Little Falls transcript., 1883-09-28

were restored. The locomotive ia destroying
the picturesqueness Of the world &. Even here
in the Netherlands costumes are conforming
more and more every year to the prevailing
fashions Of France aud England. The mobility
of Holland are not distinguishable by their
dress from the ladies and gentlemen Of London
and New York, and the wealthy bnrghers have
followed suit Only the peasants THAT is, the
farmers), and the sailors still preserve the
curious garb which we have seen pictures Of;
and so insulated are the various provinces by
water that the dress OF the people of one Sec
ton is constant source of surprise and
amusement to the people Of another. It was
odd enough, at the exhibition yesterday, to see
the visitors from Zealand in the South and of
those from Friesland on ths Norsh inspecting
one another with as much curiosity as if they
had come from opposite ends of the earth.
The costume that attracted the most attention
WAS perhaps that of the rich peas ant women Of
the north This, in its purest form, consists
of short skirt of thick stuff, padded
with pillows at the hip (unless they have
some dreadful hip disease> with a silk
apron OF bright green, or yellow, or pur-
pie, or red, reaching exactly to the bottom
of the skirt; q bodice OF black velvet, laced
across white bosom at the front, sometimes
with silver chains reaching around under the
arms, like the Swiss. Fer head-dress is q
startling vision. In the first place she wears
her hair slightly banged in front, and over this
helmet Or casque Of silver gold-a solid
plate, bent to the head aud covering it like an
outer skull Scarcely bit Of hair is visible.
Across the forehead is bound gold band an
inch or So wide, its middle set with heavy
brooch of gold and gems, like an old-fashioned
breastpin. The earrings are not worn in the
ears, but hung from the ends Of this coronet,
dangling just over the eyes in such q way as
sometimes to obsruct the line of vision.
These pendants are as bulky, costly and long
as the wearer can aford-heavy plates of
topaz, amethyst and emerald hinged together,
and set sometimes with pearls, rubies or dia-
monds, covering both checks. Over the he'll
met and coronet is worn demure white linen
cap, not so snug as to conceal the splendor, its
white cape falling to the shoulders, and its for
ward tabs s;arched stiH and turned square
back and upward around the head again, leav-
ing two sharp points sticking directly out in
front beyond the face. Still over this, far up
and back, al elaborate bonnet is perched-
sometimes a Parisian affair Of silk and lace
high, floral, crooked concern. like truncated
coal-scuttle with the jim-jams.
UNIQUE HEADGEAR.
Frequently the jewelry store around the face
is modified and enlarged by the addition of
SILVER bed-spring, sticking directly out in front
ornament actually was bed-spring before
being set to its present service. but it looks
precisely like that useful article, being
spiral OF white wire, describing a cone three
or four inches in diameter at the base, and
reaching out In trout some six or eight inches
When thus equipped, the fair maiden or mat
ron looks as If she had taken to herself pair
of effective horns, and, though I have heard
nothing about the significance Of the decora-
ton, 1t Is obviously adopted as q means Of de-
neighborhood. think a woman who really
meant business could learn to swing those horns
so as to hit an intruder in the eye every time
It is wonder that King William Alexander
Paul Frederick Lewis and his parliament do not
enact a law prohibiting, under severe penal
ties, the wearing OF such dangerous piece of
headgear 1t shows how the Dutchman must
have been trampled under foot by the Dutch
women, when they have not spirit enough left
to rise in rebellion against such q monstrous
infringement of their rights.
a good many Of the men wear round felt
ha ., with bands variously embroidered in
silk; jackets Of dark cloth, short and light,
opening in front to display a vest embroidered
with red, yellow and green, and buttoned with
a row of silver coins; short breeches of the same
color as the jacket, bound around the waist by
q girdle furnished with o heavy boss of chased
SILVER; scarlet cravat, and fine woolen stock
ings TO the knee In the cage of the fishermen
the breeches had a most exaggerated contour,
drawn snug at the Delt, but expanding around
tue hips INTO half a dozen breadths OF cloth,
plated and puffed.
THE SIGNIFICANT HELMETS
On inquiry learned that the gold and silver
helmets and the jeweled tllet across the FORE
head with the pendants at it's ends, are worn
maiuly by the wives and danShte Of the rich
peasants and are, in themselves a sign of
wealth. he ambition of the farmers daugh-
ter is to acquire for her Gowry golden helmet.
This is sometimes presented by The lover on
his acceptance, or, if he cannot afford gold
one. he presents silver one of greater or less
ing the curious fauDle my landlord called my
attention to girl arrayed tor the fair yesterday.
"Is that really goId?" asked.
1T is really gold-fourteen sixteen carats fine"
he said.
WHO is sne?"
"she is servant girl in that family in the brick
house at the corner. he answered. She is from
Gelderland. beyond the Zuyler Zee. I knew her
to her by her sweetheart a mouth ago. 1t is a fue
one; and cost three or four thousand aulden:"
Two I've thensa9d %n dosrs" exclaimed. "He must
mo. he is not rich: but ho is Industrious and
saving. like most Dutchmen. He is common
laborer-a tlemaker down at Delft. He has laid
aside, 10 little savings, enough to buy his bride this
fine outfit"
DO women ever sell this equipment when hard
pu*hed?"
"Oh, yes: but they must be 7ery hard pushed
first. Some lose their characters and then sell
their helmets and become astrars. Il is odd." he
wearing this headdress which indicates their char
acter. Perhaps you do not knowI"
expressed curiosity, and he went on
1T is not difficult to classify the women from
this door as they 60 by-not accurately, but suni-
ciently: All who are entirely virtuous or wish to
be thought so, wear their helmets or caps snug to
their heads and scarcely let bit Of their hair
show. When they release lock, then they are
slightly fast, and their Increasing willingness to
make the acquaintance OF gentlemen is indicated
by the increasing disorder of their front hap
There is tacit understanding to this effect all o<er
Holland. and although laws have been passed to
prohibit it, xhe custom is too strong for prohibi-
tion woman who wears much Of her front hair
improper proposals upon the street."
HOW THE CITIES LOOK
Amsterdam and Rotterdam look like no other
cities in the world. They have hydrocephalus,
Amsterdam built on some eighty islands,
connected by 800 bridges across the muddy
bitches they call canals. The buildings mainly
are of unpainted brick, with gable-ends to the
streets, and they are erected, like those Of
Venice, on millions Of piles driven into the
mud. But this alluvial deposit is not SO firm
as the sandy sediment in the Adriatic lagoons,
and SO it happens that almost all Of the houses
here and in Rotterdam are ont of plumb. You
cross bridge and instnctively hesitate to al-
vance, for it seems as if the buildings ahead
were about to tumble down and crush you
On both sides of the street they bend outward
towards each other, SO that their cornices are
two or three feet nearer than their bases You
gather courage and proceed. and further ON
you see other houses bowing. Here is tall,
toppl1ng chimney. and around it in a circle are
various houses gravely saluting it. None of
the buildings seem to fall down-at least ! did
not detect any in the act-but they rise and en-