The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-05
Vorwdy'S Two Great Men:
Stories About IbSen and BjornsOn

they carry the name and represent the family
so much more than daughters SO mo fn,.
little son has no connection Mt all with .,o
literary lbsen. He is simply an imp,r..
hence.
The Norwegana and Swcdes hate each
other, you know; and several times 70 hss
almost come TO war Norway hates bpln,
under the royal house of Sweden and cen.
tainly they are the most natural republicans
In the world, Though ruled by Erg
they have abolished all titles, though SW,-
den has retained her ancient nobility
The Swedes are very polite. formal
punotilioue people, conservative and old
fashioned, much like the French in hoIr
regard for form and precedent The Non.
wegians, on the contrary, are the most
iconoclastio people in Europe Nothing IA
too old on too sacred for them to haul down
II they take a notion.
We'll, Ibsen went to Stockholm n wear
or two ago. and the Authors Society ga,,
banquet IA his honor. The speech n
welcome WI. made by Ellen Key. who i,
known all over Europe as the most ad.
vanced writer In Sweden. In her rcmarS,
she observed that Norway united 10 Sweden
was llke n lu-ty young man chained - a
equity old follow II created "A STORM
All Sweden was infatuated at Ellen Key ut
she never minded a little thing like that
although tho Norwegian~ ar proud
OF lbsen II Is Blurn-on whom thcv o,a.
Bjornson lives in ChristiAnia. too. For y.ars
there was bitter enmity hstv 70 him AMI
Ibsen, but they are rpconcilHi I'" 'aruugh
an intemariage in their '1r i'-
While Ibsen Away .t d. .u,
Bjornson Il constantly treN 1.rg rr-h
Norway and Sweden. He Io ole
tician He magnetizes every opf DO. 30 .oot,
No one can help liking u ,onllv.
If they have met him. even If they dislike
him politically "a many do, He is the idol
of the people. He wrote the national
song, and he has been almost fana'icaty
devoted TO establishing the rural hg'
schools III Norway. These high ~cAo0s.
carrying free secondary education into
the forests and mountains of that northern
country, with it, long, awful winter. have
almost transformed the Norwegian people
in one generation
Years ago, when he began TO write.
Bjdrrson wrote several peasant novels,
which | think arc the most exquisite por.
trayal In any language of the life of peas
antry. And the peasants uf Norway are
the most remarkable in Europe Many
of them are descendants of the ancient
kings of the country and live in houses
centuries old, on the very spot whore their
forefathers reigned
After that Bjornson wrote nothing far
years devoting himself entirely 10 po''lcs
Then he began TO write his plays and IN
Beyond Human Power he is considered
among us TO have produced llay as great
as any Of Ibsen's. His play Paul LANCE
ana FORA PhrSDerg ~ acted constantly in
Norway, Sweden and Denmark II created
a tremendous sensation when it came out
The plot of the play centres round polii-
clan, who tries 10 maintain his high ideals in
political life, Everything is against him.
every one Is consplring TO pull down lis
standards, even the woman he loves IL
nally he gets into such an ineNrical a
mess that he kills himself. In the play he =
led 10 suicide by receiving a letter from n
journalist, urging him 10 ma 1taln the hiFn
standards which he has given his FRIENDS
a right TO expect Of him
Now this all really happened in Chr
tania There was very popular Young
politician named Richter who did cone
init suicide. II was never fully eypau,l
but it was said that the letter boz the Dav
was really sent to Richter by BiurnSon hu-
self. Some people blamed him for writing
the letter and still more for writing the play
afterward. But who can blame "a man wh0
can write such play as that for nt'lz Z
material wherever he finds it,