The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1863-11-17

0Seeos uuO WIN y uOOo iOB Suo ueooa tuo
hood either drawn over the bead or falling
back on the shoulders. Nearly all the women
to be seen at these old towers Ostend, Brug.
es and Ghent wear amply white caps-even
s,me Of the young ladies adorn y themselves
in similar manDes. mn a i84
At Ostend l noticed Belgian saw,mil in
operation. A log twenty five feet long was
Seing Transmitted into two inch plank. Sup.
ported near the two ends about seven feet
from the ground, two men, one above and the
other below. were ripping it up! Labor is
cheap here, or such q mill mover could be
supported.
Having travelled hundred miles through
the country in these few d,ys can say that
40 deao level never fouud any where.
Even the prarries Of Michigan are scarcely a.
fat ss this whole region. OF course il is im.
possible that railroads should be built here as
as they are in England-hsuce they ruu on
the surface Of the ground, aud wherever q
common road crosses lb m gates are provided,
which arc opened and shut by attendants,
aud thus travellers re guarded against dun
ger Of collision. sia 2.
The common roackare beautifully lined by
rows Of trees on either sidc-sometimes elm
sometimes beach-often popular. This
gives tho country a picturesque aspect iu spite
Of the dead levil Of which have spoken. 1''l
TIE cultivation seems 10 be of q high order
--plowing we'll done. But il looked quite
un.Americau to see "dead funows" for tho
sake Of draining made by shovels and with
the hand. instead Of being done with the
p'ough ITSELF But this is . people who do
as their fathers did. AMI IL il were done
with plough it would not be 60 smoothly
and evenly done:
They plough with oxen, hsrnessed with
collars as our horses are only not having bri
dles---ths two oxen being tied to gether at
the collar by rope.
The people are remarkably industrious.--
In Brugcs, / abserved that they were busy 10
their shops and elsewhere early 10 the NON.
ING, and late in the evening. As We passed
through the rural districts last evening, they
were IN the fislds-nen and women -as long
as they could see to dig.
Bruges 10 famous old town. stopped
there twenty hours TO study it. Six canals
meet here. In the 18th aud 10th century it
was the Commercial Capital of northern
Europe, and many Of tho peculiaritiss Of the
olden times ale still preserved. ! was fortu.
nate in being there on one Of the fete.days-
a sort Of general market. bazaar, or fair--or
rather all combined. Early in the morning
every thing was astir. Before breakfast l
went out TO look at the house with line in
front Of it where Charles III lived when on
exile from England (wbether this is the Brit
ish lion tha, came with him TO protect him,
/ was not able to learn; but think it must
have come since, for it did not seem to be so
old as bis day) and found "the square" GOV
cred with wonderful showing Of merchandise
piles Of dry goods car, loads Of crockery-
abundsncs OF triukets, and l know not how
many cords Of wooden shoes! and these are
new--oilel aud varni.bel-made to sell, and
wear, hut not 10 wear out.
And on the streets near by, parties were
making an exhibi, Of what they had collected
by labor, care and economy, and were now
ready to dispose OF. S)me OF these small ira
ders spread down on the pavement just out.
side Of the narrow sidewalks (some Of them
quite narrow cnough-being only two and q
half feet wide) an old rug or something Of
the sort, and upon that for counter they bad
deposited their stock and were ready to sell
you yard Of flannel or more--not much
more, however. for their stock was small.
On ono side was woman with few
second hand articles to dispose Of. noticed
among them pairs Of socks that had been
darned until there was no moro room for car
rying on that wof,l process; and now, having
washed thom up pretty clean, che was ready
to sell them 10 some person little poorer
than herself, and thus raise tho means Of pur.
chasing something else she desired more
Neghbor to the socks, were at least one pair Of
yarn mitteus, that bad undergone the sane
process Of needle work. until they were suf.
fciently thick in spots to keep out resi- ecta.
BILE Norwegian wioter. t,...,-
Syme had lace: for you will remember
that this is the great birth place Of lace. All
these towns 90 large business 10 this way.
At the great Bruges Bazaar was lace-coarsc
and fine washed and unwssbed; (mcsily the
latter :apd it looked very mnch in need Of soap
too but soap is not an abundant article 10 this
country, shou Judge, some being furnished
at the hotels: you take your own with you
as you travel, or pay extra when You call for
it.) Aud two or three men bad wonderful
collection Of iron and iron ware: in which
oxide Of iron played very important part
-old nails, bits Of chain, broken chisels, di
lapids,ed griJirons, fractions Of tea kettles
and spiders, hammers, pnnches, spiders, etc.,
etc. III had been sure that any Of this unique
assortment had crossed the food in Noahs ark
should bave bought spike or two for their
historical association.
But here 10 this old tower is one Of the
finest Gothic Be'frys ia the world. didn't
climb iu,o IL. Since ascending st. Pauls in
London, have less enthusiasm for exploits
10 that line. But in this Belfry are forty.
eight bells, making splendid music by their
chimes and more or less oois, not quite 80
musical, every 6ftceo minutes from oarly TO
late. And fino churches, with their rare
paintings. l visited only one-No,re Dame.
A statue Of the Virgin Mary and The infsut
Jesus, supposed to be M chael Aogelo's, is
greatly admired, and seors TO my unpractisod
eye, worthy Of il. But have TO time to
describe the objects which must occupy my
attention and consume tho most Of my hous
1.-The rare and splendid works OF art fouud 10
these old ehurchss--not in Bruges alone but
every where. Pictures by the great masters
-Raphsel, Rubens, vusillo, Van Dyck, and
they are to be studied, and admired, but il
I should undertake to describe them. or give
my impressions II them, thsse le.tcrsa week
would not be sufficient for this alone.