Morning journal and courier., 1893-11-25

guages. and quite o selection of books,
pamphlets and magazines left behind by
travellers; and upon which also invariably
lies the open day book, In which all COM
plants and praises are freely recorded. a
few strong chairs; the horse hair sofa
which smiles grim welcome to you In all
lands, and q gsudily painted bureau or
chest of drawers, which usually bears the
name of the ststion-msster's wife and the
date of her marriage. This is the entire
furnishing; but everything is winsomely
clean, and the window sests are aglow
with plants and flowers. II you secure q
single apartment In this more cspscIous
portion of the station there will only be
room enough within il to dispose of your
scant luggage beneath your bsd, and to
disrobe while sitting upon its sharp, bunk
like edge; for your wash basin and soap will
stand upon your single chair. If party
can occupy the same room, and all do not
desire to retire at the same moment, lit
tie more space for individual action may
be secured. For myself, I soon learned
that away next the roof of these old inns
there were cosy, roomy places with huge
old beds, though ascending and descend
Ing required the agility and precision of
the hod carriers step.
Your meals are taken In q comfortable
room containing only a long table, some
stout chairs and window lodges 6lled with
flowers. Good tea, poor coffee, fair but
ter, oceans of cream and milk, half a dog
en- varieties of cheese, and excellent bread,
with an abundance of fresh eggs, are al
ways to be had. There are wild strawber-
ries OF wonderful swestness and favor,
morning, noon and night. Fresh meat
is rarity AZ some stations, though hauuch-
es of mutton, hot or cold, are common;
while at nearly all stations trout and sal
mon are provided to repletion. The en-
tire establishment Is simple, humble, clean
and good-Etthout the element Of good
cheer. The station masters wife is an
overworked body who plods and courtseys
apparently the day and night through.
Her great blue eyes are grave, wcnder-
Ing and wesried TO such degree that you
fear she is about to burst into tears
There are two or three fisxen-haired
msidens who plod and duck their heads,
and are eternaliy shaking hands with
you If you are kindly disposed or bestow
the slightest grstuity. If it is an impor-
tant station there is porter. o shock
headed, ureless, tmileless man of sll work,
with fscs of that lesthery whiteness
which comes from loss of sleep. The
skydsguts or post-boys, the only ever
merry-fscsd folk of Norway, sleep with
the cattle, eat in the undiscoverable dun
geon regions of the kitchen, and are end
lessly dancing about the stations upon
petty missions, providing the only enli-
yening spirit or spectscles from one end
of Norway to another.
But If measre rest and entertainment
are within these curious mountain eeries,
what wondrous outlooks are given from
every flower crowded window. Lofty
peaks glesm above the clouds in the upper
sunlight. Tremen ious precipices loom
above smiling or blsckened valleys Meas-
ureless forests of eternal green stretch
away to purple distances. Ridges Of
froZs@ fields seem impssssble thresholds
to worlds of unspeakAble desolstion.
Fissures and gorges streak with bl ok the
sides of misty mountains Almost eve
rywhsre sbove all fiams and pulse the
Rhos;ly glacier lIghts; aud even beating
entrance to your simost dseamleEs sleep
comes the far, faint, yet ounipre.ent snd
solemn voices of mArvelous, mighty water
fslls. EDGAR L wAKEMAS.