The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-01-15

She saw a great deal of Klaas, and
the more she saw of him the more she
| liked him. Had Klaas looked up
now and again from his work OF bar
rel ma king, he would have seen that
the small mirror spy glasses. which
are fixed at every window of every
we'll TODD house in Holland for the
purpose of watching the neighbors
more than closely - that katrine's
mirrors were always so arranged that
she could see what he was about in
the yard, while it was quite impossi-
BILE that he could see her. Sometimes
she would come to attend her Othello
hyacinths, whose pots stood on the
window-sill, but he never went be-
yond touching his cap. and bend
ing lower over his work. For
in Holland they are a SUBJ
dued, grave, sad people; probably be-
cause for ages they have always been
fighting for dear life with the sea,
which is always threatening to drown
the land, and therefore they are slow
to express their thoughts. On the
other hand, they are the most faithful
creatures In Europe, and, therefore.
we presume to suppose, IN the whole
world.
Before the Winter froze the Am
steI, and the X, before the first
skates were ground for the season, he
had bought the bands, pair of which
arc always given by the simple, home
ly Dutch lover, when he and lass are
betrothed. These bands have an in
innate relation with the long and
slender stockings the women appear
to be always knitting; indeed, a cargo
of stockings would not sell In Hol-
iand-the women must have knitted
enough for a century. These bands,
in fact, if we dare say the truth, are
garters. And the lover presents these
embroidered and noticed bands with
all the good faith and simplicity pos
sible.
Now, Klaas, though he had never
dared to determine that she should be
his, lived in that peculiar, contradic-
tory mental state to which not one of
US is a stranger, and therefore he
bought her the bands, the motto upon
each Of which was as follows:
: Being in love does no harm, 1T
that love finds love; but if love is
not, then all labor is vain. Praise
Godl"
These bands were laid up very care
fully in a copy of the Amsterdam
y ea1e Presse.
The remainder of the Autumn
passed, and, the cold weather making
up its mind at last, the ice thickened,
and skates were ground for the Win
ter traffic.
Il was upon the first Christmas
Eve he passed at Mynheer Gratlaud's
that he did venture to make some
thing like an advance.
The lad who straps a Dutch girls
skate, especially upon the first day of
its wearing, is generally allowed to
even cheek; and it need not be said
that this is ceremony for two, In
reference to which the maiden has
quite made up her mind before the ice
arrives. The lassie can refuse help
from as many as she likes, but she
must at last show a preference. Ka-
trine had quite made up her
mind that Klaas should buckle
her skates the first time she put them
on that Winter; while he wondered,
over his barrels, whether she would
allow him to fix the straps.
The ice came; but day after day
Katrine remained indoors. One
morning youth called at the house,
and passed Klaas in the workyard
without bestowinga look on him; but
Katrine remained at home.
CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.