RliiAL IPIJFT ELSEWHERE 229 



pastor, Bishop Gnintvig, — poet, historian, patriot, edu- 

 cator, statesman and phihinthropist. 



Denmark was greatly weakened at the end of the 

 Napoleonic wars. She was financially bankrupt, and 

 economically prostrated bv her war with Prussia, end- 

 ing with the Treaty of Vienna in 1804. Gruntvig real- 

 ized that if his people were to be helped the impulse 

 must reach the mass of the people, nuist be linked with 

 their dailv life, and that its source must be in religion. 

 Gruntvigs sympathies were democratic to a radical de- 

 gree. A friend of the writer's was once a guest in a 

 home in Edinburgh. A disciple of Gruntvig — a lady 

 who had become known as a social worker in Denmark 

 — came to the same home as a guest. At once on being 

 presented to her hosts she asked permission to meet the 

 maids of the house and form their acquaintance. Such 

 is the democratic spirit of the movement inaugurated 

 by Bishop Grnntvig. Before 18G4 he had begun a 

 " Folk High School." He sought to extend this means 

 of education, under the Queen's patronage, as a means 

 of rural uplift. The schools, however, extended as pri- 

 vate enterprises. There are now over eighty of them in 

 the country. They are boarding-schools, owned pri- 

 vately though receiving grants from the nation. They 

 are permeated by a Christian atmosphere, but without 

 formal religious teaching, riicic is an intense spirit of 

 application in thcin, but examinations are unknown. 

 The object sought is mental and spiritual (piickcning. 

 Instruction is given by uieans of lectures, and is upon 

 historical, literary and scientific subjects. Music, sing- 

 ing, and gymnastics have a large place. The age of ad- 

 mission is eighteen. Vouiig men attend for a five 

 months' term. — Xoveiniier to .\]>ril ; vouiiti: women f<»r 



