The National tribune., 1909-12-09
XII.

time, for i do not want 10 SKIP any
thing in these letters, 1 will begin at
once where left off
We started from Sande then, the
place where we met the 'booful LADY,
YOU remember, about $50 the next
morning for our last drive, that to Va
dem, where we were to take the steam
= er for Bergen. We had not changed
+. driver, cart or pony since leaving San
dene, YOU see, and had acquired posi-
tive affection for all three, each being
conspicuously deserving of that affec-
tion. The driver won us from the be-
ginning by certain lightness, almost
eayness, of manner as compared with
the Stolid grimness of the usual Nor
wegian, and for his kindness, tender
ness really, towards his little beSte: the
pony claimed us for his very own by
his pluck, spirit and evident determina-
lion to do his level best and our hearts
went out to the stolkjaerre for its nice,
comfortable seat and easy running.
It was, therefore, with quite a tinge
=. of sadness that Elizabeth and 1 took
our seats for the last time in the stolk-
jaerre on the morning in question, the
pony making an exceedingly daShing
start. We had so much enjoyed these
drives. Altho he into whose hands we
had confided our precious lives had
most limited knowledge of English, his
ambition had been great and his desire
TO be sociable greater, and by dirt of
much brilliant guessing on our part we
had cleaned from him that he would
like TO go to America, but that he was
the only son at home, and could not
leave the "fadder and mudder;" that
he had brothers and other relatives in
the Land of the Free and Home of the
Brave, and liked very much, indeed, to
. Silrive Americans (naturally, for from
them he undoubtedly got much larger
fee than from the English and Ger
mans wandering over his part of Nor
way). Elizabeth and 1 had been hav-
ing good deal of fun from the first in
getting off on the natives the few words
We knew in Norwegian. She had really
caught on to the language remark
ably well, and l had mastered a few
words and phrases, like he'd wand"
(hot water), which ! fired at the head
of the maid each morning in an easy,
offhand manner, usually received by
her with a funeral solemnity. These
people have apparently no sense of hu-
: NOR. But our skydskarlen was a bril-
liant and glorious exception, and while
during our drives would open Baede-
ker. in the back of which was a Nor
wegian grammar with phrases of con-
versation, which, like all books of this
: kind, never happen to have just the
thing you really want to say, and got
off such as "Hvad synes De ON My
' cheese, for instance, or "Jeg har fadet
der ct stort Hui; lad det straX re-
parere'' q have made a large hole
here: get it mended at once" he en-
tered into the spirit of the joke with
heartiness that was refreshing, and as
We few gaiiy over the well-made roads
we were a very merry little party, even
the pony pricking up his ears with a
movement which indicated apprecia-
ton.
But this morning we were all rather
quiet. The skies which had been so
smiling for the past three days seemed
to partake of our mood, for they were
gray and threatening, and, sure enough,
when about half way to Vadem it be-
gan to rain. The scenery along the
route was decidedly tame in compari-
son to that we had been feasting our
eyes on recently, and We were not sorry
when We reached our destination. We
found rather unattractive little inn,
situated directly on the ford (this is
positively the last appearance of this
phrase, so you will forgive mel, with
number of people sitting about waiting
for the boat, and in a few minutes, be-
fore we had time to sit down even, who
should come up in a stalkjaerre but our
lord and lady of the night before, the
cart filed with their boxes. We were
quite surprised to find such grand peo-
pie driving in anything so democratic
as this native conveyance, but in tray
cling about over here one Is continually
coming upon surprises of all kinds. We
paid our driver. giving hirl good fat
fee for his nearly three days service,
wrote a glowing tribute to the excel
lence of himself and pony in the small
book which he presented for that pur-
pose, already well filed with such rec
concentrations, and patted the chestnut
sides of the little animal in saying good
by TO both.
We had a rather poor dinner at Va
dem, and when the boat came along
about o'clock we found it crowded,
so much SO that Elizabeth and 1 could
not get seats together. 1t was driZZling
and chilly, even with our heavy wraps,
and as the scenery was not specially
fne-you see, we were spoiled for any
thing but the best-we did not particu-
larly enjoy that sail from Vadem to
Bergen. The majority of our fellow
passengers seemed to be uninteresting
looking and We did not get into con-
!. versation with any of them; at least, /
did not, but Elizabeth became rather
chummy with large, benevolent Scotch
woman, whose chair was close to hers,
and who told her she came TO Norway
every Summer with her husband for
the fishing. After awhile Elizabeth and
l got seats together, but the conditions
Were rather dampenlng to the enthu-
siasnl, and sat silent in our chairs
b till We reached Bergen about 8 o'clock.
We found the bus belonging to the
Norge Hotel, to which we had tele-
graphed in advance for rooms, and in
a few minutes were in front of that
hostelry, which is directly opposite the
rather impressive building of the Grand
Cafe. In the lobby of the Norge was a
great crowd of tourists like ourselves,
all trying to find out about their rooms,
and when Elizabeth and I finally got
hold OF one of the hotels officials we
We're filled with CONSERVATION to hear
that in spite of our telegram no room
or rooms had been reserved for u.s.
That was a pretty bad state of things,
and for moment or two we were both
entirely fiabbergasted, but il is in the
difficult moment that Elizabeth comes
out strong, and after a few moments
conversation on her part the manage
ment We're convinced that they had
better find place for us, which they
did. Our trunks and other luggage
which We had had forwarded from
Molde to this hotel when we started off
on our driving trip, were soon brought
TO our rooms, and after tucking in our
foots, as usual, we retired, the rain COM
ing down outside in torrents.
We had intended spending two or
three days in Bergen, which is the sec
ond city of Norway, with considera BILE
to see there, but when Elizabeth and
the W. Ell in