Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-05
ENJOYS DAUGHTER
BELIEVES IN WORK
Miss Ellis Bostrom Engaged
as Secretary at Swedish
Legation.


cessfully completed secretarial course
at local business school and is now
engaged as one of the secretaries at the
chancery of the Swedish legation.
Swedish girls may well be proud Of
their young representative in the United
States. With her golden hair and deep
blue eyes. Miss Bostrom is a perfect type
of the lovely womanhood of the land of
the Vikings.
According to Miss Bostrom. there is
nothing extraordinary in the fact that
while other girls of her set, who made
their debuts in Washington year ago,
are still engaged for the most part in
filling a round of social engagements.
she has voluntarily secured position
which means hard work and long hours.
None Remain Idle.
Il am merely doing what all the girls
In my country do" the diplomats
daughter explained. mo girl in Sweden
ever remains idle. In the first place, we
do not have the same method of COM
ing out" that you do in America. A
Swedish girl starts going to parties with
girls and boys before she is of the debut
age, and in this way she gradually slips
out into society. Consequently she
is gone through by American debutantes.
A Swedish girl spreads her social activi-
ties over a period of years. After she
has completed her schooling in Sweden,
If she can afford to do SO, a girl of my
country usually goes abroad for awhile.
Generally, she goes to Paris first, where
for about six or eight months she
studies French. After she has learned
that language she goes to London,
where for about two or three months
she studies English"
Expressing surprise at the statement
that only two or three months were
given to the study of English, Miss
BoStrom explained to her interviewer
that English is extremely easy to learn
for the Swedish people.
After girl has mastered two or
threee languages and studied abroad
for while she then returns to Sweden,
invariably with the idea of finding some
some sort of work." the Ministers
daughter continued. Lots of Swedish
girls, including several of my friends,
have taken business courses and gone
in for secretarial work. There are a
great many girls of prominent families
working in the foreign Office in Stock
holm"
The Minister'S daughter explained
that while frequently society girls were
presented at court. the custom was not
general and considered 1.-THE thing to
w anu d HcCSoSIty 1OT SOCIAL success,
as 1t is generally accepted in England.
Miss Bostrom is an expert typist, has
shorthand and bookkeeping
and speaks several languages. In adj
dition to her business qualifications she
Is a lover Of sports and Is an accom-
pliShed horSewoman.
''All the girls in Sweden love sports"
she remarked. las we have so much
snow for such a long period of time,
Winter sports are extremely popular
with everybody. Perhaps the faVorite
sport is the one known as 'tolka,' when,
while standing on skis, one drives a
fast horse up and down the hilly roads
Of the country.
Methods Of teaching equestrianism
differ greatly in Sweden from the meth
DDS used in this country"
When I was IL years DID," said Miss
Bostrom, Il was taken to the riding
school, where I was placed on a horse,
without reins or stirrups to the saddle.
The horse was then started on a run
around the riding hall and it was a
question of stay on OF fall of. One is
bound to fall of at least 20 times be-
fore she learns to ride properly by this
and had the usual number of
falls"
Riding Is Popular.
Riding is so popular throughout
Sweden that every Spring there is a
sort of gathering of the horse clans"
Miss Bostrom explained, when lead
ing horsemen and horsewomen meet in
and other large cities to
compete for the silver and bronze
medals offered to those able to pass the
strenuous tests to which they are put
First" she related, "the one com
oeting for the medal must ride alone
Tor about 20 minutes, while the judges
pass on the Workmanship of the COM
Oetitor. Every detail is remarked and
from the way in which the
-eins are held to the manner of sitting
n the saddle. After that there is a
of jumping. followed by
/ strenuous cross country ride, in which
here are difficult jumps to be taken in
both woods and on concrete roads.
The f1nal test Is an examination in
he proper care and treatment of
horses"
After learning that this lovely young
laughter of Sweden had won the bronze
medal in one of the recent competitions
held in Stockholm one can understand
her frequent and enthusiastic appear
ances upon the bride paths Of wash
Ington.
Miss Bostrom possesses an extensive
Of the customs and costumes
Of the peasants Of her country.
Each landscape, or province, as you
would call it, has its own costume" she
explained, land it Is very picturesque
10 see the country people gather around
The May pole in their ancient costumes
On MidSummer's night"
Sweden is close rival of Switzerland
for tourist lovers of Winter sports,
which continue in Miss Bostrom's coun-
try until well after Easter.
we have fun at Easter" she said,
when about 10 or IL girls usually get
up a party to go to the wonderful
mountain country in the Dalecarlia
landscape for the skiing, which is the
finest in Sweden. The remarkable part
Of it," she continued, lis that although
the mountains are covered with snow,
1t is very warm and the sun is brilliant,
and I have frequently returned from a
skiing trip when all of the girls were
burned brown by the sun"
Miss Bostrom expects to remain in
the United States for some time.
Il love it here" she said, land hope
to continue working in the United
States for some time before returning
to my own country where I also expect
to continue secretarial work of some
sort"