Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-01-10
A NATION OF GENTLEMEN.


\
sortment of bows, hobs, courtesies, and
hat fittings, according to age and sex,
but the lifting of the hat to mere ac-
quafntances reaches, / fancy, much
lower down in the social scale than else
where in Europe. 1t looks odd to see
the butcher boy in blouse, deliberately
taking off his hat to the bakers assist
ant. / suspect, on examination, Swed-
ish hats would be found TO contain lit
tie extra stiffening, in order to enable
them to stand the wear and tear OF
these greetings in the market-places.
On one occa sion, when going by steam
boat to Upsala. | noticed very quaint
example of this national trail. The
steamboat, as it neared Upsala, passed
through MANY shallow reaches Of the
Nalar Lake, where the depth Of water
is insufficient to allow of the passengers
being landed in the ordinary manner,
directly on 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 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
G solemn bow to the people sitting in
The stern, whom he had just taken of
the deck of the steamer. He would
then row on again and put them ashore.
This did not occur rs an isolated in
stance, but regularly every time the
passengers had to be landed by shore
boats. am afraid even our English
railway guards and porters, whom l
had hitherto imagined to be the best
hammered people on the planet, would
not bear comparison with these, natures
gentlemen. Lord Chesterfield himself
would scarcely be in the running. The
women of the middle and lower class
are little, if at all, behind their hus-
bands and brothers in this matter.
Their coed temper aud pretty behavior
are worthy of all praise. The servant
girls, in Dalecarlian peasant dress. the
cafe 'mamselles, and the young persons
employed in shops, all make the pref
test OF all possible little bob courtesies,
and so, eddy enough, do the young
ladies of good families, up to the day of
confirmation, which ceremony takes
place rather later than with us-gener-
ally about the age of 16. From that
day forth they put their hair up and
take to bawing.
The UpsaIa students amused me
great deal by the elaboration aud cere-
moniousaes5 OF their manners. Any
day during the vacation few of them
may be seen gathered round table in
the garden cafes of Hasselbacken or
Tivoli, drinking their punch. They
are mostly lads under 30, but they bow
to each other and make little civil
speeches, and pledge each other with
solemn salutation, all according to the
stnctest Swedish etiquette, as if they
were middle aged gentlemen of high
dignity aud position but slightly ac-
quaintcd with one another. They GER,
tainiy take themselves very seriously.
The custom of pledging, or health
drinking, is suryivai from very ancient
times. The glaes is raised, a slight
bow made, the word sl1al Literally
bowD pronounced, followed by another
slight bow. when the g'ass IA replaced
on the table, generally empty. 1t is
moi do ,;.,,,,,,,r Lr,...,.... +ba.:t t..+ i
h o' NC 60; 80 e., fil'-. !. siio9 u
~, iio-o . sinii'at
~ Srnino5 i 80 H. - 81 M a'Ta!'
~, - - ,.si1s.'- -; -! Us
Y ~ 80 ~ " see ms
each other by college companions not
yet out OF their teens.
That this universal courtesy and
s ,,royoJ br +ha 4ro,, III me to 'm aih;I
Swedo, viii i.ror;oIiI. "Dt 4Lo,,e 80
i, ordor 70 ba nf 49, y . 1880, %
nao5 IS III, -. ; ,,to " o'' t.uei IA
: 81 tba d.s .at . % '' ia9t % inIen
o,o;d osIino On nv - 80 ~ az 80 ~
around aboot StockJnIr, baooroo - =,
oCto, Lonnonod a. H. oo',,tt,-- ~ ~
whom interrooafa5 would ia1. 90; "a,
hi, ccc,,,,otior e,,d o,,,,,,,,o,, y. -
little dittonco in ordor IN nlol s,, 80 80
setting mo IN tLo r;gbt ,,otb H. 80 az ~
sorv;co he would so1Jois - 80 - siio
rocon,no,so ANoti,ar 800 I'LL "lJ
attranty tho ,+tant;.,, - - ~ ,..oi 80
nnncfiI;oI,s borostv nnJ tr,tLf,,1ra.a '~ 80
tba Swadas. III. !, Les+ COO, - a. Va
,,opyy I;tfIa ;rn;do,ts IS al, I;ro w 'l.',
oskiTo for ,iocas Of thootar e.. ~
stance tLn t;rko. cori. -naynr fo H. ~ -
inform yon II c,sino N tba oro,'.1oJ
state Of tba borse Laf1or ,,os;t;oa
conld he eccnro1 With a cSoa,,a r 49, -
tbar tbo ON oetod fo,. - -
narcels are taken ant bv sfo9 rne.r noe, Fno
StockhoIr, fo conntry rIooas ~ a.
ne ghborlIood they are lust thrown out
on the quay, whore they frequently re-
main half the day without being claimed.
1t never seems TO occur to anyone thai
they could possibly be taken by any
one but their rlghtful owners. On
trip of auy length for instance, to
Gothenburg by canal, little book lies
in the saloon Of the steamer in which
each passenger keeps his own account
Of the number Of meals, cafes, cognacs,
stc., he may take during the journey.
But, indeed, 1t Is impossible to talk to
owede for any length of time and not
see how incapable of any meauness or
dishonesty he must be. There is nearly
always a simplicity and straightforward
ness OF manner, the very antipodes Of
affectatlon, which Is certainly a very
pleasant attribute, and which can
scarcely fail TO convince the least OBJ
iervant person that he has before him
man vino thoroughly respects himself,
aud who walks very steadfastly on the
straight llge. The Swedes, you feel,
lre nation OF gentlemen, down to the
.oal-heayers and wharfmea.