by any ono
but their rightful owners. On q trip Of
any lcngth, as for instance to Gothon-
biirfr hu pnnn1 II