Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1883-04-28
Scenes in Holland.

Scenes in Holland.
When we finally got through The
various locks and impediments into the
canal itself, we soon saw that the artis-
tic promise of the land would need
much careful looking after il one would
have q moderate fullillment thereof.
1t is but fair to say that the canal was
evidently never intended to charm or
amuse to any intense degree, but to be
simple and solid and direct. 1t is no
small, mean runnel of waterway,
but goodly wide and deep thing
that ship can get about in COM
fortably. If one must come down to
figures, I will venture to say that 1
fancy it is some hundred and odd miles
in length. Sufficient for the day, how
ever, was the fact that it would take
us to Alkmaar, and that along its
rush-fringed banks were pictures pass
ing ever before us Of trim sleepy vii
lagos and skirts of towns, fat farm
steads, juicy pastures, sleek COWS, and
rosy-cheeked milkmaids with sleeves
rolled above elbow-so tightly that the
lusty arm below would be more than
rosy, it would be dappled carnation.
There were the teaming polders and
the jaunty windmills in rich profusion
and variety, and all the familiar OBJ
jects of a pleasant Dutch landscape.
On the forward deck of the boat was a
goodly pile of market baskets and
boxes, and mounting to the top of the
| heap, we selected a soft basl1et-frst
making sure that it didn't contain
eggs-as a point of vantage and a
sketching seat, and then we remarked
to the panorama before us, as Byron
did to the ocean, that it might "roll on" !"
Not that we felt unduly 1ippant or
needless; the occasion was too serious
for that.
The further north one goes in Hol-
land, the more ones attention is called
to the rapid increase of swirling orna-
ment as feature of domestic and civic
architecture. Even ON the better
class of farm houses, and more notably
on the more pretentious country
villas skirting the canal, the gables are
fashioned in most fantastic shapes OF
curve and scroll, and the general i'm.
preston of riotous lines meanderine
about the gables is further enhanced
by startling effects Of painting and
gliding. We touched at few of the
little docks and landing places along
the waterway. and noted many delight.
fully quaint bits of color, as well as
lots of amusing characters and Incl
dents, backgrounds of cottages rich
with downy, velvet-surfaced tiles anf
mottled brick, splashed with moss an(
stain and lichen, taking every tint thai
a fat humid air knows so well how tt
paint-if it has plenty of time. Th
window frames would be painted !,
dazzling white, the curtains of spotles
dimity, the shutters and doors O
brilliant green, the cow sheds and out
houses of shiny blacl. pitch, and Otter
the trees would have about six feet O.
the lower trunk painted 'forget-me
not (cheap sort of blue. Lots O.
flowers, plenty of flaxen-haired children
and blue-eyed girls, lots of ducks an(
geese, any number of cats.
We noticed the prevalence of fernal
labor in a "longshore" sort of wa,
about the various landings. 1t wouit
be strapping rosy dame with sleeve
well tucked up who would deftly catcl
the hawser, and handy lively compli
ments with the deck hands of th,
steamer They handled the lighter
freight to and fro, kicking about th'
tubs of butter, and "shying' the bound
ing bullets of elastic Dutch cheese il
fine manly style. They gave them
selves curious "sea-dog' kind of airs
too, that lent them certain charm O
their own.---Harper's Magazine.