Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-09-09
THE INNKEEpERS DAUGHTER.
BY PAUL PLUM
y. WHHTNORE.
Publisher and Proprietor.

To understand what well-regu-
lated and cleanly towns are, one need
only visit Holland. | terminated
my tour in Europe by visiting the
low countries, and though l was
warned the expense would be double
that of any other part Of the CONT
nent, | was not sorry to have un-
dertaken the trip. Holland is not
a country for one to travel in, un-
less Che Happens to possess a lib
eral supply Of money. Hotel
charges are excessive, while the
rates of transportation are much
beyond those of neighboring coun-
tries. But one always feels clean
among the Dutch. Even when
dusty and travel-worn, you invol-
tarily exclaim: "'Tis better than
French or German dust, or the
intolerable Spanish dust"
To gaze upon the streets paved
with yellow bricks, so clean that you
might sit thereon without damage
to your clothing, would cause our
Board of Health an astonishment
that would be nearly akin to dumb
wonder.
Passing this low mud bank, pro-
| iecting into the sea, which is called
the "Hoek Van Holland" you at
once enter the river Mas, and in a
little while the small fortified town
of Brielle appears upon the right
shore of the river. 1t has some
historical interest, having been the
birthplace of Van Tromp and De
Witt, and was the first place which
the Dutch captured from the Span.
iards in 1879, when led by that
bold fighter, William de Ia MaTck
Steaming rapidly past numerous
queer-looking crafts, with their
brown hulls, gay sails and rudders.
painted green and scarlet, we land.
ed at the wharf, and proceeded at
once to the Vroon Inn, kept by q
Jolly Dutchman named Hans Boer,
whose pretty daughter, Catherine,
was Justly styled the beauty of the
Brielle.
Hans was sitting before the dool
of his red-roofed hostelry, con
spicuous in his red waistcoat, as he
smoked his long pipe which almos
reached his feet. He arose anC
greeted me with a grin and bow
and consigning me to the care o
the fair Catherine, she at oncc
showed me to my faultless littlC
chamber, adorned with curtains a
white Gs snow.
Hans BoeP had been a sailor il
the Dutch navy, and having gaineC
an honorable discharge, set up al
inn upon receiving a small sum o
money left him byhis father. B.
: strict attention to his business h,
rapidly accumulated money, ant
; was known to travellers far and wld
as having the best table and wines
5 for which he took care to charge
corresponding price. But Han
= was honest; he only adhered to tn
cnstom of his countrymen, and hi
. list of prices was conspicuously dis
a played upon the door Of every be-
chamber in his house, therefor
!. there could be no cayil about th
: high price of his liquors.
OF course, the fair Catherine .
the age of eighteen had many suit
ors, for beside her great beauty, sh
s would possess some day the snH
= little fortune her father ha
amassed as the keeper Of the Vroo
Inn. The young men of the plaC
D spent almost all their money at IL
inn, for the sole purpose of vii
ming GATHERINGS affections, but 81
resisted them oil; not that hi
: heart was insensibie apd cold, bl
because it was the property Of al
: other-of Frederick Van Bree,
graceless scamp, whose handson
face had captivated the young 81
from the day he first put up ut Il
Yroon.
Vsn Bree was singular al
mysterious person; who came fre
, Bruges, and did not appear to ha'
r any occupation. 0fttimes be wou
Ia wall ennnlind with monev. VIII