hristiansand and Telemarken;
and, when properly turned out, the men are quite as "dressy" as
the women. They wear a pair of trousers buttoned with half a dozen
silver buttons tight round the ankles, and coming right up to the
armpits. Several broad stripes adorn the legs from top to bottom. And
the coat takes the form of a curious little cape, richly embroidered
with silver, and having sleeves, fastened at the wrists with more
silver buttons. Shoes, with buckles, white stockings, and a cut-down
tall hat, gaily decorated with ribbons and embroidery, complete the
costume. The women wear short skirts--only a little below the knees--of
dark blue, with a bright trimming round the bottom; coloured stockings;
a bodice laced with silver, and covered with silver brooches and
other ornaments; a waistbelt, which is sometimes entirely of metal;
a kerchief tied over the head, after the fashion of the bandana of
West Indian negresses; and on occasions a shawl of many colours.

A step farther north, in what is called Lower Telemarken, a similar
kind of dress still exists, though the man's waistcoat-jacket is of
a somewhat different pattern and colour, and the women wear their
skirts a trifle longer. On Sundays and great occasions the latter
also put on cloth stockings and gloves, embroidered tastefully with
trails of flowers.

But such dresses as these are not the national costume of Norway. For
that we have to go still farther north--to the Hardanger. If an English
girl wishes to dress a doll as a typical Norwegian, the clothes would
be those of the Hardanger, and they would be these: a dark blue serge
skirt (to the ankles), trimmed with black velvet and silver braid;
a white chemisette with full sleeves; a red flannel bodice embroidered
with white, black, and silver, and glittering with brass saucer-shaped
ornaments; and a waistbelt adorned with metal buttons. The effect
is neat, bright, and decidedly piquant. The girls plait their fair
hair in two long tails, wearing a handkerchief as a head-dress; but
the married women have a most elaborate coiffure, something of the
sister-of-mercy type, consisting of the so-called _skaut_, or hood,
and the _lin_, or forehead band. It takes a considerable time to
put on, as the snow-white linen has to be most carefully stretched
over a frame, which is first fastened on the top of the head, and
then so arranged that the numerous small plaits hang in a particular
manner. This is the ordinary head