Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-04-18


When we finally got through The
various locks and impediments into The
canal itself, we soon saw that the arts
TIC promise of the land would need
much careful looking after if one would
nave moderate fulGllment thereof
IL IS but fair to say that the canal wa,
evidently never intended to charm or
amuse to any intense degree, but to be
simple and solid and direct. 1t is nc
small, mean runnel of waterway,
but a goodly wide and deep thing
that ship can get about in com
lortably. If one must come down to
llSureS, | will venture to say that |
fancy 1t is some hundred and odd miles
IN length. Sufficient for the day. how
ever, was the fact that it would take
rs to Alknaar, and that along its
rush-frlnsed 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 milkmads with sleeves
rolled above elbow-so tightly that the
luSty arm below would be more than
rosy, it would be a dapplcd carnation.
There were the teamihg polderS and
the jaunty windmills in rich profusion
and variety, and all the familiar OBJ
Jects OF 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 basket-frst
making sure that it didn't contain
eggs-as a point of vantage and
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 llippant 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 mcandering
about the gables is further enhanced
by startling effects of painting and
gliding. We touched ut u 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, velvct-Surfaced tiles anC
notified brick, splashed with moss and
stain and lichcn, taking every tint that
a fat humid air knows so well how to
paint--if it has plenty of time. The
window frames would be painted
dazzling white, the curtains of spotless
dimity, the shutters and doors of
brilliant green, the COW sheds and out |
houses of shiny black PITCH and often
the trees would have about six feet of
the lower trunk painted a "forget-me-
not (cheap sort off blue. Lots of
flowers, plenty Of flaXen-haired children
and blue-eycd girls, lots of ducks and
geese, any number of cats.
We noticed the prevalence of female
labor in a "longshore" sort of way
about the various landings. It would
be Il strapping rosy dame with sleeves
well tucked up who would dcftly catch
The hawser, and handy lively compli-
ments with the deck hands of the
steamer. They handled the lighter
freight to and fro, kicking about the
subs of butter, and "shying' the bound
ng bullets of elastic Dutch cheese in
Inc manly style. They gave them
selves curious "sea-dog' kind of airs
90, that lent them certain charm of
heir own.--Harper's Naga:jne.