The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-10-10
lBSEN AS He is.
Il USTERE AND RESERVED WITH
HIS 10 UALS,


Perhaps the object of greatest inter-
est in Norway, certainly in Christlania,
is Henrik Ibsen, the dramatic poet,
whose works are the subject of contro-
versy wherever they are read. He is an
old man, and recently suffered q stroke
of paralysis, from which he has only
partially recovered. His condition is
not serious unless he should have a
second stroke. He is gaining strength
gradually is able to drive out every
day, although his physicians will not
permit thin to receive strangers. Eve
rybody in Norway knows all about ID
sen. His name is a household word
even among the peasants, and his &C.
centricities are the topic of conversa-
ton in every drawing room and at eve
ry dinner table. He is affected to an
extreme, and most people believe it to
be for advertising purposes, or at least
to emphasize his originality and indi-
viduality, the characteristics of which
he is himself most proud, Ibsen con-
siders himself man with a mission,
and his eccentricities are part of his
stage business. He has himself said
that ''the strongest man upon earth Is
he who stands most alone" which no
doubt is the keep to his exclusiveness,
of which the people complain. To his
equals he is always austere and re-
served, but he never fails to treat his
interiors with great courtesy.
A prominent Norwegian told me that
Ibsen was admired but disliked; that
he was eminent but unloved; that the
people had a reverence and respect Tor
his ability, but despised him for his
vanity and selfishness. His pictures
appear in every shop window, however
and If the number of copies sold is a
criterion he is the most popular man in
Norway,
One of Ibsen's peculiarities is his
dress He wears very long black
broadcloth coat, reaching nearly to his
heels, with a silk hat carefully pol
ished, a broad white muslin tie, and
trims his hair and beard in a manner
that suggests Horace Greeley He Is
said to be very particular about ms
person, and takes an hour and a half
every morning to dress, but during this
time he does a good deal of thinking,
and makes pencilled notes upon a tab
let of paper while his patient and long
suffering valet stands by with his shirt
or collar or trousers in hand awaiting
his masters pleasure.
Ibsen is so regular in his habits that
the people of Christiania can set their
watches by his coming and going he
leaves his house, which Is near the CEN
ter of the city, every morning at pre-
ali o'n1nnk and AL
WAYS walks down the same street at
1eisurely pace, with great dignity, put
an air Of abstraction. AT HAD ne
reaches the university buildings, ana
never fails to stop and compare MS
watch with the clock in the tower. Inc
students would have instruction from
curiosity If he should fail to appear at
the stated time every morning. HaV-
ing satisfied himself as to the accuracy
of his watch, he proceeds to the Grano
Hotel. where he enters the cafe, takes
a special seat in corner Whlch IS
scrl1pulously reserved for him, ana
drinks a glass Of what they call 'pJol-
terra sort of thigh BALI of wh1skey
and soda.
If anybody should be occupying his
seat the walters would clear it for him,
hut such a thing has never occurred
Every frequenter of the place knows
the old mans habits, but nobody speaks
to him, and he seldom speaks to any
one while there He sips his 'p1olter
and reads the newspapers for an hour
exactly If any other patron happens
to be reading the paper he wants the
waiter demands it, for Herr lbsen can
not be denied anything His wishes
have become so well known and his
habits are so regular that it is not ne
cessary for him to give any orders. He
wants a. certain newspaper when he
takes his seat; when he has read that
he wants a certain other paper, and
then a third He takes the Christianla
dailies in the same order every morn
ing and if he has any time left gazes