Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-01-23
Eor HE ntaun,o SpecLator.
CotoesE, December /, 1855.

For The Stau,a,o Spectator.
CoEoGNE, December /, 1883.
Dear EliSa:-The Major wrole from Arnhem
i where we spent three delightful days; and 20"
Iwe are al The famous Old city OF Cologne. Before
leaving Holland we made visit 10 The exiraor
ldiuary town Of Brock. which we had previously
lac en- from the State House in Amsterdam. Bro
i ek which they call Brook, has eight or nine hun
dred inhabitants. and is celebrated for being the
clesnest place on earth. Things look aslt mum
her of retired India merchants and other capital
lists gave tone to the society. No horsenen are
allowed TO 90 through The streets, and there Is
a notice posted at the entrance, iorbldding any
one TO smoke without stnppert to his pipe. lnis
is wonderful for Holland, and was gfevons - the
Major. who had provided himself with several oi
those long smooth pipes. which are mace al L'eit'
The navements are made of neatly inlald stones
and shells, very nicely done,so as TO have a gum
like look, and The pure wafer which runs IN 'ne
r,,,ers is cleaner than what we had ior our Dath
oonosite the Dude Dueten at Amsterdam. Inc
houses are very neatly painted. so as to resemble
tho ,ov. edifces of children, and have freshness
| which reminds you ofa baby house. Instead OF
sbinqIes or slate they are covered with many col
orod tiles of earlhenware, highly glazed, and
olis,euinp ike a tea board. Van Schoonhosen,
our puide, says the front door is opened only at
weddings or funerals. The goede prouw makes
Iber puod man Law off his shoes when he comes ln'
The FIRE places are adorned, half way up the wall,
with beautiful square pictured porcelain. about
seven inches square. The cupboards shew
roval array of china, vases and porringers. The
| Major fumed though he could not smoke, and
complained bitterly that he could not even chew
,obaccu. unless he swallowed all the proceeds, as
the street was as neat as any parlour. Perhaps
this led him 10 pronounce the whole place child
sh concern. with all its pasleboard fronts, snug
norches. blue and red bridges 10 the doors, and
cav weather cocks on the gables. The snug III
Tnntian gardens were closed by the frost. but we
could admire the box edging and gravel walks,
with circles of black and white sand. lhlnk Oi
vanished fence not high enough to keep out
chicken. The Major thinks it must be mighty
! dplI place 10 live in, and asked the guide whi"n
bnuse belonged to the Rip Van Wrinkles; and
sure enough, there wasa Van Wrinkle close by
/ the poul. on which the village stands Two OF
three very clean people went stealthlly about Inc
streets. and lurked about the alleys.
Mr.. Van der Beck's house or villa is shown TO
all visitors. The garden is laid out with sort OF
solemn mockery, everything being IN miniature.
Lest we should trampIe on anything WOODEN
man. highly painted, stood near the gate, win
his firelock. Toy ducks swan in make -oeiieVe
lakes, and sham gentlemen nodded their solemn
block-heads in deceptive summer houses. lhefe
were pagodas, temples, towers, automaton oogs,
and wooden spinster at her wheel, all very
pretty and very provoking. The Dutch girl VINO
1 showed US all this, and took our guider at the
close. had complexion like roseleaves hoatIng
on cream. must not forget 10 say that the Ma
;or declared himself afraid to sit down on the
benches beside the doors, which are made OF COST
ly woods, like our parluur furniture. 1he GUIDE
relates. that when The Russian Emperor AIexan'
der visited Brock, he complied with the custom
of the guod folks by leaving his boots or shoes al
the outside, and entering one OF the houses 10 thf
slippers provided tor that purpose Inc very
Kitchens and wash-rooms are clean enough fo
YOU 10 eat off the floor. Do not laugh-but lhf
Kitchen we saw had copper lever to turn on wa
ter for washing dishes, as bright new pm 'ane
with polished wooden handle. MISS Drum
mond, who accompanied us that tar, says that al
this. in her opinion, is borrowed from China ahs
japan, with which countries The commercial fi'i
landers long had most lucrative conneSloh'-
These tiny gardens and automatons Prevaii every
whore in china where also this recuse eleganc
and lacquered show are affected by the manda
rins MANY of the figures in the play grounds O
Brock are Chinese in costume. ! am glaa IN
Major did not fulfill his threat of Knocking som
of their heads off. This catastrophe was perhap
nreyented. by the guides timely production G
Same excellent Geneva. BY the way, do yo
Lnow that oin is so called from the Dutch wor
Gnr the Juniper used to flavor that liquor, viz: &c
; nerer.?
Nav I know you will laugh, and Godfrey vii
crv travellers stories,' when tell you about tn
cattle and dairies. If you believe me, they TAX
as much care of their kline as the Majors trainer
| dld of Winston and Grey, when they were gettia
ready for the races Know ye, that those llttl
: brown cannon ball cheeses, which we used to Sc
at Samuel's in Petersburg, are made at Brock
, indeed il is their chief production. The stor
ooes. that one Of their admirals once shotted nj
9pns with them. The constable tor these da
< Ties is beyond the precincts Of the town. Ih
numerous COWS are as daintily arranged as .glr
: in a boarding. school, and quite as clean. Som
Of the narrow stalls have prints hung in them, an
each cows tail is fastened to ring in the cellln!
: These stalls occupy three sides Of the enclosur
The flooring was of tiles, and the walls as neatl
e boarded as many country church. A gutt'
e rms from one end TO the other. THESE swe'
milk cheeses <soete meIk kaas) are exported
;. over the world, and are commonly used by gratln
d them: Just as we do The Sapsago, (or more pro-
IS erly Schapzeiger,) } cheeses. You are perhaps
: tired of Brock by This time as the Major was, WI
n,onounced them '.trfling bodies," and Insstt
It on qoinq over to Saardam, where Peter the Gre
II lived. when he pursued his whim of learning
e be shipbulder.
II partinp with our good friend Miss Drummor
r n, Utrecht. we tuok rails for Arnhem, where "
is beuan to ascend the Rhine ina neat little steame
$. called the Rubens. | scarcely knew when "
}. oo out of Holland into Germany; but soon loni
myself at home in The little cabin where ever
It third person spoke the language OF my uerna
IS ancestors. observed however that their ptonn'
If citation is by no means 50 broad and harsh as th'
q of our Valley Germans, who are to large eHtel
% Suabians. Indeed the farther north you go, u
If Aatter and more slender does the German become
e in other words ,nore like English. Towards ia
i stein and the Baltic. they all say tor example
y s,ehen Ito s,and) and not as in Saxony or u
e South. sl,tehcn There the Pennsylvania Duich
as they are called, say ya,c, very broad. "A De
II lin uifl was on board who actually turned ever
is q into Y. saving net only Yut for GM, out f-fo
d g., Gross. Tell all this TO Doctor Helmuth an
2 ,loo cav to him. that our Tunker neighbours al
n likely to have all their glories usurped' ana
h their distinction oblierated, as every one nel'
wbo % can raise a beard, wears it. Some OF IN
d;rty foxy things look like snged hound $ lall'
Tho new bridge at Cologne attracted great al
= tention as we neared the quay. And you ma
e no smrc we looked out keenly for the Dom, or "a
;, thcdraI. The Major cannot be brought to admir-
g the Gntbi, Architecture: He declares he ia
soon no,h,uu vet which can hold candle to IN
y Caniol Can at Richmond. BY the bye, do you thln
he would let me rel out at Dusseldorf, as wlsne
8 10 do9 Nut he: his face is set against the IN
sr,s So shall have to smuggle myself ava
e ,nSt Perer's Church, to see Ruben's great PIC
. ture Of the martyrdom of st. Peter. :,
-. LIZ untnl de Hnlande. TIght ON tn