Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-10-23
X. WuITMORE,
Publisher and Proprietor.
etch sn In Belgium .
IIarper's s weekIy.l

harper Neekly.l
Belgium is situated between France
and Holland, and has been established
as a kingdom since the separation of its
provinces from those of Holland by the
revolution OF 1880. Its territory is small
compared with that Of the great Euro.
pean states, being only about one. eighth
as large as that Of Great Britain, while
its population is only little over five
millions. But notwithstanding its d.
minutive size, Belgium has occu.
pied an important position in the
political, military, commercial and ag-
ricultural history OF Europe, and its
former celebrity in manufactures
and the fine arts, together with its pres.
ent rapid progress in every industrial
pursuit and social improvement, gives it
peculiar interest.
The Belgians have always displayed q
passionate fondness forsoeial liberty, an
lmpatience Of control that always EN-.
brolled them with their different rulers,
and involved them in ruinous disasters
during many successive centuries.
Writers of all ages agree in describing
the Belgians as the most restless, unruly,
tumult-loving people in existence,
always treating their best rulers the best,
while the bad overawed them. In the
history of no other country can be found
such unbounded liberty, with such an
invincible disposition to abuse it.
The iondness OF the Belgians for
amusement quite equals their leve of
freedom. Music and dancing are their
tavorite modes of passing the time. On
every fine summer evening balls
are given at the tavern gardens,
which are numerous in the outskirts
Of every large town. The price OF
admission varies from four cents to
twenty. Musical festivals are celebrated
every year IN the larger cities BY anna
teur performers, who are inspired with
an enthusiastic ambition to win nume-
rous prizes, which are awarded to the
best performers. The musical skill ex-
hibited on these occasions is truly aston
ishing, and the comparative ability of
natives Of peculiar localities is regarded
with intense excitement, which is mani
tested by marching the performers to the
contest in stately professions, accom-
panied Nv party banners and thousands
of spectators. Music, 10 fact, is so care
FULLY aud universal Y learned even by
the laboripg classes that the harmony Of
the airs which are sung by peasants
when at work is often delightful
to the most cultivated musical
ear. The national taste for music
is strongly manifested ia the nu-
merous and singularly excellent chimes
Of fifty or hundred bells, called car
illons, which are placed in church
steeples and towers OF the town halls
They are played by means of revolv-
ing barrel, worked by machinery, and
sometimes, in large cities, by keys simi
lar to those of an organ, though Of far
greater dimensions. The performer, an
accomplished musician, is paid con-
siderable salary for amusing tie citizens
during an hour OF two each day with the
finest musical compositions His hands
are cased in thick leather, and the physi
cal force required is so severe as to ex-
haust the strength of a powerful man in
a short time. In some localities the diff.
ferent ehimes ara so numerous as
scarcely to leave sn interval Of silence
day or night.