The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-03-29
OUR STORY TELLER.
THE DYKE.

The kingdom of the Netherlan DIS, or
as it is more commonly known, Holland,
owes its existence as much to the skill
and energy of its people as to anything
else. The surface of large part of the
country is several feet below the level
of the sea; and but for the ingenuity
and unceasing vigilance of the govern
ment and people, the ocean would soon
be sweeping over that thriving country.
and it would be blotted from the face of
the earth. But by the aid of science
and constant labor, dykes, or huge en-
bankments, have been erected along the
low, fla. coast, by means of which the
waves are kept at bay, and the country
saved from ruin. 49,. -.. ..,.. -.. -.
These dykes are often sixty feet in
height, especially along the shores of the
German Ocean on the west, and those of
the Zuyder Zee on the east. The Dutch,
taught by experience, are ever on the
watch to take advantage of every cir
cumstance to resist the encroachments
of the sea. Holland was originally a
series of banks of sand or mud, exposed
to inundation from the Rhine and other
rivers, as well as from the sea and thus
exhibited succession of Shiny and bar
rem sands. But patient industry, bv
raising dykes against the sea and rivers,
has converted the waste into smiling
garden.
These dams or dykes form the charac-
teristic and most remarkable feature of
the Dutch landscape. They are some
times planted with rows Of trees, be-
tween which run the canals and roads
of the country. At frequent intervals
the dykes are surmounted with wind
mills, the object of which is to pump
the water from the inland or polder into
the canal.
In the year 1889, there lived on the
shore of the German Ocean, in the Prov
ince of North Holland, poor fisherman
by the name of Dirk Dauneker. He
had family of young children, the
usual accompaniment of poor man
lot; but he was lucky in having a wife
who made the best of their humble con-
dition, and spared no effort to brighten
and cheer her good man in his labors.
The DauneKers were honest God fear
ing people, and were respected by all
the community. Yet they were very
poor, and it was with difficulty that they
could procure their daily store of bread
and cheese. The sea supplied them with
fish; but of meat they had none.
Dirk Dauneker's ancestors had been
fishermen before him, and some had
found last resting-place in the blue
waters which had supplied their daily
wants in life. His father had persisted
IN an inundation twenty years before,
and he himself had narrowly escaped
being drowned. 1t had left vivid i'm
preston upon his mind, and he shud-
dered to think of it, though score OF
years had elapsed since then.
He had six children four bows and
two girls, all as psle-faced and moon
eyed as the most ardent HollaHder could
have desired. They were remarkably
good, sensible children-the oldest being
Just sixteen, and the youngest about
seven and their parents were as proud
as they were fond of them. q
The fourth child, Hans by name, was
the mothers pet. He was just ten years
old, and had sweet, wistful face, such
as any painter would have been eager to
transfer to canvas. He was a quiet,
thoughtful child, and, though warm.
hearted, was undemonstrative. At the
first glance you would have thought him
effeminate; but, upon closer examina-
ton of the features, you could but think
that the grave, firm lips, which were
strongly marked in one so young, were
true induces of determination and cour-
age of the highest order. I'll,
Little Hans loved to listen to the
stories which his father would tell of
the dangers of isherman's life; but
best of all to those which related to the
terrible inroads of the sea upon his
native land. He pondered over them
gravely, and often spoke to his parents
of them. Sometimes his father, smiling
at his wise remarks, would say:
my little Hans, when you are big
man like me, you will be a fisherman.
and sail my boat" ,i"-'.
But Hans would reply, gravely:
No; when / am man, / shall ask
the king to let me watch the dykes, and
l will keep back the sea, and save nv
country from suffering any sorrow"
Young as he was, Hans watched the
dykes. Every day, and every night be-
fore he said his prayers and went to bed,
ne would go out to the dyke in front of
his fathers hut, and examine it care
fully; and as soon as he was up in the
morning he would repeat the search.
His mother watched him, wistfully, but
said nothing. Yet she never ceased to
fear that the sea would take him from
her.
The winter that brought little Hans's
tenth birthday was wild and stormy
season. Such constant and unbroken
succession of gales had not been known
in the German Ocean for a century.
The king sent orders to the low coun-
tries to watch the dams with ceaseless
care and an increased force was sta
toned along the coast with orders to be