The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-09-04
Broek.

A halfhours sail brought US in sight Of
the church spire, rising from among the
trees; and soon appeared the chimney-tops,
and finally the houses themselves, of the lit
tie town Of Broek,-all prettily reflected in
a clear side-basin Of the canal.
A town it hardly is; but a group Of
houses among rich trees, where eight hun
dred neighbOrs live, and make things 80
neat, that strangers come thousand miles |
for look at the wondrous nicely. Pass
ing by the basin Of smooth water that re-
flected SO prettily the church and the trees,
we stopped before little inn, finely shaded
with a beech trained into an arbor all over
the front. A very, very pretty blue-eyed
Dutch girl Of sixteen, received me. We
could talk nothing together; But there hap
pened stupid old Meinheer smoking with
his wife at the door, through whom | ex.
planned my wants.
| saw BY the twinkle in her eye that she
compTehended. II | had spoken an hour
it could not have been better--my dinner.
There were outlets white as the driven
snow, and wine with cobwebs Of at least
a years date on the bottle, and the incest Of
Dutch cheese, and strawberries, and profu-
sion Of delicious cream.
The blue-eyed girl had stolen out to put
on another dress, while was busy with
the first outlet; and she wore one Of the
prettiest little handkerchiels imaginable on
her shoulders, and she glided about the
table so noiselessly, so charmingly, and ar
ranged the dishes so neatly, and put so
heaping a plateful Of strawberries before
he, that-confound me | should have
kept by the dinner-table until night, if the
old lady had not put her head in the door, to
say-there was a person without, who would
guide me through the village.
And who is to be my guide said !,
as well as could say it.
The old lady pointed opposite. thought
she misunderstood me, and asked her again
She pointed the same way-it was stout
woman with baby in her arms
Was there ever such Cicerone before
looked incredulously at my hostess; she
looked me honestly enough back, and set
her arms akimbO. | tried to understand
her to point to her blue-eyed daughter, who
was giggling behind her shoulder-but she
was memorable.
grew frightened the woman was well
enough, though Jogging upon forty. But
the baby-what OH earth should it be doing;
suppose she were to put it in my arms in
some retired part of the village! Only
fancy Ine six leagues from Amsterdam. with
only ten guilders in pocket, and fat Dutch
baby squalling in my hands But the wo-
man-with ripe, red, laughing check, had
charitable eve, and We set off together.
Not bit, though, could We talk, and it
was-niehts, NIGHTS, however | put the
questions. Nature designed eyes to talk
half language, and the good soul pleaded
to me with hers for the beauty of her vii
lage words Of the old Cicerone could not
plead stronger And as for the village, it
needed none, 1t was like dreaming; it
was like fairy land.
Away, over little bridge We turned of
the tow-path Of the canal, and directly were
in the quiet ways of town. They were all
paved with pebbles or bricks, arranged in
every quaint variety Of pattern; and all so
clean, that ! could find no place to knock
the ashes from my pipe. The grass that
grew up every where to the edge of the
walks was short-not the prim shortness of
French shearing but it had look Of dwarf
lsh neatnesS, as if custom had habitua,ed it
to short growth, and habit become nature.
All this is the public highway-not five
Yards wide. but under 50 strict municipal
surveillance. that no horse or unclean thing
was allowed 10 trample on its neatness
Once a little donkey, harnessed to a NINA
ture carriage, passed us, in which was a
Dutch Miss, to whom my lady patroness
with the baby bowed low. 1t was evident
ly, however, a privileged lady, and the
donkey's feet had been waxed
Little yards were before the houses, and
these stocked with all sorts Of flowers, ar
ranged in all sorts Of forms, and so clean
walks, beds, and fowers--that am sure
passing sparrow could not have trimmed
his feathers in the plat, without bringing out
a toddling Dutch wife with her oom
The fences were absolutely polished with
paint; and the hedges were clipped-not
with shears, but scissors. Now and then
faces would peep out Of the windows, but
in general the curtains were close drawn
We saw no men, but one or two old gar
deners and halfa-dozen painters. Girls
We met, who would pass word to my en-.
tertainer, and a glance to me, and low
courtesy, and would chuckle the baby I'M
der the chin, and glance again. But they
were not better dressed, nor prettier, than
the rest Of the world, besides having great
deal shorter waists and larger ANGLES. They
looked happy, and healthy, and homelike.
Little boys were rolling along home from
school-rolling, | mean, as a seaman rolls
with their short legs, and fat bodies, and
phlematic faces. Two OF them were throw
ing off hook and bait into the canal from
under the trees; and good fishers, dare
say, they made, for never word did they
speak; and | almost fancied that il had
stepped quietly up. and kicked one Of
them into the water, the other would have
quietly pulled in his line-taken of his
bait-put all in his pocket, and toddled off
in true Dutch style, home, to tell his Dutch
mamma.
Round pretty angles that came unlocked
for, and the shady square Of the church
not sound anywhere-we passed along,
the woman, the baby, and |. Half dozen
times, | wanted Cameron with me to enjoy
a mood Scotch lanph af the odlitu of Tho