The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-07-10

to Jennie: .Hang out the door key at 8
o'clock this afternoon and bring It. In
at 5. don't wish to see any onesfor q.
few hours. y -
About the first OF; the month In GER
tain districts door keys swing. to the
breezes in great numbers, and collect
ors, knowing the custom and also its;
misuse, scratch their heads IN perple1-s
ity at this not at home signal - 8
Many amusing stories are told OF
creditors sitting down to await the re-
turn Of their man while the debtor: sat:
on the other side Of the locked door
and chuckled. There have been IN
stances where collector has taken
the key, unlocked the door and entered
the house to be met by the owner, who
calmly laughed over his ruse. Again Q
creditor has entered a house In which
he supposes the owner to be hiding on:
ly to find it vacant and to be caught by
the irate master, arrested and made to
pay a fine, while the debtor got an ex- &,
tension Of time on his bill 3: 3:
These Hlegitimate uses Of this very
old custom Of not only leaving the
latchstring out, but also putting the;
door key at the disposal Of ail who
pass, are not discovered at;frst glance
and they are really very much II the:
minority, for Sweden IS pre- erotnently;
an honest land. IN and around aboct
Stockholm there is very little need of
policemen or strong boxes, for every
man, however low down In the social
scale, seems to have due respect for
anothers property. lss:
Z Although a few, Of the more Ssuspi-
cious, or; the foreigners who have not
been brought up In this strange GUS
tom Of leaving the door key out may
lock up with bolts from the; inside and
use. another door for exit when they
leave home for an extended visit the
old residents actually teave their homes:
ut the disposal OF any who may care to!
enter. as ,5!i;;Slz.5.gss
Friends who call and find the key
out feel at perfect liberty to unlock the
door, enter and rest a bit before pass
ing on. Strangers seldom misuse the
confidence,
The custom started ages ago Whe: It
was the usual thing for Aholy men" or
priests to travel through Swedish VII.
lagos, stopping to leave their blessing,
on the households Of the neighborhood
These visits were looked forward to
With eagerness by the pious Swedes,:
and it was considered: an actsof gross
est discourtesy to bar the door, for:
whatever reason, against holy man
Consequently If a family left home the!
key was always put out against the ar
rival Of the priest Neat and drink;
were left, and should the holy man
stop at a vacant house he entered, re-;
heshed himself, left his blessing IN the
form Of candle or a bottle Of holy
water or a bit Of consecrated green and
passed Thus the custom originated.
and, althougN these quaint villages
have become towns and travelling
priests have passed away and the In
fax OF other nations has modernized
Sweden and brought the evil OF theft
with 1t, the door keys still hang out as.
evidence Of trust and open doored hos
pitality. :sz3.s..5.. ;s;.5i;: Is
A thief seldoc takes down one Sof!
the keys and enters, for there Is the
uncertainty about The absence OF the;
residents spoken Of to hold him back, l,l :;
and the knowledge: that an exposed:
door key may merely mean that the.
owner has stepped across to the store.
and win return any minute makes
tampering with property risky busi-,
ness: )
These facts, together with the big
ane that Swedes are one Of the most
honest people on the face OF the globe,
make q custom safe there which would
be a foolhardy tempting OF misfortune
81 our Gland Of the free. e.'--Los An
geles Times.