The Argosy — page 319: what you’re looking at

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

300 About Norway. entered the beautiful Moldefjord with its luxuriant slopes, and steamed up to the town. Molde, as seen that evening, bathed in all the glorious hues of sunset, could never be forgotten. The opposite hills, including the giant Romsdalshorn, were flushed, and in the rosy light looked far more like dream mountains than realities. The town itself, so beautifully situated, with its fertile and towering slopes in the background, almost wooed one by its aspect to bid the steamer farewell and become more intimately acquainted with its charms. The situation was lonely, as is the situation of almost all the towns on the Northward journey; but it is a loneliness probably that strikes only the traveller, not the inhabitahts. Home is home, no matter where, no matter what ; be it in the centre of a busy capital, or situated in some Icnesome valley, or perched upon an isolated rock. On the journey upwards we had landed some people at a small far-away spot, of which one might have thought them the sole inhabitants, so utterly gloomy and deserted was this little island in the midst of the sea. Yet when they came in sight of it rapture had seized them, and here evidently they found their happiness. In Molde one could easily imagine happiness: it would be more difficult to picture the contrary. But the traveller has somewhat to rough it in the way of accommodation. Here we lost more of our passengers, including the two American sisters, who were courageously travelling about alone, in search, like everyone else, of new scenes and impressions: laying up a store of memories for a time, be it near or far off, which is sure to come to all, if they live long enough : a day when travelling has lost its charm, and the exertion is not worth the reward. Many a man, like Sydney Smith, has lamented that his opportunities for travelling only came to him when he was too old to enjoy them. Therefore, O young man, take thine oppor- tunity when it comes unto thee: for opportunities seldom come twice to any man, and that which is neglected passes “a into the womb of time, never to return. Our opportunity for visiting Molde had not come, and we steamed onwards again. As we passed the hotel, the American ladies waved . a farewell from their windows, and then all faded from sight. At one o’clock a.m, we reached Aalesund. The gloom, but not the darkness, of night was spread over the little town, for as yet we had not returned to the regions of positive obscurity. The town was steeped in solemn quietude. In situation it is one of the most picturesque of the towns on this coast. The houses appeared well built, and were grouped, many of them, on the slopes of the hills, made picturesque and almost romantic—for Norway—by trees which grew about them, and relieved the barrenness that is but too apparent in many of these places. The inner harbour ran up between the houses and was separated from the outer by great locks. Through these came boats with cargo for the steamer, and a boat- load of passengers bound for Bergen. Far away beyond the town we sGomicbooks,cGom