The National tribune., 1909-11-25
NT-
Letters From a "sailor Aunt"

Niece 1t was that clever EnS
Sydney Smith, wasn't 1t, who said;
Fate cannot harm me; l have olieu
to-day" Well / feel at this moment
like exciaiming myself in much the
same spirit of present content and In
difference to the slings and arrows OF
outrageous fortune: Il have had two
perfect days. Come what may, can
stand it."
We thought, after seeing the mid
night sun, that we were entirely satls-
fed and had nothing more TO ask oL
Norway. The face she had SHOWN US
during that voyage up the coast IN lhe
Amazon when her mood was gracious
and her skies smiling, was so lovely that
we could imagine nothing ioyeler. NOW
we know better, and that hidden away,
here and there. off from the coast ana
the .'maddlng crowd C'maddins crowd
as applied to Norway is good, and
along these narrow fjords which extend
well UP into the interior sometimes, are
visions of q beauty of which we had
not in our widest moment dreamed.
There is an eloquence in Norway S
scenery which stirs the heart marvel
ously; still, can understand that some
people would find it too monotonous,
perhaps. too cold and colorless. and pre-
fer greater variety and n warmer rich
er tone. 1t might be likcned to Il head
tiful blonde, perfect in form, features
and coloring. But there are those to
whom the glowing brunei type makes a
far stronger appeal, and chacun son
gout. say I, as the woman remarked
who kissed the COW.
For the past two days we have been
driving almost every minute when not
eating and sleeping. The weather has
been simply glorious. and the air-weil,
II is difficult to be calm in speaking of
the air in Norway when the sun shines,
!, I l,1
shifted or inhaled, and Maine, j know
from experience. can do very well in
this line when she puts her mind TO 1t.
The air, then, for the past IS hours has
been veritable elixir vitae, which
made you feel like shouting or making
some Kind OF big noise out of sheer
exuberance of spirit Elizabeth and /
have enjoyed nothing since we came to
Norway as much as these past two
days, delightful as it has all been, and
have said to each other hundred
times: Think what we would have
missed if we hadn't done this!'
When we left Sandene the other af-
ternoon-yesterday afternoon it really
was. tho it seems at least n week ago
we had newish, quite fine Stolkjaerre
and a nice little pony. The driver was
young and rather good-looking fellow,
speaking a very little English and in
cliDed to be sociable. The pony started
off with spirit that nearly took our
breath away. and kept up this lively
pace nearly all of the time, his master
only walking up the hills, which were
not many. A good deal of the drive
was similar to that of the afternoon
before, along the edge of the noun
tains, following some beautiful lake of
Niie-green or sapphire-blue water. Part
of it was thru q deep gorge or canyon,
with the great rocky cliffs making
a+11,
tricEIsd the narrow stream like silver
thread, or from which gushed and tum-
bled in foamy confusion the lovely
waterfall. These waterfalls excited our
special admiration. Sometimes they
would start from the top and change
their course several times before reach
ing the bottom, often quite out of sight
for a time. In this gorge, where we
drove for quite a distance on the fine
road of crushed rock, the snow fire.
quently covered the lofty peaks from
summit to their very base along which
we We're passing. With a dazzling sun
on all this you can imagine the result.
Once when We had passed out from this
gorge we came quite suddenly upon one
of these lovely mountain lakes of a
heavenly green, entirely surrounded by
the great rocks, yerdant to their very
submits almost, which were covered
with snow, and the arrangement of
these in wild but exquisite disorder
made a picture which, / trust, is i'm
planted forever on my memory. l in
close some views of the drive.
We stopped about 20 minutes at a
place called Egge, on our way TO Skei,
which, you remember, was our destina-
ton, to rest the pony q have previously
spoken of the kindness OF these Nor
wegians to their horses and children),
and Elizabeth and sat ON the porch of
hotel and ordered a cup Of coffee. The
little maid Remarkably pretty) who
served US was the only human being
about, but her English too limited to
make conversation advisable. In the
parlor of the hotel were some very nice
specimens of Hardanger work for sale,
but we did not buy any OF them. Both
Elizabeth and l agreed that the house
was about the freshest and most attrac-
tive we had thus far seen, and we Won
dered that IT appeared to have no
guests Probably the fishing at that
place did not amount to much.
We drove up to the door of Hotel
Skei a little before supper time, and
as We entered both of U.s. and especially
me, far from presentable, with hair
flying and coat collar turned up, found
the hall filed with men standing about
quite as IL is at an afternoon reception
or tea, no one belonging to the hotel
apparently about. We stood for a mo-
ment little disconnected In finding
ourselves the cynosure of these male
glances in our present plight, when one
of the men kindly motiOned to a door
which, upon opening, YVES found to lead
into the saloon or parlor, also filled with
people. We speedily got out, being in
no mood for anything which savored SC
strongly of function, and after q few
minutes the woman Interpreter ap-
peared, who conducted us TO our rooms
Il Think said Elizabeth to me after
we had removed our wraps and hats
Il fear, my friend, that It is up to us to
make something of toilet for supper
Big a nuisance as il is, and much as we
had hoped to escape it while on this
driving trip, all these people make 2
demand which we cannot ignore"
agreed with her, so after smoothing oui
hair, etc, we unpacked the dress-sui
case, and fished from its depths a cou
pie of fresh waists, which we rather
reluctantly donned. There is, / admit
good deal of the savage still left IL
us ALL women as well as men, and be
lieye it is the greatest possible relie
sometimes to most women to go thru
an entire day without change o
toilet. I often think of the solid com
fort Mother Eve must have taken witt
her fig leaf before the Fall. How som,
women can put on four or five differen
gowns q day, even with the help of
maid, as plenty of them do at thes,
fashionable places, is beyond my com
prehension. / should think the very
sight of clothes would make them fair