Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-10-27
Finding the ''Lorniettss.n


On coming into town from Utrecht 4
leaned out of the window on approach
Ing Amsterdam, my curiosity excited by
the tall white towers of the exhibition,
ana as gazed on the apparition my
eyeglasses fell off my nose and fell out
side the track. l rapidly took my bear
tngs. We were within a mile of the
depot, near a railroad bridge.
AT night when ready to 90 back to
utrecht reached the station an hour
too early for the train and resolved to
o.out and hunt up my lost "specs,"
which offset my optical delinquency bet
ter than could hope from any new
pair. applied to the director at
the station and. with few words and
many gestures, told him my desire. He
assigned to me a man in uniform to
take care of me, and we walked out to
the bridge and began the search. When
we had walked up and down for a
few minutes / noticed that we had re-
cruit. A lounger by the roadside had
fallen in our wake and Joined us in the
search. In two minutes more woman
came out OF house and bent her ener-
gies also to the task. Presently two
children came running across the fields
and reinforced us, so that there were
six people thoughtfully bent. hunting
for one poor pair of eye-glasses-or
''lOrniettes, "as they called them.
len minutes later gave it up and
turned back with the embroidered guard.
AS we approached the station a. boy
came running towards us from that d.
rection, shouting joyously and tapping
his arms: eve hebben der lorniette
gloomen! We hebben gloomen!"
The boy was all out of breath, and he
could only say in Dutch, "Ask him that's
up the ladder!" pointing to man in a
little box elevated by the side of the
track, at which converged telegraph
wires. The man himself now came to
the window and shouted enthusiastical-
1yin turn, and shook bit of paper in
hip hand.
A.Telegraph dispatch, guess" said
M Dutch escort, and ran forward and
climbed the ladder, and brought it down.
1t read: ''Wiz hebber de lorniette
gloomen! - with two exclamation
points after it.
handed the operator half a gulden-
twenty cents-and gave the boy, who
ran to announce it, four cents. A cloud
of dust now rose in the rear, and l
heard clamor of joyous voices. Be-
fore we could regain the shelter of the
depot they were upon us. A little girl,
red-faced and breathless, was ahead,
who curtsied and held out her hand
bashfully and said: THANK you, sir
My father found it, My guard and
guide looked piteously at me, and gave
the long petticoated herald two cents.
THANK you, sir!'' said the next two
breathless ones, 1--WE were looking for
it!' Trying to get the hang of what
they said, in moment of inadvcrtence
] gave the rascals couple of sixpences.
II found it, sir, thank you," said the
woman whom had seen before; ''thank
you, sir, thank YOU" / had learned
''dank IT," by this time, so that knew
it when / saw it.
Every well, said, in bad mixture
of French, Dutch, American and Ger
man, "Ou list der lorniette, confound ii
allr'
present it to the gentleman, my
daughter!" said she, pushing forward
another long petticoated infant, who
did actually lay the eyeglasses in my
hand. set them on my nose and gazed
at her. She bore the scrutiny without
flinching, but softly piped ''dank Ur'
gave the woman a gulden <fovtT-two
cents) and the |. p. infant still softly
sighed "dank u" and held out her
hand. Iput some pence in it and the
grateful couple withdrew.
A stout youth now came forward and
said: THANK you, sir! carried the
dispatch to the man up to 'tother end. "
The guide told me what he said. Igave
him half gulden and started for the
station. A woman with big bonnet on
hind side before intercepted me, said
thank you, and addressed me long
and earnest speech in high Dutch.
didn't know what she said, but it must
have been something awful. Inferrine
that one of her babies had been run ovel
by the engine while looking fer my
property, hastily handed her tho value
oft, seven cents, and fled to the trair
just in time to get aboard. Imentior
this incident in detail because it is char
acteristic of all Europe. Amsterdam
Cor. Detroit Press and Tribune.