Show NORWAY LAND OF GREEN VALLEYS AND DEEP RAVINES correspondent describes he the villages of the land of the midnight sun as closely resembling those of new england quaint customs that have long endured X i special correspondence norway Is chiefly remarkable in the in minds ands of most A americans me ricans as the land whence ships sail northward to see the sun shine at midnight across the arctic ocean but it is beloved by those who really know the country because it Is an unspoiled region of europe in days when the wild recesses of the alps are become bywords in the tourist tourists s mouth it is a land of green valleys and frowning ravines of picturesque ham lets and quaint customs and it Is a close second to switzerland in the ma jestic beauty of its snow mountains the chief industry of the corwe gians glans Is fishing bergen the principal port of the west coast has one of the most brightly colored harbo s in the world rhe town nestles on a three tongued piece of land and in this triple haven lie boats green and blue and brown from the clumsy fishing smacks with rich red sails and the dragon prow of the old vikings to graceful yachts put in on a cruise and built on the latest glasgow lines the norwegian ponies are a famous breed for strength aej an endurance they are saad to trace their lineage from the tartar steeds who came with the barbarian hordes into Sc andina via centuries ago and who could carry their wild masters all fay eay without food or rest the ponies are small and stocky and very fat because they are fed chiefly on hay they are cream colored with a bl ck stripe in the middle of mane and tall the mane is chopped into a thick brush but the tail and forelocks are uncut and they the wear no blinders ralla ays are few and of recent date and the chief mode of traveling Is by means of posting A few landaus have been introduced for the sake of fas tillous travelers but the real con meyance of the country Is the stolk or small awu wheeled cart it has a seat in front which holds two persons under h the luggage is stowed behind is a perch for the postboy who drives between the trav elers shoulders with tor for reins the pony Is attached to the ends of the shafts by the slightest possible harness and away he goes tugging up hill and dashing down dale at a rate which promises destruction but nevertheless accidents are rare A norwegian village bears a ing ng resemblance to a new england thresholds are raised above the floor as an aid in keeping out the winter cold the room walls are painted and if done dong in the old norwegian the colors are very bright blue and proverbs and wise saws are blazoned in graceful scrolls above the doors and fireplaces the furni ture ja 1 brightly colored also and clothing is kept in large wood wooden len 0 0 chests painted with a background of red or white adorned with brilliant 4 flowers 4 the dragon dragons s head Is carved every where on the gables the furniture I 1 the vegetable dishes the portals ot of the churches it is believed to e sent a demon spirit who yet will defend the house against other spirits more wicked than himself the religion of the country Is luth f Floi Flois teun ved bergen eran but sunday is not observed with puritan strictness tor for the settlements are small and aud far apart so that the hard worked pastor must travel miles from one to another and even in summer su M 4 service Is only held once in three weeks sunday begins on Satu saturday rdv night so that sunday evening Is a time tor for pleasure and wherever a squeaky musical instrument can be found the peasants will dance together in the street the men dance together as well as with the omen momon grasping 0 each other a shoulders and wb whirling irling T round and round like dizzy human tops A wedding Is a festivity tor for the peo ale for miles around it Is ce lebrat ed at the nearest village church and he the guests row in enormously long boats across the fjord wearing gay colored dresses the bride and bride groom room bring to the ceremony the ell sll V of 1031 h aw Ler fossen one esp especially as it Is usually corn com banded by a white church with a pointed steeple the houses are all wooden even in the cities and on this account fire Is a norwegian norwegians s greatest dread for again and again whole towns town have been nearly swept away there are knotted ropes at every bed room window and warnings in four languages are posted in all hotel cor riders the very poor live in log huts the roof Is made of strips of birch bark held down with a sort of clay moss collects and the winds drop seeds upon it so that after one season it is covered with a thick growth of soft grass mingle with wild ladies de light and often a small tree grows up straight from the green leaves inside is usually but one room though occasionally there are two A large table with wooden benches A fantoft kirke serves for dining and the be b e Is I 1 s are r built into and have h a doors d 0 r which coi coz ceal them in the daytime aher there are many children the beds are in n a lo 10 ible tier ho fes of the better sort ar roofed with slit an I 1 b lilt t pon the sti al lit lans comnos 01 to nc E gland land only oily hotels ri rl e aboe t ft st opa ilci in I 1 eight tp tle m I 1 lo 10 q it itwaru ar I 1 rhe ver spoons which were presented to them when they were christened these are then linked together by a silver chain and are hung up in the new home to be an heirloom for corn coin ing generations it Is at church that the national costume Is best seen in the north the women wear short dark bowis s with fringed tied be comin gly over their curly fair ha haf black ones for or the matrons and white for the maidens in the south the old norwegian dresa dress Is 15 otten often worn it consists ot of a short dark petticoat with a stripe of bright colors a fu full 11 white blouse and a red bodice heavily embroidered while on sundays a quantity of silver pins and chains are added the headdress head dress varies according to the occasion and the wearer wearers s social condition the girls wear jaunty red caps the ithe married women a coif colt made mader of many folds of starched white linen plaited over a wooden frame and a bride wears a high metal crown curl bously chased and set with jewels in the winter everybody Is wrapped in furs who can get them the winter Is a powerful factor in norwegian life for not only must the cold be reck reek boned with but also the darkness it casts its shadow upon the sunniest summer day tor for at intervals along alone the side of the posting roads lie wooden tied to a 9 snowplow telling a silent ilent story bt bf the struggle which but a little while ago was ended and N norb bic 1 a fw nofri will mill s imply bring agabin they are a simple kindly people ani an I 1 hospitable in the fine sense na ture lure treats them far moie grudgingly than others of her children and they bae constantly const antly to maestle for her mea bles arg but nevertheless they are ready at a minutes minute s notice to give the I 1 t that the have to the passing err an I 1 accor ar corling ling to their abil ra tl to I 1 I 1 ira fin c i ila fay way |