magination to invest it with the proper glamour of
romance.

Trondhjem itself is an odd place for festivities. The people say that
it is fear of fire which makes them separate their insignificant
wooden houses by such disproportionately broad streets. Certainly it
gives to the town a low look anything but imposing.

Whatever may be the esthetic shortcomings of King Haakon's coronation
city, it was amply atoned for by the enthusiasm and whole-hearted
devotion of his new people. The king and queen are in very truth "the
father and mother of the land." Even toward the rulers they shared
with Sweden their cherished warm affection until their grievances
waxed too sore. When Sophie of Nassau was on her way to Trondhjem to
be crowned, in 1873, she drove herself in a carriole from the
Romsdal, stopping perforce at humble posting-stations by the way. And
everywhere the peasants came with flowers, greeting their queen by
the affectionate and familiar "Du." More than once when the press was
thick about her, and those on the outskirts could not see, the queen
was urged to mount upon the housetop that the eyes of all might
be gladdened by the sight of the dear land-mother. There was a
significant demonstration of this sort of heart-loyalty when Haakon
VII and Queen Maud entered Christiania. The crowds which waited in
the steadily falling snow, and shouted themselves hoarse, might be
accounted for by curiosity and mob enthusiasm.

Triumphal arches, flags, and even the rain of flowers which descended
on the royal pair, might be classed as perfunctory, an essential part
of the occasion. But at night the spirit of the people showed beyond
mistake. Not only were the streets arched and bordered with festoons
of colored incandescent lights, not only were the battleships in the
harbor strung with fiery beads to the topmost spar, but every window
in every house in the city bore its light. Fine houses had candelabra
behind the glass, and the poorest mere tapers, but everywhere the same
fire of welcome burned.

Haakon VII has the privilege of ruling over the most united people on
the face of the earth. Before the plebiscite, Sweden declared that the
desire for separation was confined to a party who were poisoning the
minds of the common people. When the plebiscite had shown that only
164 men out of 368,000 could be found to uphold the union, Sweden
protested that the peasants had been intimidated and dared not vote as
they thought!

Now