“No,” shortly.
“PROTESTANT, Mr. Penney.”
§ 340 A Touch of the Swedish
Personally I do not know a great many persons of Swedish birth. But those Swedes I have met struck me nearly always as being keen-witted. Nevertheless, it is customary among after-dinner speakers, at least, when telling a yarn purporting to deal with slow thinking, to make the central character of it a Swede, and preferably a Swede farmer.
For instance, there is the classic of the Wisconsin politician who, in the presidential campaign of 1912, toured the back districts of his native state to electioneer for his party. In a remote neighborhood he came upon a tall Scandinavian sitting on a log in a clearing. The stranger hauled up his team and greeted the resident, who replied with a nod.
The politician explained that he was sounding out the sentiment in the district.
“What do you think about Wilson?” he asked.
“Aye don’t know,” drawled the other.
“Well, how about Roosevelt?”
“Aye don’t know.”