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Down with a Rush

(233) years. They are unquestionably endowed | compels, not very hospitable, greedy of with an excellent opinion of themselves, gain, and uncleanly in their persons comand their "island grand." But, as usual, pared with the other Scandinavians. those who have ventured to pronounce a In contrast with this dark-colored picjudgment on their mental and social traits ture, more kindly and perhaps not less differ widely, appreciations of national truthful visitors enlarge upon their calm character depending, as Sir Richard Bur- and dignified, their orderly and law-abidton puts it, greatly upon "the casual cir- ing character, and their undoubted intelli cumstances which encounter and environ gence, sharp-wittedness, and that dry huthe traveller." One set of visitors agree mor, which obtains for them in Denmark in describing them as gloomy, silent, un- much the same reputation as originators genial, morose, stubborn, eternally suspi- of good sayings and humorous anecdotes cious, snappish, utterly deficient in enter- as the Irish hold-or held-in Englishprise, doing nothing but what necessity speaking countries.