They were many. As the chief guests of the evening, we were forced to precede the eighty others; and as the signal was given found ourselves impelled forward, the ladies flocking behind, while the gentlemen re- mained seated in the drawing-room. What to do was the problem. Three sub- stantially covered tables faced us, but no chairs were before them, and we stood help- less till the guardian angel stepped forward, saying in a whisper, " You must do as I do ; we all help ourselves." Down the table at intervals were piles of plates, knives, forks, spoons, and napkins. We took one of each, and fled back to the drawing-room, where the servants had, in the mean time, arranged numbers of tiny tables. Here we seated ourselves, to find that the gentlemen had suddenly disappeared, and were comfortably seated in the dining-room, having the first choice of the various dishes, which were afterward brought out to us. A delicious soup with forcemeat balls came first, and then a bewildering variety of made- NORWAY, SWEDEN, AND THE NORTH. ID I dishes, but no vegetable but potatoes. The chief waiter took us in charge, and often took our forks from our hands in order to transfer some especially dainty bit from the dish he carried to our plates. Course after course of these made-dishes followed, and at last came an almost equal variety of puddings and cakes. There was no pastry; but these puddings and cakes were marvels of richness, yet delicate also. Norwegian cream is like the Alderney, thick and smooth ; is used profusely, and eggs also, with a lavishness appalling to the English or American housekeeper, many puddings made requiring twenty or thirty. Various wines were served, and shortly after the dinner began toasts were proposed, the host first drinking Velkomtnen to all; and then, our names being given, with Velkomtnen tilNorge ("Welcome to Norway"). Then followed an interminable list, and at the end every- body advanced to the host and hostess, shook hands, and said, Tak for maden (" Thanks for the repast"), receiving the answer, Vel bekomtnen (" May it agree with you *' ). Then everybody bowed to everybody, till I02 IN FOREIGN KITCHENS. we felt like Chinese mandarins. When cof- fee came it was the same, and we separated at last with the form which must never be for- gotten, Takfor idag (** Thanks for to-day " ). So ended the dinner; but the same form was repeated on meeting any of the guests at any time thereafter : Tak for sidst (" Thanks for last time ") ; and this is as customary and inevitable among tht peasants as among the cultivated. Games had followed the dinner, — button, the slipper, etc., — in which bish- ops and other dignitaries joined, with the abandon of children ; and at nearly midnight came a supper of sweets, ices, and fruits, more coffee, and the accompanying thanks, and then good-night. Later in the season we were invited to a Christmas party, and after the tree had been rifled, followed the national Christmas supper known as bret, Bret IS the Norwegian word for tray, and three trays enter, borne by men-servants. The first holds an endless variety of cakes, big and little. The second has many glass dishes filled with preserved raspberries, cur- rants, cherries, etc. They pause before you, NORWAY, SWEDEN, AND THE NORTH. IO3 and now comes a ceremony agonizing to the self-conscious Briton, and hardly less so to the American.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

They were many. As the chief guests of the evening, we were forced to precede the eighty others; and as the signal was given found ourselves impelled forward, the ladies flocking behind, while the gentlemen remained seated in the drawing-room. What to do was the problem. Three substantially covered tables faced us, but no chairs were before them, and we stood helpless till the guardian angel stepped forward, saying in a whisper, " You must do as I do ; we all help ourselves." Down the table at intervals were piles of plates, knives, forks, spoons, and napkins. We took one of each, and fled back to the drawing-room, where the servants had, in the mean time, arranged numbers of tiny tables. Here we seated ourselves, to find that the gentlemen had suddenly disappeared, and were comfortably seated in the dining-room, having the first choice of the various dishes, which were afterward brought out to us. A delicious soup with forcemeat balls came first, and then a bewildering variety of made- NORWAY, SWEDEN, AND THE NORTH. ID I dishes, but no vegetable but potatoes. The chief waiter took us in charge, and often took our forks from our hands in order to transfer some especially dainty bit from the dish he carried to our plates. Course after course of these made-dishes followed, and at last came an almost equal variety of puddings and cakes. There was no pastry; but these puddings and cakes were marvels of richness, yet delicate also. Norwegian cream is like the Alderney, thick and smooth ; is used profusely, and eggs also, with a lavishness appalling to the English or American housekeeper, many puddings made requiring twenty or thirty. Various wines were served, and shortly after the dinner began toasts were proposed, the host first drinking Velkomtnen to all; and then, our names being given, with Velkomtnen tilNorge ("Welcome to Norway"). Then followed an interminable list, and at the end everybody advanced to the host and hostess, shook hands, and said, Tak for maden (" Thanks for the repast"), receiving the answer, Vel bekomtnen (" May it agree with you *' ). Then everybody bowed to everybody, till we felt like Chinese mandarins. When coffee came it was the same, and we separated at last with the form which must never be forgotten, Takfor idag (** Thanks for to-day " ). So ended the dinner; but the same form was repeated on meeting any of the guests at any time thereafter : Tak for sidst (" Thanks for last time ") ; and this is as customary and inevitable among tht peasants as among the cultivated. Games had followed the dinner, — button, the slipper, etc., — in which bishops and other dignitaries joined, with the abandon of children ; and at nearly midnight came a supper of sweets, ices, and fruits, more coffee, and the accompanying thanks, and then good-night. Later in the season we were invited to a Christmas party, and after the tree had been rifled, followed the national Christmas supper known as bret, Bret IS the Norwegian word for tray, and three trays enter, borne by men-servants. The first holds an endless variety of cakes, big and little. The second has many glass dishes filled with preserved raspberries, currants, cherries, etc. They pause before you, NORWAY, SWEDEN, AND THE NORTH. IO3 and now comes a ceremony agonizing to the self-conscious Briton, and hardly less so to the American.

In foreign kitchens