Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-07-01

its highest forms,-and is not its
confessed watchword the almighty
Dollars? And such 4 country as that
expects to arrogate to itself the alb
solute sway of the worlds tell you,
Ic-ten thousand times no. Ii is desti-
tute OF nearly everything that has
made nations great and all-powerful
in historic annals.-and my belief as
that what has been, will be again.
and that what hos never been. will
never be-"
You mean by that, suppose, that
thing new,--no way of branching out
in some better and untried direction ?"
asked Burlington.
Olaf Guldmar shook his head en-
tphatiCally, You can't do it." he said
de-. s;vely, Everything in every way
then forgotten over and over, in this
world to be begun and completed
and forgotten again, and so on to the
enc of the chapter. No one nation is
better than another in this respect
there is,-there can be nothing new.
Norway, for example. has had its day;
whether it will ever have another
know not,-at any rate. | shall not
live to see 1t. And yet, what past!
=" He broke off and his eyes grew
meditative.
Lorimer looked at him. You would
have been Viking, Mr.. Guldmar, had
you lived in the old days" he said
with a smile.
Il should. indeed" returned the old
man, with an unconsciously naughty
gesture of his head; land no better
fate could have befallen me! To sail
the seas in hot pursuit of
ones enemies or in search of further
conquest, to feel the very wind and
sun beating up the blood in ones
veins, to live the life of mana
true man! in all the pride and worth
of strength and 1nvincible vigor! =
how much better than the pulling,
feeble, sickly existence led by the
majority of men today! | dwell apart
from them as much as can,-I steep
ny mind and body ir the joys of
Nature and the free fresh air, - but
often | feel that the old days or the
bel oes must have been be3t,-when
Germ the Bold and the fierce Sieg-
! fried seized Paris, and stabbed their
horses in the chapel where Charlie
magne lay buried"
! Pierre Duprez looked up with n
i faint smile. "Ah pardon! But that was
surely very long time ago."
"True!" said Guldmar quietly And
no doubt you will not believe the story
at this distance of years. But the day
Is coming when people will look back
on the little chronicle of your Empire,
your commune,-yourr republic, all
your little affairs, and will say, Surely
these things are myths; they occur
red,-if they occurred at ALA very
long time ago!"
Monsieur is philosophers! said
DupreZ, with good-humored gesture.
II would not presume to contradict
him"
You see, my lad" went on Guldmar
more gently, there is much in our
ancient Norwegian history that Is
forgotten or ignored by students of
today. The travellers that come hither
come to see the glories of our glaciers
and fjords,-but they think little or
nothing of the vanished tribe of heroes
who once possessed the land. IF you
know your Greek history, you must
have heard of Pythias, who lived
three hundred and fifty-siX years be-
fore Christ, and who was taken cap
tive by band of Norsemen and carried
away to see thu place where the sun
slept In winter. Most probably he
came to this very spot, the Altenfjord.
at any rate the ancient Greeks had
good words to say for the Outside
Northwinders,' as they called us Nor
wegians, for they reported lis to be
persons living In peace with their
gods and themselves. Again, one of
the Oldest tribes in the world came
among us in times the Phoeni-
Clans, there are traces among MS
still of their customs and manners.
Yes we have a great deal to look back
upon with pride as well as sorrow, -
and much as hear of the wonders Of
the New World, the mar5els and the
go-ahead speed Of American manners
and civilization,--I would rather be q
Eorseman than a Yankee" And he
laughed
There's mere dignity IL tho name,
at any rate" said Lorimer. But |
say. Mr.. Guldmar. you are up in his
tory much better than | am The
annals of my country were grounded
into my tender soul early in life, bull
Il have very hazy recollection of
them. ] know Henry VIII. got rid Of
his wives expeditiously and convent
ently,-and distinctly remember that