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

melon, and the roast meat course fol-
lowed by preserved cranbe. ries. For
dessert there were the delicious wild
strawberries which grow SO abundantly
mere, served in whipped cream with
sugar. A modest claret was served, and
saying skaal and smiling across at
each. other in true Norwegian styIe.
Raising his glass to us Herr Bjornson
said: Here is to your mission; may
you f,l, a.. 90 US u.s., OF Norway much good and
always always ten the truth in your great
newspaper! In return we drank to
the health of our host and hostess and
hoped for them at least hundred more
years of life in which to bless Norway
and the world with their good works.
As we ate the fish, cooked as only in
Norway they know how, Mrs. Chamber
1t great mistake that fish were made
with bones. He laughed aloud at tll---
odd idea and said, with laughing pr
test; You are speaking against
Bjornson for Woman's Rights.
The conversation turned to woman's
activity In the world. Bjornson ear
nestly declared that women should have
complete and equal political privileges
'We. need the good influence Of
women in our politics. he said. NNot
alone in the home can woman exert
her blessed influence to best advantage.
l remember speaking to 1000 women
IN Boston when I visited America in
1871, and it was grand and inspiring
Women have done much for America in
the way OF reforms. Abolition would
have been impossible without them.
There is still much for them to do. Our
women here are taking pattern after
the American women with their clubs
and manifold activities. Here they can
tions and may hold office in those CON
nections. Norwegian women are very
active in these matters and many moro
Of them hold office than in America.
We shall one day give them all the
political rights men have. -
Shy Of Cameras.
Bjornson is as joyous and as unaf-
fected as a boy. He never seems to
pose or to be conscious that he is an
world. So many visitors have trained
their cameras on him that he SHES at
the very mention of camera. We had
unintentionally left ours behind and
when this fact was mentioned with re-
greet, he at once exclaimed with mock
earnestness in his broken English:
here!'
About his own literary work it is al
most impossible to get him to talk.
asked him to tell how he came to write
that patriotic poem beginning "Ja, vi
elsker dette landet" eyes, we love this
lanD: This has become the great ma
tional hymn and is sung by Norwegians
on all sorts of occasions the world
round. He laughed happily and led us
to quaint little oil painting of him
self as he looked when at the age Of p
he wrote that immortal poem. 1t was
his cousin Rikard Nordraak, who had
written the music for it, and he re-
counted how his father, the good old
only ls, and said: Q Here, see what
Bjornstjerne has written. Why is it
that you never do anything? What
have you accomplished worth while?''
Thus spurred on, the lad sat down and
in one day composed the fine swinging
hymn to which the words are set. He
turned out musical genius, but, unhap-
PLY, died young.
His Minneapolis Visit.
Bjornson recalled with pleasure his
visit to Minneapolis, thirty-four years
ago, and the enthusiastic reception
he listened with interest to some ac-
count of the growth of the city and
state since that day. He is now too
old to make the ocean trip again, but
he has the most unbounded admiration
for the great republic and it's people.
All too soon the hour for our depart
ure arrived and we drove away while
the grand old man-boy and sage in one
barred his white locks to the breeze
and waved farewell to us with his
broad brimmed hat.
Thus came to an end wonderful day
the most memorable to us Of all the
golden days in Scandinavia.