The Empire County argus., 1856-06-14
miscellaneous.
Holland as it Was and Is.

The cleanliness of Holland has not been exacgera
tedndeed it cannot be-. 1t everywhere forces itsel
upon the attention. and is strangely characteristic
all the people, low as well high. The window glass
of mud cabin shines brightly as that of the pal
ace of rich burgher, and the whole land affords
striking proof that poverty is excuse for filth.
would like to have the phenomenon explained, why
cleanliness should be national Characteristic in Hol
land-why this little corner out of Northern Europe
should be different from all the rest Was it part
OF their religion in the remote ages of their Pagan
ism? Did some old Dutch king, with thrifty wife,
once make it condition of loyalty? or did some
society of neat old danes understand reformatory
movement on this very head?
But whatever be the origin of this prominent trait
in the Dutch character it certainly forces itself con-
stanty upon your attention, and description of Hol-
land would be as much out of place without con-
slant recurrence to its cleanliness as would be of
Germany without auson to its beer, or of England
without some of its commercial travellers and strong
minded women
Before l go further, may as well correct some
erroneous impressions about the Dutch, which may
have been gathered from reading what purports be
An Authentic History of New York." published
by certain Dedrich Knickerbocker of Ichagticoke.
They are not amphibious; they do not go to bed at
four o'clock in the afternoon, and they indulge in
constant respites Of smoking. There are, however
so many ludicrous things about Holland, that are
constantly rveting your attention. that they will nat
urally predomnate IN any hasty description OF the
land, and must not be regarded as inconsistent with
that profound admiration which every observer must
entertain for the sterling virtues of the Dutch char
acter
The whole country is monument to the genius
and industry of the population and it is source of
continual astonishment to see how, by judicious
system of drainage by the construction of dykes and
canals, an immense country is rescued from barren
ness and has been made not only to support i'm
mense population but to contribute SO largely to its
wealth and comfort. Holland lies, on an average
twentyfour feet below the level of the sea, so that
every acre of its soil is tribute wresed from the
ocean to the genius of the nation which has known
how to do it, think there is no land where the in
uence of climate and country upon the character of
people is more manifest than in Holland. They
have been educated to perseverance in toll to the
idea OF slow progress toward great results, by the
necessity of dykng and ditching in order to bring
their land to the very condition where other nations
begin to use it.
Undoubtedly we find too, in the dreary aspect of
external nature in Holland, reason for the charm
ing intimacy of their domestic and social life They
are driven, by repusive nature into the house to
lind their pleasure, and the very necessity of living in
DOORS has clothed their resides with the attractions
they undoubtedly possess Nowhere do the words
father and mother, husband and wife, brother and
sister, mean more than in Holland and where do the
special and domestic virtues take deeper root Nav
not this necessity of living in doors too open up
way for the explanation Of the mystery of the clean
illness as indispensable to domestic comfort and so we
may get at the neatness of the Dutch in a natural
and philosophical way