he
surface of the water. These fishermen have a prejudice against skate,
and use it only for bait.

St. Clement is the patron saint of Danish fishermen, and many of the
churches in the coast towns are dedicated to him.

As the Cathedral of Aarhus is dedicated to St. Clement, the Skaw
fishermen have given an exquisite model of a ship to the church. This
ship is a perfect representation in miniature of a man-of-war. It was
made in Holland for Peter the Great, but the ship which carried it was
wrecked near Grenen, and the model was saved by the Skaw fishermen.

CHAPTER XIV

YOUTHFUL DANES AT WORK AND PLAY

Denmark is renowned for its educational system and for its schools.
These schools are all under Government control, and meet the wants of
every class. The authorities are upheld by the parents, both being
determined there shall be no such thing as an ignoramus in Denmark, so
whether the children are educated at home or sent to school, they must
begin lessons at the age of seven. If they have a governess at home the
parents must give a guarantee to the authorities that the governess is
efficient and capable of giving the standard education to the children.
Should parents elect to take their children abroad during the school
term, they must notify their intention, undertaking that a teacher shall
accompany them and lessons continue while away. Shirking lessons is
quite an impossibility for little Danes, as everybody thinks that
education comes before all else, so parents do not encourage idleness or
extra holidays during the school year.

School attendance is compulsory for all children between the ages of
seven and fourteen. The hours are not long nor wearisome, as the lessons
are arranged with a view to holding the attention of young minds during
the period of instruction. The classes are small, even in the free
schools, never more than thirty-five pupils to a teacher, and generally
less. The lesson lasts forty minutes, and then there is an interval for
play. The thorough education of the pupils for their future work in life
is considered, so lessons in writing, reading, and arithmetic, in the
Kommune schools, are varied by tailoring lessons for boys, and cookery
for girls, after they are ten years of age. At every school gymnastics
play an important part--pleasant lessons these are for all--but perhaps
the lesson the boys most delight in is their instruction in Sloeyd. Each
lad has his carpenter's bench w