The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-19


among the living, but their ere
alive days are over and not many years
can elapse before death claims them
for his own. With them will fade
away the golden age of Norway, in
which her greatest creations in itera-
ture and drama and music have chal-
lenged the admiration of the world.
magnitude there have clustered a gal
axy OF lesser lights who have aided in
making this creative Norwegian period
remarkable. But it is sadly admitted,
even here in Norway, that no new stars
are coming into view to give promise
OF shining with the world-illuminating
radiance that marks the careers of these
then, for the Norwegians Of today to
bye neighbors to these three-,Ibsen Of
Christiania, Bjornson Of Aulestad and
Grieg of Bergenl
Henrik lbsen, the greatest living
dramatist, is passing away the evening
Of the principal streets of Christiania.
His mind is clouded and his strength is
gone. A stroke of paralysis has. cast
a blight upon his existence and only oc-
casionaliy does his once regal mind re-
sumo its sway for short periods of clear
sightedness. He sees no one under any
circumstances and soon the clouds, that
final darkness. This merciless surgeon
Of the human soul, this remorseless
pessimist who spoke the truth in it's
most awful aspects, now sits amid the
terrors Of a darkness that will never lift
on this earth. His message is said, his
work is done.
Contrast Between Ibsen and Bjornson.
What contrast between Ibsen $ last
fhnoo 81 no ell
optimistic Bronson in his country home
at Aulestad, amid the hills and valleys
he loves so well, surrounded by his
numerous and loyal family, happy in
the companionship Of his dear old wife,
honored by. the world, revered' by the
nation and loved by all who come with
IN the magic circle of his beautiful per-
tread different paths and bring their
followers to different ends, Ibsen has
told the world bitter truths and has told
them with concentrated bitterness. And
he has not been able to keep that bit
terness out of his own life Compel
ing the admiration of the world by the
mastery Of his genius, he has never been
able to win the love of his fellow men.
BJornson, too, is welded to the truth.
But he sees it thru the rosy idealism
that envelops him like an aura. He has
faith in his fellow man and that faith
illumines all his work.
The Trip to Aulestad.
It was with the most eager antici-
pilgrimage to Aulestad Some hundred
and twenty-five miles from Norway's
capital the path lay--by rail to Lille
hammer, with a night s rest at a clean,
little country hotel, and then by a cal
eche with one horse from the "skyds-
OF Oh mn
derful roads to Auiestad. That drive
thru the beautiful valley of Gudbrands-
dial, amid the blue hills and by the
smooth green waters put us in the right
frame of mind, it seemed, for the OBJ
ject of our pilgrimage. And as our
posttbooy turned his pony into the side
road that led to the poets haven, we
saw floating in the air from many stats
the flags OF many nations. You may be
sure the stars and stripes were among
them--for Bjornson loves America as
no other country save his own. And
there was the "clean fag' of Norway,
too--as they call the simple blue cross
ing the union with Sweden was taken
off Sweden, you know, has not yet
taken the union jack from her flag,
greatly tho the Norwegians have de-
sired such action. But from another
staff there few "clean' Swedish flag,
border.
Looks Like His Pictures.
The telephone two days before had
given warning of our coming and when
the servant took our cards, but few
moments elapsed before the great Biorn-
stjerne Bjornson himself appeared to
Enthusiastically the man who had re-
created the literature of Norway and