The Helena independent., 1894-01-01
there 10 NO saoriAcs she will not make ov
drudGeiy she will not chssrfully undertake
10 worthiIy accomplish this object.

TO worthily accomplish this object.
II this room be ths chamber still, npm-
bere Of bunks are built aasinst the opposite
The ceiling are rows Of dresses. Many are
w0fully plain. but here and ths4a are alints
OF tinssl and gimp, bits Of wonderful color.
iIa ~ alotsaqus embroidery. and hashiaas
Of silver bustons. clasps and brooches.
curious smbroidsSiss. chisAy In wool.
Plainly some are searfs and wrappinas, 9th
efs ssem TO be patterns for bodices or best
aprons; but most Of them simply express
the Norwegian peasant woman's ambition
70 provide unmistakabls evidences Of he!
those. however, are the flowers which fill
the windows of every Norwegian homo.
Huge fuchsias and gorgeous assAntums are
most common; and these, with tho wonder-
fuI luxurianee Of the wild mountain fioys,
almost bring TO Norws, In summer the
seeming Of the edor ana bloom OF wsnton
sropic lands.
The inbred sturdiness and Independence
Of character OF sli Norwegian peasants a,s
best III lustsated In the simple yet skiIfuIly
made bslongings OF the hamIst-liko homes.
Their hsndiefaft 10 wonderful. The timber
Tor their homes has been fsilsd and fssh-
ionsd by themselves. Every structure In
the eountry--faYmhouse. storhaua. dairy.
bskshousc. barn. smithy. shed and bell
tower, 10 built by tho peasant himself.
Every ars1ois OF furniture he possessss has
bssn wrought BY hi: own hand. He bss.s
ont his cutlery ON bis own anvil, and caYvss
It's hsndiss. All the utensils of the dairy
cheese molds. tubs. Atkins. bowls. churns,
mil king psiis and presses. are Of wood and
OF homo manufacture. Yokes for the sas-
ter-RirIs necss. baskets. saddles. harness.
snow ploughs, and even the comfortable
stollcarts and sledgss are al made in the
litsls family workshop during the long
winter months.
lhs peasant tans hide TO. the family sup
ply Of boots and shoes. and makos all the
latter beside his own fireplace. Nearly
every article Of clothing Is made on the
premises By the housewife and her daugh-
tiers. he wool 10 oarded snd spun ~ home.
the stockings. blousss and scaEfs are knit aS
home. and the woolsn cloth for the family
clothing 10 woven in the chamber the
bsst-room. or In tho huge old kitchens.
Even tho buttons of wood. of horn or even
OF brass or silver ars products OF home
craft, and are often beautifully carved. In
scores Of peasants' homes whore have tar
risd the eye could not discover = single arti.
ole OF utility or ornament. save the glass in
the widows. the oil lamps. the spatse sup
ply Of crooksEy and the huge clock reaohina
from floor to ceiling. which wss not COM
plstely product OF Norwegian peasant In
Renutsy and skill.
The Norwegian peasant is equally inds-
pendent OF the rest Of the world in al the
Of food are supplied by his own herds.
MIX, butter. cream and cheese are found
In startling quantities In tho Iowliest peas
ants homo. One or two cows are kept a
the farm house for summer uss. The re-
maindsF OF ths herd are ut the mountain
ssaters, from which comes an endless pYo-
cession of mountainsers and sastor girls.
often accompanied BY suYs footed ponies,
all laden with huge paniers Of butter and
cheese. or fasks Of sour milk and whey.
The butter and cheese are conveyed - the
nord.side markets OF are stored againss the
for food and the whsys add materially in
fatteninR ths swine. There are thus al
being dried.
Many peasants are fishermen, and cure
their own fish. II NOT dried. fish can be
| secured IN exchange for the PEASANTS own
piodaoss. probably cheaper han In any
other country in ths world. Each peasant
farmer raises his own barley, rye, oats, no.
tatoes. and often little wheat. On nearly
every farm. and certainly in every neigh
borhood. there 10 wster-mill for grinding
tho grain. ! know OF no other country
vhsre strawberries and rsspbsrriss grow
wild In such vast quantities, OF where all
small fruits respond to rude and limited
culture with such munihoenos of reward
In many peasant homes dried native fruit
adds zsst to the winters enforced a. ameness
gan peasant in his food supply is as inde-
pendent of the outside wo Id 10 in eli other
requirements of life. Ihs1s are bus three
n,ticles in bis home. suRa', salt and coffee,
which she fords. tie streams. the mountain
hollOws and forests and his own saetsr and
farm do not bountifully provide.
1t the Norweign peasant knows little else
than labor from childhood to old age, il 10
still labor which brings the imm sdiate and
continuous reward of sufticiency and ample
content Tho brief summer of but three and
at best OF but fonr months. 10 ono Of tremsnd-
ous effort for all the members OF the house.
hold; for in that little time provision must
be made for an almost dayiess winter Of
eight to nine months duration. The c.ops
Of grain. the vegetables, the butter and
cheese that are bsiuR provided among the
mountain saeters. oil require unceasinR
labor; and more important than all else 10
the supply OF hay and other fodder for the
winter needs OF the then helpless herds. I
never before realized how great value
could be sst By any people upon few blades
Of grass.
tuRssquo and the most suggestive scenes in
Norway. The women are constantly in the
helds, picturesque In their short skirts,
bright bodioes and white Gaps; and men,
women aud children are all In sort Of
mild frenzy In their Efforts to save the pre-
ctous crop. II 10 cut with short ssythss and
cured with the "tolikniv," which every
peasant carries. and With shears from every
copss edge or cleft among the savage rocks.
The entire crop 10 cured upon racks or hur-
dies. aud mover loft upon the ground for
drying; and from almost inaccessible places
above the farms. The tiny bundles which
may be secured among the oraGs are oon-
veysd to the valisya below on wire ,unaways
or tightly stretched ropes. The saetsr girls,
too. are not idle meanwhile in husbandinQ
fodder for tho herds. They are gathering
every possible blade of grass break
ing from the biroh-trees the tsndsrsst
stacks of reindeer moss. Wher She tsr-
rible winter storms have packed the ice and
snow into the charms and eFevicss like
stone. the peasants in their snow shoes
ascend the heights 10 the sastsrs and add
this excellent fodder 10 their store within
the sheds and barns.
The religious. social and homeside lite Of
these simple and primitive people could
almost be revealed In three sentences.
They are hsreditasily pious cad reverence
all sacred things and traditions. Hooial In
te,couss fnds its chief fruition In christen.
ings. combinations. weddings aud funsr-
ais. And the calmness and serenity which
seem 10 charasterizs the faoes OF all Nor
Wegiau peasants you will meet In homes
seem to almost tell the whole grand ua-
tional story of that blessed domestic re-
pose which bsoods whore faithful labor
thrives. where independence has grown
thsQugh The centuries into = part of . pso-.
pies religion. and where false ambitions
are almost unknown.
For eight ysats my wsndsrinRs have led
me into all civilized lands. The tendsrssN
days and wayo havo been among ths lovly