The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-27
OUR TOURISTS ABROAD
TRAVELLER IN NORWAY DIssATIs-
FLED WITT HIS PEOPLES WAYS.
They Are Too Meteorfc INT Their
Are Bad-Natfves Treat
Visitors with Consideration.
.orrespondence New YORK Posi-.

races mat nave been tamluar IN the city
streets during winter and spring are now
conspicuously absent. and in their place has
sprung up a lesser and more various crop
that changes day by day. At first there is
a sort of entertainment in the effort to read
the nationality of these newcomers in their
looks. but that science is easily acquired.
the more so as there is not a very large
range Of probabilities to run over in ones
mind before settling on the fatherland of
the subject In question. English. German.
Dane. Swede. American-such is practically
the sum of the chances.
But all who come, of however diverse
origin. appear to be united in one common
ambition. namely. the desire to wait upon
the midnight sun-an innocent enough OBJ
ject in itself. one would say. but capable OF
degenerating into a most deploraoie mono
mania, when 1t leads men TO behave as
though in all this land-and surely heaven
never looked en- one more beautiful-there
were but a single thing worth seeing. and
that thing a certain tawny-yellow ball cur
vetting about before a smallish rocky head
land in the remote north. Not that l wish
to disparage the midnight sum- The mid
night sun is undoubtedly capable Of being a
very magnificent and impressive spectacle.
But when one sees ones countrymen max
ing fearful examples Of themselves before
its shrine, 1t is hard to be just and TO re-
gard 1t with all the respect that II deserves.
Unhappily. Americans are the worst Of the
sinners. What, for example. is to be said
in defense Of that party who recently put In
its appearance from over the sea-able-bod-
led people with well-lined purses and unlim-
tied leisure. who. on arriving at Chris
tiania, stopped not to look to right or to
left. but instantly betook themselves 20 the
railway station, and boarded the train for
Trondhjem. five hundred miles away as the
crow flies; who in Trondhjem Immediately
took steamer for the North Cape. as expe-
ditiously returned to Trondhjem again.
packed themselves into the train for Chris
tiania without loss of time. and from Chris
tlana departed for Stockholm within thirty
six hours? They had achieved the midnight
sun. but Norway was almost as much a
sealed book to them as II they had never
set foot within its borders.
Exasperating as they are, the meteoric
tourists are decidedly preferable to those
Of another class that I saw ably repre-
two American boys just out of college. and
chance on the. top of Froguer Saeter. They
had come over from England by an ex-,
cursion steamer. visited the North Cape,
Of course, then taken carrioles at Trond-
hjem, and driven south through the won
derful mountain country to Christiania..
as delightful a tour as Europe can anord.
But four wryer faces than those the honey
never see. I'VE haven't had a decent meal
since we left England" they grumbled:
and such was the sole comment they were
inspired to make on the unhappy kingdom
of Norway. l contemplated the stiff eight
yard-wide silk skirts of the Dulcineas. and
found cause TO be thankful that some of
us have the ability TO descend to serge and
to rise above sausases
DISGUSTED SIGHTSEERS.
Women who could find it in their hearts
to dress like that while travelling could
hardly be expected to have much attention
to spare for the country through which
they passed, or much federation for tie dust
and the rain thereof. However, it is only
fair to mention that there were alternating
circumstance in their case. They had been
horribly sick all the way from England TO
the North cape. Nevertheless. inspired by
a thrifty desire to get their moneys worth,
they had dragged themselves on deck eacn
night TO see the later and later setting OF
the sun. But every night an unpenetrapie
fog shrouded the proceedings so completely
non-existent Doubt and despair settled on
their souls, and the sickness took a nrmer
grip. When they finally reached the North
Cape Vi lUtlI dSRlI dtiOliSs a. Nht
came to call them they merely turned over
in their berths, said they didn't believe IL,
and went to sleep again. And that was the
the blow was TOO much for their equi-
libriums. Their tempers seemed to be seri-
ously skewed.
| ternity, chiefly confined, / believe, TO those
of English and American origin, Is the way
they have of regarding the country tnat
they happen to be investigating as a sort
of zoo. where. for the price of admiftance;
they may walk up and down. gaze and
prod the animals in the cages as much as
ever they please without offending any ETH
quette. Doubtless this arises from the
familiar old An~glo-saxon theory that any,
thing foreign is queer. and more o.
case. a foreigner is not to be supposed to
be possessed of the same sensibil.ties as
another. However that may be. II Is al
or an American family that is sufficiently
fearless in its views TO take up a position
en- masse in the middle of the pavement.
neighboring men and things, while papa.
in its midst. reads aloud the appropriate
texts from Baedeker.
so great a liking for Norway. his subjects
have FASTENED to follow his lead. and ever.
summer brings numbers of jolly, simple
Ieapts ead f breadah Of 70 th wa Iand. 9 Tne inns an.
keepers naturally feel very kindly toward
the source. of so much profit and patron
age. as was eNluenceu ny ills Tcccnl du-
venture of a young English woman: She
was stopping at a small mountain hotel on
her return from a trip to the Lofoden
islands. where she had picked up a very
handsome and very unruly Lapp puppy.
Wild as he was, she had managed to cir
cumvent his designs on other persons be,
longings until one Inflated morning, when
he effected an escape and was viewed from
an upper window In the act OF putting
the finishing touches OF demolition TO the
hostess's magnificent bed Of poppiss. His
mistress ran downstairs with despair in
her heart. expecting the opening OF the
vial of wrath What. then. was her sur.
prise 10 find the good landlady. standing
over her uprooted 1owersf gazing witt
tears of tenderness III her eyes at the small
black imp that had caused so much ruin
THE sweet little creature," she cried
that is just what the dear Emperor's lit
tie dog did when he was here last year."
A KINDLY PEOPLE.
There is something very lovely In the atti.
aude of the common people towards the
stranger in the land. 1t shows how deer
is the root OF one of the most striking DUAL
tiles Of the Norwegian nation-hospitality
For example. at the open-air concert at st
Hanshaugen the other night, arriving too
late to Secure seats. and especially wishing
to hear the number then playing, / stoot
near the orchestra and close by one of tn.
benches. Beside me a sweet-faced ole
peasant woman, who might have been
great-grandmother from her aged and frai
appearance. sat contentedly holding he
long gray stocking the while. Presently
4 folr q fnrnh On mU ~ and 1880 a