Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-05-20
SWEDISH TRAITS.
IInnnln Illr.


~ the swclcs I. = thing that Ia very
striking to visitors. They have hrg,
assortment of lovs, bob., courtcslc- aDd
hst-liftings, according to sgr and .ex'
bat th. lifting ~ the hat to mere acluslnt-
Anc-s reaches. fancy. much lower
down Ia the social .s7.lc than elsewhere
IN Europe II look. old To- .cr the butch
~ t.oy In blouse clihorately taking on
III. hat to the bakers assistant. ! suspect,
ou examination, swedish hats would D.
found to contain q llttl. eNtrs stlfirnlng.
Ia order io enable them to stand the
wear and tear II thc.e gr~rtlng' In the
market place.
On one OCCASION. when gvlng bt
steamboat a. lpsals, ! noiicssi . very
uuaInt example of thi. national trait.
ibe steamboat. a. II nctrs t'p.ala, pa.s-
- through many shallow rrache. II ths
Malar lake. where the depth IL water !.
insufficient a. allow ~ the pass.ng-r.
t~lng landed In "a. ordinary manner
directly on o. landing .tsg-s, and 80
haN. to l.e taken on shorr In small lsoats.
IN. fcrrym,n on shipping his compile
ment of pssssngrr. would nrst takr q
dorm sirokr. of 80 In ouisf a. clear the
s-rrw of the steamer, ani then would
carefully lay aside hls cars, risc frum
III. s.ai, aud take % hls hat With q
solemn bow to ih. people sitting In the
stern whom b. had Just taksu on the
.irsmsr. IL would then ros on again
and pat them ashov. Ihis did not o.
cur as an Isolated Instance, bat regularly
every time the passengers hal I" b. land
.,i by .h0rr-h1ats. ! am afraid even
our English railway guards aud porier.,
whom hid hitherto imagis-'i Ia b" the
l..st.m,nnefrd people on the planet,
would not bear comparison With ih".-
nature. grnilcncn. l.orl ,hc.terfcld
hlm.elf would scary~ly b. la the running
The uomsn ~ the middle ani lover
class-s arr little N at all behind their
husband. and brothers In this miti.r.
Their good temper and pretty behavior
arr worthy ~ all praise. Ihr servant
gifl. In pclrCarlln peasant drrss' the
rafe-aa@ssiiss, aud the Young per.on.
smployci In shop. all make the prrtilcst
of All I,a..ihl- little lob couriesir., aud
az, oidl, enough. do the young ladic. ~
goui family up to the day 20 their con-
iirmstinn, which crr.inpny take.
piar- rather later than With ~. generally
alpoui the agr ot siNircn. Prom that
day forth they put their hair up and
take tu boNlng.
The i'p.alI students amuse Que = gooti
deal by tie elaboration anil crfcmonlou.-
ness 10 their manners. ANY day during
th. vacation fcs ~ them may De- scrn
gathered around table IN the garden
cafe. of liss.clb,cken or IiNoli, drinking
their punch They arr mostly lnds un-
der twenty, bat they bow Ia each other.
ani make lliti. civil .I.--chc., anil plsyigr
each other With .olemn ssluiaiion, all
ar.,opiing io the stTictsst ~aesilsh eth
quctie, a. II they v-rr ml,idls-agc gentle
Insn ~ high dignliy aud posltion bat
.llghtly. acquaintri With Que another.
They certainly take themsel'c' very
seriously.
Ia. custom of plciging 80 health
drinking L. a survival frUm very ancient
time.. Tie gla.. l. rai.c,i, slight bow
%, ,ie. the NOri slai LITERALLY hoN
pronounced, followed by another sllght
bow, Nhcn the gla.. u replaced on the
table, generally empty; u l. not ds
rigaesr, however. that II .hould b. So,
bat In Denmark, where a similar custom
obtains. the glt.. must Away. b. drain
ed a. the last drip. To English eve. u
appears quaint to se- thl. compllcste,i
ceremonial observed towani. each other
by college companion. not YET out of
their teens.
That thI. universal courtesy and polite
ness 1. not merely on the surface u prov
sd by the trouble Ia which ssesie. will
Invariably put thcmselyr. In order "a bc
of uset stranger In ncci of help or
information. ~ much IL ihl. the case
that I NJ Last tried Ia avoid asking my
way in IA. country round about stock
holm, because II .o often happened that
the couniryman whom ] intsrrogaie,i
would lay aside hi. occupation aud ac-
company me some little distance In order
Ia make sure of settlng me on the right
path. For thl. service he would seldom
accept any recompense.
Another point which soon attract. the
attention Of visitor. l. the puncilllou-
honesty ani truthfnln..- of the swe,ie- (;
thi. l. b..t .ecp Ia the many little Inch
dent. ~ daily life. when asking for
place. at a theatre, for Instance, the
ticket clerk never fall. to Inform you ~,
owing To the crowded state of the house,
a better position would b. secured with
q cheaper ticket than the one asked for.
Again when parcel. are taken out by
steamer. from stockholm Ia country
place. In the nelghborhood they are
Iu.t thrown out ON Ia the quay, where
they frequently remain half the day With
out being claimed. II never seem. Ia
occur "a any one that they could po.sl-
bly te taken by any one bat their right
ful owners. On trip of any length, a.
for in.tanc. "a Gothenburg by canal,
a little book lIe. Ia the saloon of the
Steamer In which each passenger keep.
hl. own account of the numi-r of meals,
cafe.. congnsc.. ETC., he make TAKE dur
Ing the Journey. Hut. Indeed. u !. I'M
po..lble to talk Ia -~e'i~ Tor any
Iength II time and not see how lncsps
bic of any meanbc.. or dlshonssty he
must b.. nher, !. nearly slssys . sim-
plIcliy aud sirslghiforwsrines. ~ nm
ner the very antlI ode. of af-ctailou,
which !. certainly a ,eryplcsslng aitrib-
uis. and which can .carcsly fall to con-
,incsthe least ob.eryant person that D.
has before him man ~ho Thoroughly ~
.p~ct. hlmsslf, aud Who walk. very
.ieadfa.ily on the straight line. fhe
-~esi.., you fcel. are q nation ~ gentle
men down To the coal HEAVIER. and ibs
wharf men.