The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-10
JOY OF SNOW-SHOEING
APPRECIATION OF THE SPORT BY
NORWAY WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
An Out-of-Door Life That Helps to
Mental MISUNDERSTANDING
as an Art-Some Attendant Evils.

The typical modern Norsewoman is a Pc
culiarly interesting member of her sex. He
must be but an unobservant traveller who,
on first landing in Christiania does not re-
mark the brilliant eyes, rosy red cheeks
and general air of active well-being of the
majority Of the young women whom he
meets. On deeper acquaintance he will
find their minds as quick and vigorous as
their colors; their modes of thought and
ideas Of the possibilities and ends Of life
characterized by remarkable freshness, d.
rect simplicity, strength, ambition and in
dependence.
But If our traveller be of an inquiring turn
he will discover this condition of things to
be strictly a new growth. Twenty years ago
the whole duty of the Norsewoman-and
very nearly her whole existence, oo-con-
sisted In minding the household, mending
the clothes, watering the flowers and keep
Ing as much indoors as possible, except
when she went to church, or to a solemn
and mighty dinner, with her husband. To
walk in the streets more than was abso-
lutely necessary was regarded as a sign of
reprehensible levity of character. A habit
OF strolling in the field would have occurred
as a possible feminine resource only to the
most antic intellect. And, like all plants
that grow in the dark, these were apt to
be faint and pale. A woman was a house
wife-actual or potential-rien de plus-and
a housewife, moreover, whom the inheri-
lance of generations had taught to keep
very strictly to her own preserves, without
any infringement on the prerogatiyes of her
lord and master, or any unSeemly indulgence
In whatever individuality she might happen
All that now belongs to the past. The
rising generations know it no more. And
generations go snow-shoeing? That sounds
absurd, yet no one who has not lived in
Norway can have any notion of the i'm
mense social force that a mere sport may
become. Whether Norwegian women
learned to stand alone in life because they
had first found their feet or ski, or whether
their great and glorious ski-running is
itself a product of the new era it is diff
cult to say. but certainly there Is a new
era, and there are ski, and both are so
closely interviewer as to seem integral
parts Of each other.
HYGIENIC BENEFIT.
1t is not hard to understand how a sport
that puts every muscle of the body into
thorough action and sends every drop Of
blood racing through the veins. when prac-
ticed increasingly during half the year by
women of all ranks. must have It's effect
on the minds Of those women. If the
daughters are embodiments of hardy health.
keyed to high spirits and steady nerve by
daily exercise of the finest and most
strenuous kind in the bracing mountain
air, one cannot expect those daughters
to repeat. mentally or physically, the
characteristics of their house-bred mothers.
Fresh health and fresh spirits have brought
new ambition-until now few tasks are too
difficult for a Norsewoman to undertake
educational, has no students on it's rolls
whose work is better (none could be more
who are sure to be ski-runners. They en-
ter the professions, they go into trade,
new leeds invent new Occupations; they
ak OF high things, they start new char
tiles, they work at Old ones; if they are
having received a university education, and
begin at the bottom of the ladder as house
servants If they must. until the way opens.
do they do with heart and soul-with a
Of purpose ose' that ure is ye sger toMch q sing 20 aesz
like any unconsciously beautiful and spir-
itua! thing in this weary old world of ours.
Sk1-running has been practiced from re-
mote times by the peasants and country
people generally, of both sexes, and that of
comotion off the beaten roads during a good
part OF the year. But its existence as a
growth. 1t can hardly be more than ten
years since the women adopted it, yet in
that ten years it's conquest has been COM
plete; Children are now put ON ski as soon
as they have a serviceable acquaintance
with their own legs. Learning the. art at
that age when all things are easy, and up
sets not dreaded, by the time they are
schoolgirls they are as familiar with their
with his skates, and have formed a love for
them which never grows less. Instantly
lessons are oyer of a winter afternoon.
small Ragnhild or Dagny hastenS to array
herself in the blouse, knee breeches and
short skirt which. with high CATERS, long
array, and is off to the trysting-place where
other small ski-shod Ragnhilds and Dagnys
await her: A winters holiday means a day
on ski. with a package of luncheon in the
pocket-and those notorious monsters, the
school principals themselves, are too sensi-
BILE, of the charms of the sport, though they
may, not personally practice it. to let the
/ holidays come too far apart.
A MOUNTAIN HAVEN.
Far up the mountain behind Christiania,
nesting among the pine trees and the ice, is
a little snowshoers' haven much in vogue.
If you enter here of a winter evening you
will find one large room beneath the dragon
headed .oof-a room as Norwegian as the
rocks of its foundation.
/ The walls are hung with pieces Of ancient
tapestry and brasses. A good portrait of
Nansen, boldest of Norsemen, occupies one
end. Light comes from the broad prongs
of great elk-horn candelabra, and from the
logs that crackle in a mammoth fireplace at
the side. Parties of ski-runners are seated
at little tables about the room, and always
the door swings open to admit fresh ar
rivals. Now comes a sextet of schoolboys.
here a crowd of young men and women
here a party of girls alone-all alike flushed,
radiant, sn-ow-powdered, in exuberant spir-
its from the keen work they have been
about. There is much laughing and chatter
| iIlS. 6IAi OiiC ULttc tAc fdIe qualify vi the
soft, sweet women's voices. Immediately
calls arise for coffee, chocolate, beer. not
.ttoddy'' and sandwiches. The fire blazes
up in shafts of light, the room grows
warmer; clouds of steam arise from snow
that melts on skirts and trousers. The
bright coIors of the women's caps and
gowns flash against the dark walls. and you
see that their hair is like strands of SUM-
shine. The men take out cigars and pipes.
Not a few women accept cigarettes, and
presently the whole assembly IS smoking
together and singing in chorus-Grieg, per-
baps-with the harmony and skill of a very
musical people.
rhen, little by little, they drift away, but
it will hardly be till IL or later that the
last party OF men and go1den-haired girls
has left the freside for the white starlit
world without. The ski, which has been
stacked outside the house. are soon strapped
on. and then, pole in hand, they glide swift
~ out of sight into the blackness of the for
est. In single file they go Here and there
an occasional CLEAN from their blazing
torches shows where the trail winds in and
out among the great pines. but the
mountain side is very steep, the forest is
very thick, and in a moment the last flicker
has vanished from sight.
HAS ITS EVILS.
AS is natural, in a pursuit so vigorously
adopted by an intense people, some abuses
A1,ro rae,,ltaJ ord tho uhQIc cport hos bear,