The St. Johns herald., 1895-11-16
LEIsURELY NORWAY.
The People There Take Their
 Time at Everything.
Americans Are Source of WOnderment to the Slow-Going Natives-An Ex- ceedingIy Courteous and HOs-
 pitable People.

patient people, says correspondent of the New York Post. They never hurry; why should they? There is always time enough. We breakfast at nine. Monsieur goes to business at ten or so, and returns to his dinner, like all the rest of the Scandinavian world, at half past two. We reach coffee and cigar cites at about four, and then monsieur goes back to his office, if he likes, for two or three hours. We sometimes see him again at supper at half-past eight, but usually there is a game of whist. or a geographical society lecture, or con- cert, or friends birthday fete tan oc- casion never overlooked by your true Norwegian. or some one has received a barrel of oysters, and would not, could not. dream of opening them with out champagne and company-mascu- line company only. It seems to me that there are entirely too many purely male festivities here. In fact the men say 50 themselves, and that they would en- joy many of the occasions much more if the ladies were present. But ''it is not the custom of the country" Ia rock on which I am always foundering) to omit or to change in such matters. Monsieur only does as do all other men of his age, which is elderly, and condi- ton, which is solid.
 I have never accustomed myself to the fact that one is expected tostop and wait for all approaching carts or vehi- cles of any class to pass before attempt ing to cross street in town. am al- ways being stopped short on the curb stone by frantic pull at my arm, and some strange but agonized friendly voice at my side begging to know if l don't see that -sledge coming, sledge half block off Perhaps it is because the street traffic is comparatively small that the vehicles always have the right of way. And certainly, too, because there is so much time. You need not fancy that the driver will hasten the jog of his stoclzy little yellow pony,
 when he sees you waiting. Nothing of the sort. That is as it has been. It is quite meet that you wait.
 There is a curious feeling concerning America over here, in one way and an- other. Morgenbladet, the chief con- servative paper, an organ locally of the first importance, keeps sort of horror chamber of Americana. The reason is, I suppose, that in these very dark and croublous political times, when not only
 ;he union, but the monarchy itself, is
 threatened and tottering, the conserva-
 i've interest thinks it dangerous to al- LOW any virtue to appear in republic, and especially in ours, the most flour ishing and therefore the most per nicious example of that invention of evil bred.
 Day after day they seem to rife the cable dispatches for dreadful tales of failures, crime and disaster, but if a word of good or neutral import appears it is only because it is too important to be overlooked; it is very briefly ex- pressed and usually gloomily comment ed upon.
 have often thought, in reading over these dismal matters, that our papers furnish us with far too much of such material on large scale to make it necessary for hostile foreign press to betake itself, as Morgenbladet often does, to accounts of obscure barber shop affrays when it wishes to represent the true inwardness of American daily life. One result of the persistent medication of this doctrine is that 1 have met sew eral most cultivated gentlemen who are remarkably versed in the ways and manners of Tammany hall, but whose study of America otherwise has con- vinced them that it is a common GUS tom among men of the better classes in New York to wear pistols in their belts whenever they go into the streets.
 Although so many Norwegians have emigrated to America and are loyal and prosperous in their adopted country, I should say that the general mental at- titude towards America of the solid portion of the population here is one of distrust. They are an exceedingly hos pitable and courteous people, and they are glad to make you truly welcome and to like you. But if you win their esteem, as you will if you deserve it, and are well bred, it will not be as an American representative of America, but as white crow.
 On the whole, when impressions have had time to formulate themselves one feels that America is here regarded as the land of imitation; of pinchbeck and meretricious manufactures, untrust- worthy stuffs, doctors made in min ute, soulless hurry for wealth, disre- gard for mental and spiritual pleasures and ends, of raptness in the pursuit and worship of the dollar; the country where wealth is more than principle, mind or breeding, and where vulgar thirst for titles remains, other ambition | having been gratified. It made me rather indignant when one of the boys | came home from school the other day l with the news that one of his masters | had been asserting as recognized fact | that every American girl of fortune is provided with a list of the eligible titles of Europe, with notes regarding their several merits and demerits, and | that she learns it as a part of her regu- lar business, Yet it is too plainly to be seen whence such ideas arise! One | cannot, in the face of the facts, contra