Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-01-05
tFrom Gleason's 5 Pictorial.l
THE BuRGoMAsTER,s POCKET.

nave haQ tDeir curiosity excited. The
men, women, horses, wooden shoes and
canals, are unlike those of other coun-
tries. The men look well fed, with
broad brimmed hats, full cheeks, scani
breeches-every button hole being on
the stretch-and great calves to their
short legs; one can't resist gazing al
them on first being introduced into the
country. But, if they are objects oi
surprise, the woman are more so.-
They wear high caps, immense red
petticoats, and enormous sabots, which
by Interpretation means wooden shoes,
resembling miniature long boats. Oh
course, there is a never ending clatter
wherever they go. Their feet, like
their tongues are perpetually on the
move.
As in London and Paris, there are
dandies as well as dandizetts, besides a
goodly number of both sexes, who have
broken loose from the costume of olden
time, by wearing christian clothing
that is, they put on pantaloons having
cloth enough in them not to peril the
buttons. Ladies, too-and there are
crowds of them-dress in the pink Of
the fashion. But the sturdy old blood
of the dikes and ditches-the people
who loan money to distant countries by
millions, with hope that it may remain
at interest forever-look down with an
expression of inefable contempt upon
the modern popinjays in starched col
lars. They hate the sight of will-o'
wisp ladies in gossamer. A woman is
priced by them on account of her sub
stantial qualities-such as weight, di-
ameter and ready money.
Of course, every land has its pecu-
liarities, its anomalies and characters
tics. Holland, however, overtops all
the rest of Europe in the amount of its
oddities. Why, it would take half an
hour to describe the bells in a single
church in Amsterdam. There is a
perpetual ding dong night and day
Hours, quarters, and halves are struck
one after the other, as regularly as the
planets move in their orbits. And then.
to wind up the noise with sort of
climacteric, every FIVE minutes more
than a hundred great awkward, iron
hammers, swinging to and fro, as
though they were the arms of a giant,
actually pound out dutch air, as up-
musical as the braying of forty donkeys.
1t would be an evenings work to re-
count all the funny things in Amster-
dam, Rotterdam, and all the other dams
in Belgium and Holland; so 1 shall
proceed at once with the story of the
Burgomaster's Pocket.
Just behind the cathedral of Amster-
dam-that museum of wooden saints
resides fat official, Hans Van Wezzel,
in the last century universally respected
for his wealth. But he really had
other claims upon the good opinions of
his neighbors, for he smoked the best
tobacco of any man in the city, the
odor of which was admired by every
one who. passed that way. -
Now Van Wezzel had a pretty
daughter. The young broad brims far
and near had made the discovery that
she would by and by grow into woman
hood, about the time that vast estate
in Paramarbo would become her own
unembarrassed property. Suitors there
fore paid their respects to the father,
for the sole purpose of getting peep at
the irresistible Winnefreda. Many a
tedious evening was given up to the pipe,
in the old fellows society, occasionally
saying, 'Yaw Mynheer,' asserting to all
the propositions, however absurd, and
lau9 spg, like Flanders mare, with all
theiF gXht at his stupid jokes.
Hans-Fan Wezzel knew what he was
about, as well as the honey seekers who
were fitting about his premises. De-
termined to keep all the money in the
family, which had been accumulating
for two hundred years, it was his settled
determination to make all that might be
gathered even after, rell into the same
pile. With that plan in view, he had
selected nephew, Sebritz Van Steigler,
sisters only child. to be the future
husband of the captivating Winnefreda.
With google eyes, as destitute of ex-
preston as a mummy, and with no
more energy than All oyster, his fair
cousin turned up her little nose at him,
with resolution to become the jung
frau of somebody she liked very much
better. She had her ear whispered into
by Carl Steinburg several times, while
passing each other at the picture gale
ry. Sometimes side by side contem-
plating a Reubens; and although neither
of them discovered the excellencies o.
the great master, they found out thai
they had growing partiality for eact
other.
4 This Carl Steinburg was poor lieu
tenant in the army of his majesty
Where he originated, or how he came
into existence is not material. Fol
| several months he had been on duty a
the palace. While stationed at tht
Hague, the fine figure of the sprightly
young officer, was remarkable fol
lpromptitude and gentlemanly bearing
had quite won upon the attentions o
the king. When, with the regiment
he was transferred for garrison seryic'
to Amsterdam, royalty was heard t.
Eexpress regret that the gallant lieuten
/ ant had been obliged to leave.