Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-05-05
Dutch Women.

AN English writer gives the following
glowing description of Dutch women:
| must first make the negative remark
that they do not resemble Ruben's fat
Madnnnas- Thpse represent Flemish Ia
dies, while the Dutch have very generally
dark hair and eyes, and, strange to say,
there is something Spanish looking in not
few. The Dutch lady's face is grave
and thoughtful one. There is much quiet
dignity in it. 1t indicates great capacity
of emotion, but is not easily moved. Nei-
ther does she speak too readily, but with
a certain calm deliberation, which gives
quietness to her society unlike that of la
dies in general. Too much reticence of
tongue, however, is not considereda usual
female fault; the mention of it may exalt
my Dutch friends in the opinion of many,
and, indeed, to my mind, there could
hardly be a better specimen of humanity
than good Dutch lady. She seems to be
altogether unique. cannot associate her
with the ladies of any other countries
have known. How industrious she is,
rising early and late taking rest! How
neat, without preciseness! How active,
without fussinessI How devoted to her
household and her family How clever
with Eer needle and her scissors, both in
the useful and the ornamental, and about
so many things which we English ladies
despise; and vet how cultivated she is
without the least pretension To compose
admirably in two, even in three languages
beside her own, does not entitle any lady
there to the name of "blue stocking"
and far deeper studies than these are often
pursued without the least assumption of
that character. And what friends are
these Dutch ladies How thoughtfully af-
| fectionate, how considerably kind! Happy
they who can call them 50! Their humble
sisters present very different appearance
! from themselves, but still keep us far
from Rubens's pictures, having much
more compact and neat exterior, and be
ing really remarkable for their general
prettiness. They are usually very fair
although the braid of hair on the white
forehead, of which so little is seen, owing
to the stiff border of the snowy cap, is o.
soft dark brown. This cap, with clear
print jacket, and a buy-a-brsom blacl
skirt, short and full, forms the costume o.
the servants, neat and pretty race, and
sturdy one, too, as anyone may perceive
who will walk through Dutch towI
early on Saturday morning, and see hoV
a Dutch maiden can propel the upwarC
stream from her water-spout to the top
most windows of the lofty houses. Reall,
she looks pretty as, with her fair, oval fac
turned upward, whittier she sends he
streams, with her rounded arms bare, ant
with many little movement of her nea
and active person, she spreads her flood
around, remaining like a naiad in tn
midst of them. She looks pretty, / say
quite pretty enough, at all events, to pre-
vent the jest from being a sneer, when
Dutch writer wittily exclaims, VIII
! should we complain that we have n
. fountains in our large towns, since eac
Saturday every canal-side and princip'
, street is a fountain, where hundreds {
naiads, not of bronze or marble, but fu
= of life and vigor, shoot up streams {
i water in graceful bows, rushing again
1 the loftiest windows with cheerful clatte
Z and spreading freshness and GOODNESS a
= | around Y'l