Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-01-15
A NATION OF oENrLEMEN.
a Place whers UniveEsai couytesy and
PoIlteacss Prevail.

Of the Swedes is a thing that is very
striking to visitors, says q writer in
Temple Bar. They have large Is.
sortment OF bows, bobs, courtesies, and
hat fittings. according to age and sex,
but the lifting Of the hat 10 mere ac-
quaintances reaches. / fancy, much
lower down in the social scale than else
where in Europe. It looks odd 10 see
the butcher boy in q blouse. elaborately
taking of his hat to the bakers assist
ant. / suspect, on examination, Swed-
ish hats would be found 10 contain lit
tie extra stiffening, in order to enable
them TO stand the wear and tear OF
these greetings in the markN places.
On one occasion, when going by steam
boat to Upsala, noticed very quaint
example Of this national trait The
steamboat, as it neared Upsala, passed
through many shallow reaches of the
Nalar Lake, where the depth of water
is insufficient to allow CT 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
q 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 as 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 !
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 good temper and 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 pret-
tiest of all possible little bob courtesies,
and so, oddly 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 bowling.
The Upsala students amused me a
great deal by the elaboration and cere-
moniousness of their manners. Any
day during the vacation few of them
may be seen gathered round table in
the garden cafes of Hasselbacken OF
Tivoli, drinking their punch. They
are mostly lads under 20, but they bow
to each other and make little civil
speeches, and pledge each other with
solemn salutation, all according to the
strictest Swedish etiquette, as if they
were middle-aged gentlemen of high
dignity and position but slightly ac-
quainted with one another. They GER
tainly take themselves very seriously.
The custom of pledging, or health
drinking, is q survival from very ancient
times. The glass is raised, slight
bow made, the word skal Qiterally
bowD pronounced, followed by another
slight bow, when the glass is replaced
on the table, generally empty. 1t is
not de rigueur. however, that it should
be so, but in Denmark, where similar
custom obtains, the glass must always
be drained to the last drop. To Eng
lish eyes it appears quaint to see this
complicated ceremonial observed toward
each other by college companions mo-
yet out of their teens.
That this universal courtesy anG
politeness is not merely on the surface
is proved by the trouble to which
Swedes will invariably put themselve.
in order to be of use to q stranger ir
need of help or information. So mucl
is this the case that at last I tried t.
avoid asking my way in the country
around about Stockholm, because it 81
often happened that the countrymar
whom I interrogated would lay aside
his occupation and accompany me som,
little distance, in order to make sure O.
setting me on the right path. For thil
service he would seldom accept an,
recompense. Another point which sooI
attracts the attention Of visitors is th,
punctilious honesty and truthfulness o
the Swedes; this is best seen in th,
many little incidents of daily life. Whel
asking for places at theater, for in
stance, the ticket clerk never fails t,
inform you il, owing to the crowdet
state of the house, a better position
could be secured with cheaper ticke
than the one asked for. Again, whel
parcels are taken out by steamers from
Stockholm to country places in th,
neghborhood they are just thrown on
on the quay, where they frequently re
main half the day without being claimed
It never seems to occur to anyone tina
they could possibly be taken by an,
one but their rightful owners. On
"trip Of any length, for instance. Il
Gothenburg by canal, little book lie
in the saloon of the steamer in whicl
each passenger keeps his own accoun
Of the number of meals, cafes, cognacs
etc., he may take during the journey
But, indeed, it is impossible to talk t,
o Swede for any length of time and no
see how incapable of any meanness O.
dishonesty he must be. There is nearl,
always simplicity and straightforward
ness of manner, the very antipodes o
affectation, which is certainly a yer,
pleasant attribute, and which cal
scarcely fail to convince the least oh
servant person that he has before him
man who thoroughly respects himself
and who walks very steadfastly on th