The Argosy — page 234: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

About Norway. 217 and once more we were met by disappointment. After the heavy rains the Lapps thought no one would visit them, did not collect the reindeer, and were not prepared for us. In the centre of the valley we came upon two of their huts or tents, and with these and the people, and a view of the interiors, we had to be content. Two or three families—generations, it might be, of the same parent stem— dwelt in the first tent; men, women and children. At one end over a great fire a pot was boiling, hanging from a tripod: a similar arrangement to those we have seen in gipsy camps in England. Lying on the floor, wrapped up like mummies and almost smothered in bed-clothes, yet sleeping comfortably, were two or three babies, whilst as many dogs filled up spare corners. The Lapps are very fond of their dogs, and treat them with as much consideration as the Irish do another and less interesting animal. The place was dirty and untidy, but perhaps the dirt was not so much the fault of the in- mates as of the peat smoke. The Lapps were glad to see us, from interested motives. They were small, dried-up little people like Dutch dolls, with twinkling, intelligent eyes, and, in spite of their ugliness, something in their faces that drew out our sympathies. One thought immediately of the young missionary, and with these specimens before us, evidently capable of being awakened to better things, no longer wondered at his devotion and self-sacrifice: a life, it might almost be called, of self- immolation. With a wife to halve his troubles and double his joys: to help him onwards with the support it is woman’s province to minister to man—the support of quiet endurance and patience under difficulties, that in time surmount all obstacles—it was possible that their life might be contented and even happy. | But in our case the Lapps thought only of selling their little wares to the highest bidder. They brought forth their hidden treasures : grey slippers made of reindeer skin, turned up and pointed at the toes, and smartly bound with red: spoons carved out of the reindeer horn and rudely engraved with the figure of the animal: cleverly done for people whose knowledge of carving could only be intuitive. These, and reindeer skins, they pressed upon us at large prices, and were evidently prepared to bargain for hours. They are greedy of gain, _ these Lapps, in their small way, and only want the opportunities of their more civilized brethren in the capitals of Europe to be as extor- tionate. This failing, however, exists only amongst the Lapps who live near Tromso, and are exposed to the temptations of frequent in- roads from travellers on their way northwards. One little girl came up and stared at us; and, to see what the mother would say, I offered to purchase the child in place of slippers. At first the woman did not understand: or rather she thought she had misunderstood: a puzzled look came into her small but intelligent blue eyes; then a half-terrified expression as she feared the child might be taken from her in spite of herself. At last, CONNIIClOO© (CO)