The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-09-29
The Hague.

The Hague is certainly the pleasantest
and most peaceful-looking capital exist
ing" outrageous" is the only word ex-
pressive of it, such is the amount of trees
in every direction, Trim retired lei
sure" is the general impression of the
place, where women have time to squirt
water at the fronts of their houses, and
where the railway station is so clean that
one might almost eat off the bricks Still
there is a buster and dirtier side to the
town, connected with the trade to the
sea. We looked down canal after canal,
with long perspectives of bridges, men
punting heavy barges with long poles
thrust into the muddy, black water or
against the brick sides, leaning over so
far that, at sharp turnings of the canals,
it seemed as if they must overtopple
themselves and fall. The boats were
full of green cabbages and yellow car
rots, baskets, mats hung up in rows,
peat in neat little square cakes, the best
from Gueldreland. In many of them
women and children were living in the
small cabins, half under and half upon
the deck, and were sitting around in
picturesque heaps. Some of the canals
are now filled up and turned into streets,
but the waterways, with bright lights
and chequered shadows from the avenues
of trees thrown on the brick houses and
the black-green water, are far more
pleasant to look at. The stirring of the
boats prevent the stagnant look which,
in out-of -the-way, lisfe usedscoraers, ar-
pears in coating VI green slime, and
seems as if it ought to bring fever, but
does not. Here is very Dutch picture:
two women harnessed to a boat by long
rope, pushing against the collar like
beasts of BURDEN bit of red color on
wherry under distant bridge; then a
green hull and a mass of black barge,
and the blue of the mems shirts, punting
among the trees with their long poles,
carrying the color from a bright sky.
Nature gets the blue required for her
gamut often from above, and the refec-
tions of the trunks and houses in the
water, whereverit was still, doubled and
inverted the lines with admirable effect.
Next, more open view out of our VIM
dows, where the canal always neces-
sary foreground here) is backed BY, the
park. The trees, particularly the oaks,
grow very, straight, showing that there
is no stony, gravelly obstacle to tap their
roots in the easy soil; peat (of an in
ferior quality is reached wherever a,
foundation is dug or a garden cultivated.
even in the best quarters of the town.
Endless barrows, with all sorts of prod
uce, are passing by-grapes; blue, green
and orange faience; a red box with
"Koffee, Thee" on 1.-THE last as ma
tional beverage here as in England; a
boy in blouse and sabots, with two,
great baskets slung to yoke and an
enormous caulihower in each; some
women marketing, with queer skull-caps
of very thin heaten gold, hiding the hair
completely, costume from ICELAND;
others with lace lappets, and small,
curly, gold horns projecting four or five
inches on the side of the head, heirlooms
in North Holland family, a white
jacket, pink apron and s0bOts, cold color
ing; the peasants looking substantial in
every sense; odd, old-fashioned country
carts, with a curious horn jutting out in
front; two wicked little boys, certainly
not twelve years old, smoking; several
more in wooden shoes and red stockings,
t1inging stones to bring down the horse
chestnuts, with an amount of diligence,
patience and skill which would make
them model boysif they do those lessons
as earnestly for which they will certainly
be too late this morning. No guard
ians of order interfering; apparently
order takes care of itself in this we'll
conducted population. The schools are
said to be remarkably good and well at
tended; the religious education is kept
separate from the secular, the hot Pro-
testant and Catholic feuds making any
other arrangement impossible, if the
children are to be taught together; and
there seems to be no difficulty there at
least in carrying out the details.-Con-
temporary Re0ieD. - ''''