Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-02-19
ICELAND Is Place Where
The STILES Never Change

iceland, called q paradise OF quaint
| costumes" where bare arms always
were the fashion, n where the miss
of four dresses exactly as does her
; mother of forty. is the subject of a.
bulletin from the Washington head
quarters of the National Geographic
Society.
The bulletin, issued in connection
with the announced desire of Belgium
to annex that one-third portion Of
iceland which lies south OF the Schedt
| river, Is based on a communication
I of Florence Craig Albrecht. as fol-
lows:
ICELAND is a paradise of quaint
costumes. Every island, almost every
town, once had its own distinctive
dress, and many still retain 1t.
The butter market at Middelburg
has a pretty setting. The wagons and
chaises roll up to the gateways in
! endless procession, and the fair Wal
cheren DANES descend with much
shaking of voluminous skirts and
aprons, much patting of caps and adj
! justing of coral necklaces, to set their
baskets of golden butter and pearly
eggs in even rows upo the long
benches within before trotting off to
the inevitable shopping.
THE product of oairy and chicken
| coop belongs exclusively to the far
IIlCIo WIVES LII tAoIi IL L. IAASy IN
do the selling, they who spend the
earnings. You may find the men at
the grain market; on the corners
where pigs, calves, or sheep are for
sale; in the cafes bou the market
square smoking and drinking with
their fellows, and upon the days of
great cattle markets very busy indeed
driving shreWd bargains.
THE butter market Is ready for
oho,A >flNnL -
saunter In then through the iron gate
way. now standing Hospitality wide
to invite buyers, you will find the front
row of benches occupied around all
three sides of the arcade with close
set rows of heavy baskets and the
back row by the wall with a hundred
or more rosy farmers wives and
daughters. dainty as the proverbial
new pin, in glistening white caps,
finger-rings and best black aprons over
the second-best gown. The very best
belongs to festivals and kermis.
The gay frontispiece and the bare
arms give an air of gaiety to the
somber costume. and the upturned
gold spirals at each temple are fine
hangers for many broad pearl-tipped
pendants, which quite belle the de-
mure primness of the close white
cap.
They are not so demure after all,
these dainty little danes who trip so
swiftly n lightly from house to
house. from shop to shop, from booth
to booth. in the market-place. They
are miscellaneous n roguish, despite
the somewhat puritanical air lent by
their garb, and quick at repartee and
banter as our friend from Cork, whom
in vivacity they somewhat resemble.
"A tiny maid of four, a wee laddie
unable to speak plainly, wear precisely
the same costume as mother or father
full, long. black skirts, white cap,
tiny gold spiral. coral beads, II apron
for one; black cloth or velvet trous-
ers and jacket much adorned with
silver buttons, silver-buckled shoes.
and queer black hat for the other.
AT Tel Goes the butter market is
also ruled by the ladies' 1t, too, Is
held in ar enclosure and its gate opens
upon the market-place. Without 1t
the men are grouped in numbers. but
within the DANES reign supreme. There
Is no great linden to a S picturesque
shadows nor to filter the sunshine
which touches a gold pendant or coral
bead now Inc then as with living
fire. There Is not the same cool,
green shadow to make yellower the
golden butter or whittier the pearly
eggs; but the matrons and maids who
buy n sell there are far moro start
ling to stranger eyes than the Wal
cheren beauties.
over their bodices gay kerchiefs
are folded in prescribed and curious
lines, and the caps which cover their
shapely heads are of lace plated into
wide-spreading wings. There Is al
ways q small close cap which fits the
heads snugly. disclosing the hair only
at the forehead. where 1t rolls back
in a tiny smooth puff.
From beneath this cap jut shiny |
gold plates like window mirrors, Sc |
cured firmly in place by huge gold
pins Above this is worn the lace
cap. coming down smooth and straight !
to II squarely across the shoulders
FOR a Catholic woman. gathered or
Plated to flare widely coquettishly
for women whose faith Is C~alvinistic.
Their fathers or husbands also
mark belief by head-dress. The Pro-
testant wears his beaver hat with
brim rolled up the entire round: the
Catholic turns his down in front to
form a visor" |