New Ulm review., 1912-10-16

OF (Qe 1amlIy UT uedE IeA0IAVco Wv Nv
tice them at all. Much more rarely
the person is seen instead of being
heard some time before his or her ar
rival. It Ia to be particularly noted
that the idea of the vardogr is not one
which is confined to the uneducated
classes. 1t is equally recognized and
it's reality admitted by persons OF edu-
cation and culture. .t
The following interesting account
was given by Miss p. a schoolteacher
in the town Of Drammen:
1T is nothing unusual to find people
In Norway who have vardogr-that Is
to say. that one can hear or see them
before they really come In person.
Such cases are found in nearly every
family. but in some more frequently
than In others. In the cases of my
father and eldest brother It happens 20
often that We do not think 1t in the
least remarkable. remember one par
ticular instance which shall relate.
I'VE expected my father home from
q long voyage and got word that he
had arrived at q little harbor In the
frth. but at the same time there came
a message saying that unfortunately
he could not get home for several days.
as the ice prevented him from COM
ing up. We were very much disap'
pointed. because we were Just then
about to have family gathering.
When we had assembled in the even
ing we talked about how delightful 1t
would have been If father could have
come. My mother then took a book
and read aloud. while we children
worked. when we all heard the kitchen
door open and fathers well known
step come in. He put down a box
which he was carrying. and we heard
him speak to the servant. who sat In
q side room. ..-. ...
"'Oh. there is papar shouted three
or four of US together and rushed out
to the kitchen to be the first to well
come him. But there was no one
there. We ran in to the servant, but
she had heard nothing. We thought
that perhaps he had gone out again.
but no-there was no one. So distinct
" had we all heard him. however. that
nv youngest sister. who was rather
nervous. burst into tears. thinking 1t
must be a warning that something
had happened to him. 1t was the first
time she had heard his vardogr. but
my mother. who was well accustomed
to 1t. said very calmly:
"'Go to bed. children. It was only
papa's vardogr, and now we know 1or
certain that he will be home for to-
morrow
.'Sure enough. an hour afterward we
had him safely home. Now. since he
has got older. and especially since he
gave up going to sea. we hear him
much more seldom. But in his youth
his mother heard him constantly and
sometimes even heard him knock on
her window and call her by name.
Sometimes it woke her by night, and
she would rise and go to open the
door, but there was no one there the
first time. An hour later he would
actually come. That happened partic-
ularly when he was expected home
from sea-"
Another lady. Miss R.. gave the fol-
lowing account, which shows that the
vardogr does not merely announce
what might naturally be expected, but
conveys Impressions Of facts quite un'
known to the person hearing it:
1T was in the year 1901. was
staying in Christiania with my uncle
and aunt, who had no children Of their
own. Uncle and aunt went away for
two days and intended to come home
between II and IL in the evening.
The servant girl had gone home that
night. so was alone in the house.
Il was just about to undress when ]
heard them come. l heard the sound
of the street door. heard them come
upstairs and open the hall door and
talk to each other 1t seemed to me
that uncle carried something heavy.
and l heard them talk about being
careful wondered what they could
have brought home with them. l ex-
pected to hear them open the room
door and go in. but suddenly all was
quiet.
About ten minutes after I heard
exactly the same noises. This time
they really came. and they brought a
little cousin with them. She was fast
asleep. and they had to be careful not
to wake her. Next morning l told
them what heard. and uncle said:
That is not so wonderful. Yon
have only heard a vardogr.'"
Innumerable other instances just as
striking might be cited.-W. A. Cragie
In Rla acl ur00Gl,a