Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1890-06-11
THE COURTEOUS SWEDES.
Points Witch attract the Attention Of
Travellers in Oscars Kingdom.

The beautiful politeness and courtesy OF
the Swedes is thing that is very striking
to visitors, writes contributor to Temple
Bar. They have a large assortment of bows,
bobs. courtesies and hat-liftings, according
to age and sex, but the lifting of the hat to
mere acauaintances reaches, fancy, much
lower down in the social scale than else
where in Europe; it looks odd to see the
butcher boy in a blouse elaborately taking
off his hat to the bakers assistant. | sus-
pect, on examination, Swedish hats would
be found to contain little extra stiffening,
in order to enable them to stand the wear
and tear of these greetings in the market
places.
On one occasion, when going by steam
boat to Upsala, noticed very quaint ex-
ample of this National trait. The steam
boat, as it nears Upsala, passes through
many shallow reaches of the Malar lake,
where the depth of water is insufficient to
allow of the passengers being landed in the
ordinary manner directly on to the landing
stages, and so have to be taken on shore in
small boats. The ferryman on shipping
his complement of passengers would first
take a dozen strokes or so in order to
clear the screw of the steamer, and then
would carefully lay aside his oars, rise from
his seat and take off his hat with a solemn
bow to the people sitting in the stern whom
he had Just taken off the deck of the steam
er. He would then row on again and put
them ashore. This did not occur as an iso-
lated instance, but regularly every time the
passengers had to be landed by shoreboats.
The women of the middle and lower class
es are little if at all behind their husbands
and brothers in this matter. Their good
temper and pretty behavior are worthy OF
all praise. The servant girls in Delecarlian
peasant dress, the cate-mamselles and the
young persons employed in shops all make
the prettiest of all possible little bob court
estes, and so, oddly enough do the young
ladies of good family up to the day of.their
confirmation, which ceremony takes place
rather later than with us, generally about
the age OF sixteen. From that day forth
they put their hair up and take to bowing
The Upsala students amuse one a good
deal by the elaboration and ceremonious
ness of their manners. Any day during
the vacation few of them may be seer
gathered around table in the garden cafes
of Hasselbscken or Tivola, drinking theil
punch. They are mostly lads under twenty
but they bow to each other, and make little
civil speeches, and pledge each other will
solemn sautation, all according to the strict
est Swedish etiquette, as if they were mid
dle-aged gentlemen of high dignity and pO
sition but slightly acquainted with one an
other. They certainly take themselves very
seriously.
The custom of pledging or health drink
ing is a survival from very ancient times
The glass is raised, slight bow made, The
word skaI literally bow pronounced, fol
lowed by another slight bow, when the glass
is replaced on the table, generally empty
it is not de rigueur, however, that it should
be So but in Denmark, where similar GUS
tom obtains, the glass must always be
drained to the last drop. To English eye:
it appears quaint to see his complicated
ceremonial observed toward each other by
college companions not yet out of their
teens.
Another point which soon attracts the at
tention Of visitors is the punctilious honesty
and truthfulness of the swedes this is best
seen in the many little incidents of daily
life. When asking for places at the thea
ter, for instance, the ticket clerk never fails
to inform you if, owing TO the crowded state
of the house, better position would be Sc
cured with a cheaper ticket than the one
asked for. Again, when parcels are taken
out by steamers from Stockholm to country
places in the neighborhood they are just
thrown out on to the quay, where they fire.
quently remain half the day without being
claimed. 1t never seems to occur 10 any
one that they could possibly be taken by
any one but their rightful owners. On a
trip of any length, as for instance to Gothen'
burg by canal, little book lies in the sa-
loon of the steamer in which each passen'
ger keeps his own account of the number o.
meals, cafes, cognacs, ETC., he may take
during the journey. But, indeed, it is i'm
possible to talk to a Swede for any length
of time and not see how incapable of any
meanness or dishonesty he must be. There
is nearly always a simplicity and straight
forwardness of manner the very antipOde'
of afiectation, which is certainly very
pleasing attribute, and which can scarcely
fail to convince the least obseryant person
that he has before him man who thorough
ly respects himself, and who walks very
steadfastly on the straight line. The Swedes