occasion; and, on the step of the cart, that
most important person, the fiddler, working his bow with astounding
energy. If the pony can bear the weight, perhaps a couple of the
bride's relations will sit up behind, otherwise they will walk in the
procession which follows; and there may be seen all the available
peasants of the district--young men and maidens, grandfathers and
grandchildren.

So they wend their way to the church; and after the service, if the
good old customs be kept up, the party proceeds to a green close by
and enjoys a boisterous dance until it is time to go on to the wedding
supper. Feasting and merry-making then continue for several hours--in
fact, the sleepiness of the guests is the only thing that breaks up
the entertainment for the night. Next day the festivities are resumed,
and are possibly carried on into a third day. The fiddler is always
busy, for without him there can be no real fun, the people's love of
music being no less than their love of dancing.

The violin is the one instrument which they know and understand, and
it has been in use among the Norwegians for hundreds of years. Their
most famous violin-player, Ole Bull, who died some few years ago,
was looked on as a great composer and musician. But all over the
country there are to be found men who can play after a fashion; and
a century or so ago, when the people were still very superstitious,
they fully believed that anyone who could play at all well had had
intercourse with the fairies, who were supposed to be marvellous
musicians and acquainted with an immense variety of beautiful tunes.

The food provided at a peasant's wedding feast is, of course, something
out of the common, and the guests are supposed to bring a present of
something good to eat, such as fresh meat, butter, old cream, cream
porridge, or cheese, for the ordinary fare of the country folk is,
as we have said, of the plainest.

With regard to the national costume, mentioned above, it is,
unfortunately, a fact that it is gradually disappearing. There are
parts, however, where there are no railways, no steamboats, and few
tourists, and in such places the people still live much as they did
a hundred years ago, even the men wearing clothes similar to those
worn by their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, and some of these
are quaint in the extreme.

Perhaps the quaintest dresses are those of the people of Saetersdal, a
district in the South of Norway, between C