The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-06-12
THE DnCOReus DUTCH.
How the People Live In Holland, and
Some of Their Curious Customs


The man is @lord of all" in Holland,
and woman Is almost without the shad-
ow OF estimation. He is o sort of
hear, tame and good natured. but still
full of the bruin element. His ooun-
trywomen are actually afraid of him,
especially when outside of their own
door. Not that the men are dangerous,
Tor rarely is it heard that the bears
have bitten. Look out in the street,
and you will see that tho ladies walk in
the road and the gentlemen on the
sidewalk. Always 80, no matter how
muddy or dusty the road is, or how
many teams are passing. Watch them,
and you cannot help but notice that the
gentlemen and ladies never speak to
each other on the street. That would
be breach of etiquette that society
would hardly pardon.
Even when q man meets his wife he
lis not permitted to ask what he shall
bring home for dinner The gentleman
bows first, the same as in France, and
a lady may have bows from men whose
names she does not even know. And
the bowling is a marvel! The fore
head almost touches tho knees in
the act, and there is no halfway work
about it-no nodding or sweeping
touch of the hat, but an entire removal
of the hat to supplement that intense
bow. Everybody bows, then take off
their hats to one another and profoundly
bow.
A lady is never known to pass club
house or q knot of men on the street
If she is obliged to pass up street
where there is club she does not dare
to brave the dreaded windows, but will
cross the street until she is past the
house, and then cross back again. L
have seen a lady of my acquaintance
make the round of several streets to
avoid clubhouse, being at the time in
a great hurry to reach an apothecary,
whose shop was next beyond the club.
If lady, alone, or accompanied by
other ladies, must needs enter a con-
fectionery, library, or other places
where men will naturally go, and finds
a gentleman or two there, she will re-
tire as precipitately as if she had seen
a case Of smallpox. The men know
this, but unless my lord. the man, has
quite finished his business, he will not
retire. The lady retreats in a most I'M
digniied manner, and the human bear
finishes his book or chocolate, even
though the lady is waiting ut the door
for him to leave.
But change comes over the woman
at home. No longer IS she the afraid
body of the street. She has at hand
the kettle of hot water, the fiat-irons,
and other articles of defense that a
woman can use if necessary, and no
longer does she fear tho bears. She is
quite eat home" She does not put
herself to any trouble for the sake of
her guests. In the morning she never
dresses for breakfast, but comes to the
table en- demi-toilette, her hair on the
crimping pins, calico gown loosely
buttoned over skirts by no means new,
with no collar, her shoes unbuttoned,
and frequently without stockings. After
breakfast it is quite awhile before she
gets dressed, and meantime, if she re-
ceives callers, she goes into the parlor
In her breakfast toilet.
But the social etiquette is not to be
compared to that of the table. If one
is curious the other is supremely droll.
1t is amusing to see the people eat.
They take their plateful as soon as they
are helped and cut it up into morsels.
Then they lay the knife in front of the
plate, and, leaning on the table with
their lett hand, proceed to eat all with
the fork l never saw food eaten 9th
erwise except that some desserts are
shoveled with the spoon instead of the
fork, two spoons lying with knife and
fork at each plate. All this is etiquette.
Beside the plate hand-rest is some
times placed for it is necessary that
one should half recline on the table!
There is no such thing as changing
covers, and, be the courses two or
twenty, they are served on the same
plate, ard the same knife, fork, and
spoon are used The napkins are kept
in service until the washerwoman has
to meet big bill for soapI
One supper, at which l was guest,
/ shall always remember. At 3 O'Clock
the hostess left the cardboard, spread
the tablecloth, and placed the dishes.
Then she brought out spirit lamp,
which she lighted with a match from
the matchbox on the table, and. having
ground some coffee in little hand-mill,
she set the cafetiere over the lamp,
where it boiled merrily during the
meal. The bread came on In a loaf
AMI in long basket, and was cut into
thick slices, and so passed around. The
butter was in little round earthen pot,
each person scraping out with his own
knife rs much as he wanted for each
piece of bread.
The cheese came to the table in q
similar pot, and was also scraped and
eaten spread on the bread over the but
ter. Near the bread basket, OH a round
tray, was partly cut loaf of brown
bread, and slices OF three or four kinds
of cake, including the invariable fruit
cake. Preserves were placed on the
cloth in q shallow dish, and it was
passed around. The milk, fresh from
the dairy, was drawn from Jug, that,
In the absence of sideboard, naturally
reposed on a mat 10y my lady's side.
After the meal china wash-bowl was
brought out and the dishes washed on
the tea-table by the mistress, who used
the snowiest of serviettes, and neither
spilled drop nor wet her fingers.
While the dishwashing was going on
the family and guests remained sitting.