Morning journal and courier., 1893-12-23

udalmen. These own absolutely their
lands free from all rents, tithes or condi-
| tions of tenure The original titles to
many of these landed possessions are 10
ancient that they are written In an extinct
language. Inhsritance of land and per-
sonal property has lately been made tousl
among sons and daughters. II property
lie aliensted from its original posssssors
through mortgage or sale, the next of kin
has the right of redemption, a. any time
within three years, on payment of fore
closure or purchase price, with actual coat
or such improvements as have been made.
All lands passing out Of the hands of orig
inal family ownership do not again become
udai-lands until they have been In posses
sion of new proprietor for q period of
twenty years; and the subdivision of these
old Norwegian ESTATES is largely prevented
by one heir purchasing the inherited rights
OF the others, when their purchase of re-
claimed lands, and emigration, do the rest.
The almost universal spectacle Is there
fore presented In Norway of land of
fsrmsteads, old as the forests about them,
housing folk rooted with ths affections,
the legends, the customs and the noble In
dependence of centuries of growth to the
soil beneath them with q strength of love
which amounts to their grsr6est passion
There lie no other country In Europe-snd
American love of land, of landed home
spot with the sscredneas of generations of
toll and joy and sorrow consecrating it's
every atom of earth, has not yet grown
beyond the thrifty, shifting sentiment of
speculahon-where euch conditions uni
versally exist, and but one, where, In Q
tiny corner, ths same class of stern, stur-
dy, liberty loving and almost Iand-wor-
shipping Ysomen can be found. That one
10 England. The little corner Ia the shire
OF Cumberland, over sgsinst the roaring
Sol~sy tides and the rampant Irish sea.
There, too, the folk are free of the lords
taxes, tithes and terrors. Statesmen"
they are called, because lords of their own
tiny estates. ''Ststesmen" in grand old
Cumberland and Udslmen in glorious Nor
way are like as brothers may be in those
virtues of stesdfastDess, loyalty, integrity
and simple goodness which are as everlsst-
Ing sineWs to the grsndest attributes of
man.
Like the Cumberland fstatesmens' stone
built homes, which seem to have added a
new clump of rock and wall for each gem
GRAFTON or century, the Norwegian hondsr's
gard or farmhouse is an odd tumble of
structures, like a tiny huddled hamlet in
itself. Whether in one continuous series
of attached structures, or comprising mauy
separate buil1iDgs, they always seem to
have been gradually brought together with
view to forming an irregular sort Of
court, protected from the terrible winter
storms. First there is the farm house it.
self, if the Oldest still the widest, largest
and most commodious of all, with It's in
variable quaint, carved porch, its huge
chtmneys, and Its roof of big scale like
shingles, or still of turf in which there are
often seen growing vsgrant mountain
tiowers. Then there are the bske-house,
also used, on account of the heat which
can be secured and for its privacy, for the
family bsth-housa, the dairy, always an
important structure and veritsble feast,
in butter, cheese and milk, for city eyes:
and nost important of all, the ''storhsus."
The latter is Eot only literally house for
stores and supplies of FOOD, such as sugar,
salt, candles, -four, dried and picked fish,
bacon, pork and dried meat hanging from
dark beams in startling variety snd profu-
sion, but Ii Is the gransTy as well; and
here ars found in huge bins, heaps of the
rye, barley and oats, the quicken;ng sun
of these northern latitudes natures In
such generous measure and ins hard grain.
Besides thess there are long, low sheds;
huge building similar to an American or
English barn, in which every spear of pre-
o!ous hay, tender birch, tHigs and great
quantities of reindeer moss are treasured
against the long winters needs for the
herds; aud often three or four comforts-
bic, stout walled cottages in which "houss-
men" or cottasers, each having the uss of
q portion of land, rent free for a certain
number of days labor upon the farm, live
In more than ordinary comfort and con
tent un-=--- ia - ---c.s.=- s>=.z-
these farmstesds msy be, they give 10 all
this stern north land that tangible, pslps-
bic warmth of color which sGhdues aud
snftans ali rnstsrfal stafslIfy and daKnla
ton, wherever is enduribRly built thst
blessed and thrice blessed earthly type of
heaven, the home.
EpGAR L, WAEKyAy