The National tribune., 1909-12-23
XIV.
Letters From a Sailor Aunt.

enough, to leave Norway, and when L
stopped for Elizabeth TO go to break-
fast the following morning, as was my
custom, she exclaimed with real feel
ing: "Oh, NJ, do you realize this is our
very last day in Norway? We have
made just one mistake in this otherwise
perfect trip of ours; we should have
planned to spend at least two weeks in
driving. The Amazon cruise was long
enough and as nice as could be-, our
visit here in this city has been all right,
but 1 do not feel a bit satisfied with
: that one little week. 1t only gave us
a nasty, skinny bite of a heavenly eX-
perience instead of a good, generous
mouthful."
Never you mind, Elizabeth I re-
piled consolingly. Perhaps we may
come here again some day, and then
Wen plant ourselves in stolkjaerre
the minute we land, and stick there
until we get enough. See?'
"oh. yes said she; Its all very
well for you to say what We'll do when
we come again, but you know perfectly
that We never will come again"
After breakfast EliZabeth's mood
lightened somewhat, and we went at
All the directions for our journey were
neatly written off and as simple as
could be; in fact, no one but natural
born fool, which neither Elizabeth nor
1 happen to be, could have had the
: least difficulty in turning up all right
and intact aided by them. We were
told just when we would arrive at a
place, at what hour we left, how to
make certain changes; in short, every
- question that we could possibly wish
to ask was answered in those ALIEN
bracing directions. Our railroad and
sleeping-car tickets were in a neat lit
tie book, which could be easily slowed
in hsarvc tA.,, -
the hotel a little later, who should we
run into but our delightful Austrian
{, travelling acquaintanceS, she looking
prettier than ever in a very smart gown
and fetching hat and both men charm
ingly well-mannered, as usual. 1t seems
they had almost as uncomfortable
time as we getting to Christiania the
other night, tho, to be sure, they didn't
have Il bunch of maniacs in their COM
partment as we did.
The rest of the day. until we took
our train for Copenhagen at 5:35, we
devoted to the shops, with the excep-
, ton of about two hours spent in
trolley ride to Holmenkollen, where
there is magnificent view of the city
and ford. To tell the truth, favorite
, niece, ! had been looking for just the
right thing to take home to you ever
since we struck Molde, but without
any success whatever, and had nearly
d
and put myself into an untimely grave
fussing over the matter.
Il must decide on something for
favorite niece at once / said, after we
returned from Holmenkollen, IF I'm
going to take her anything Norwegian.
It's now or never; let's go to Ander-
son and pick out something there"
So to Anderson's we went, and the
obliging young woman clerk brought
out once more her trays of pretty
enamel bracelets, necklaces, hat, vail
end neckpins, etc, and after a period
of frightful indecision l finally made
a selection. I have done you the honor
Of wearing your gift already once my
self, which shows that l think rather
well of il, but / shall not tell you what
lit is. Elizabeth, fascinated by these
pretty things, bought necklaces, brace
lets and the different kinds of pins ga
lore, and if she appears in a very hand
some SET OF black fox furs next Winter
you VIII know where they came from
for after leaving Anderson's we wan
dered from shop to shop, dropping
kronas here and there, until the light
ness of my pocketbook warned me that
! was many miles from my beloved
land In mighty cold land perhaps
uhteeIlng) country, and that / had
better hold on fast to what / had left
nevertheless, / was prevailed upon to
enter Just this shop" which proved to
: be a regular department store, and
where, waited upon by a young woman
VINO had been in America for many
years, tho IN what capacity she did not
teii us, We purchased for almost moth
ing number of gaiIy decorated wood
en- things, boxes and ''sich,' very Nor
"eslan, and quite a pile of excellent
PFints OF Norwegian scenery, public
buildings, etc We fingered so long at
all this that We had just about time to
lf Ynly 80
PACKAGES in our trunks see two bows
from the Westminster start off with all
our luggage on a cart saY eood-by TO
MISS Peters, fee the servants then fol-
low ourselves on foot, for the station
was not far away, the weather couldn't
De beaten, and, to tell the honest truth.
there was a very last purchase ia he
made as we went along. We were in
sood, comfortable time for the 5:35
traln, and as we pulled out of the sta
tlon Elizabeth and l both cast a long
ing, lingering look behind at lovely
Chrisuania, breathing in our hearts a
iast good-by to the Land of the Mid
night Sun"
And now wonder, as you say good
by to Norway in these letters, If you
. VIII feel any of the keen regret which
took possession of Elizabeth and me as
We boarded the train that after
noon. / hope SO. This whole ex-
P'i'ShcS has Deen so perfectly ideal
texcept the rain) that it has given me
real joy TO go over it all with you. and
before i ring down the curtain on it
forever i feel very much inclined to
make brief summary of my impress
sions, tho i shall be obliged to repeat
what l have said before. which, much
as i might like 10 change It. seems 10
De the ineXorable nature of your sum-
mary. First and foremost, l would
say by way of advice to anyone think
ing of making a visit 10 Norway. don't
unless you really and truly, honest In
Jun, love Nature and fresh fish, and
40 not object to the cold and rain. or
at least can endure both philosophical
~. Also. If you are intending to take
IN the North Cape do not 20 without
resigning yourself before starting Ia
the possibility of missing the Mid
night sun" These conditions being
fulhiled, say go" and my best wishes
go with you, and if you do NOT have
the time of your life, then Won have
proved that, after all. Norway was moi
Tor you. The coast is very very bean
uful, tho north of Trondhjem vegeta-
tlon Is scarce, hay and potatoes being
the only things grown. The PRINCIPAL
occupation is fishing. Norway's seen
cry is its trump card. The great
gray rocks, with their creyices
OF all sizes and shapes filed with
the snow. look exactly as if theI
We're daubed with white paint These
rocks, the fjords, the nile green or deer
blue mountain lakes, the wooded
mountains, the little red and yellow
houses, lying in the frequent valley,
and scattered along the narrow fjords
flNg. OF