The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-01

10 worthily accomplish this object
II this room be the chamber stll. num-
bera Of bunks are built against the OF posits
wall. Depending from ropes strunG across
the ceiling are rows of dresses. Many are
vofully plain. bat here and there are ellnts
OF tinssl and gimp. bits Of wonderful color
| ia In Rroteaquo embroidery, and haahinga
Of silver buttons, clasps and brooches.
Along the walls here and there are hung
curious smbroidsTlss. chiefly I'm sool.
/ Plainly some are seeffa and wraDplngs 9th
srs seem 20 be patterns for bodiosa or beet
| aprons; but most Of them ply express
the Norwegian peasant woman's ambition
| u provide unmistakabl8 evidences Of her
akiil With the needle. Brighter than all
those. however, ara the flowers which Oh
the windows Of every Norwegian home.
Huge fuchsiaa and gorgeous goraniums are
most eommoni and there, With the wondor-
ful luIuriauoe OF the Wild mountain fiors,
almost bring 20 kOrvay In summer the
seeming Of the odor anu bloom Of Wanton
tropio lands.
Ihs inbred sturdiness and Independence
OF character Of al Norwegian peasants a,s
best II ustfated IN the simple yet skilfully
made belongings Of the hamlst-like holass.
Their handiersft IL wonderful. The timber
for their homes has been fslled and fash
Toned by themselves. Every stTucturo in
the eountry-farmbouae, storhaus. dairy,
bakehouso. barn. amithy, shed and bell
tower, 10 built by the peasant himself.
| Every article Of furniture be possasses has
been wrought by hia own hand. lie bsats
out bic cutlery on bis own vii, aud carvea
It's handles All the utensils of the dairy
cheese molds, tubs. n kina. bowls. churnB.
milking pals aud prssses are OF wood and
Of home manufacture. Yokea for the sac
ter-RiPs necFs. baskets. saddles. harness,
snow plouRhs, aud even the comfortable
stollcarta and slsdRss are all made ia the
little family workshop during the long
winter months.
The peasant tana hide for the family sup
ply OF boots aud shoes. and makes all the
latter beside his own fireplace. Nearly
every article OF clothing Is made on the
premises by the housewife and her dauQh-
tiers. 4 he wool 10 oafded and spun a. home
! tbs stockings, blouaes and acaTfs are knit a.
home. and the wooden cloth for the family
clothing ~ woven IN the chamber. the
'best-toom. or Ia tho huge old kitchens.
Even the buttoas of wood. OF horn OF even
Of brass or silver ars products Of homa-
craft, aud are often beautifully carved In
scores Of PEASANTS homes where have tar
risd the eye could not discover a single arti-
Gle of utility or ornament. save the glass In
the widows. the oil lamps. the sparse sup
ply of erooksry and the huge clock reaching
from toor to ceiling. which was NOT com
pletely product Of Norwegian peasant In
Ronuity and skill.
The Norwegian peasant IL equally inde-
pendent OF the rest Of the world In all tho
food necessities of life. His chief articles
Of food are supplied By bis own herds.
Milk, butter cream and cheese are found
In startling Quantities In tho lowlisst peas
ants home. Ons or two cows are kept al
I the farm house for summer use The re-
maindsr of the herd axe 80 ths mountain
seaters, from which Genes m endless pro-
oession Of mountaineefs and sastef girls,
often accompanied by sure footed ponies,
all laden with huge paniers of butter and
cheese, or TASKS of sour milk and whey.
The butter and cheese are conveyed 10 the
hord-side markets or are stored against the
winters needs; while the sour milk IL used
for food and she wheys add materially in
fatteninR the swine. There are thus al
ways animals for killing. the flesh usually
being dried.
Many peasants are fishermen. and cure
their own fish. II not dried. fish can be
secured IN exchange for she PEASANTS own
pioduots. probably cheaper han in any
othss country in the world. Each peasant
farmer raises bis own bailey. rye. oats. Do
tatoes, aud often little wheat. On nearly
svery farm, and certainly in every neigh
borhood. there is a Watsr-Inill for grinding
the grain. ! know OF no other country
where strawberries and raspberries grow
wild In such vast quantities, or where all
small fruits respond to rude and limited
! culture with such munihcencs OF reward
In many peasant homes dried native fruit
adds zsst TO the winters enforced sameness
OF fare. 60 u will be seen that the Norwe-
Rian peasant in his food supply IL ~ indie
pendent of the outside wo Id as in ell other
requirements OF life. hers are but three
atucles in bis home. snga', salt and coffee,
which the hords. tie streams she mountain
hollows and forests and his own saetsr and
farm do not beautifully provide
IL the Norweign peasant knows little else
than labor from childhood to old age, 10 IL
still d labor which brings the immediate and
continuous reward of sufficiency and ample
content The brief summer OF but three and
al best Of but fouf montha is one Of tremsnd-
abort for all the m hara ~ he
hold; for in that little time provision must
be made for an almost dayless winter of
eight 20 nine months duration. The crops
Of grain, the vegetables. she butter aud
ehesse that are being provided among the
mountain saeters. ali require unceasing
labor; aud more important than all else 10
the supply Of hay and other fodder TO- the
winter needs OF the then helpless herds. 1
never before realized how great a value
could be set BY any people upon few blades
Of grass.
HaymakinG furnishes both the most pic
tuFesque and the most suggestive scenes in
Norway. he women are constantly in the
Fields, piotureeque In their short akirta
bright bodies and white caps; and men,
women aud children are all In a sort Of
mild frenzy In their Efforts 20 save the pre-
cious crop. IL IL cut with short seythes aud
sick,es. and tho prizsd tufts are even So
cured with the "tollkniv," which every
peasant carries, and with shears from every
The 0ntiro crop is cured upon racks or hur-
dies. aud rover left upon the ground for
drying; and from almost inaccessible placsa
shove the farms, the tiny bundles which
may be secured among the ofags are con-
veyed to the valleys below on wire unaways
OF tightly stretched ropes The saeter girlA
too, are not idle meanwhile in huabanding
fodder for the herds. They are gathering
every possible blade of grass break
ing from she biroh-trses the tsnderest
buds aud branches and securing great
stacks Of reindeer moss. When the ter
rible winter storms have packed ths ice and
snow into the charms and ereVicss like
stone the peasants IN their snow shoes
ascend the heights 90 the sastsfs and add
this excellent fodder 10 their store within
the sheds and barns
The religious. social and homeside life Of
these simple and primitive people could
almost be revealed In three sentences.
They are herediiarily pious cad reverence
all sacred things and traditions. Social in
tefoonss inds its chief fruition In chris,en-
ings, combinations. weddings aud funsr-
ais. And abe oAlmness and serenity which
seem 20 eharacterixs abe faces of all Nor
weginn peasants you will meet In homes
seem 90 almost tell she whole grand ma
tonal story of that blessed domestic re-
pose which bToods who're faithful labor
thfives. where Independence has grown
through ths centuries into q part OF pso-
pies religion. aud where false ambitions
are almost unknown.
For eight yeas my wanderings hAvs led
me into all civilized lands. The tendersst
days and ways have been among the lowly
folk. WhetheT beside the sea among ths