The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-05-12
OUR FOREIGN LETTER.
Especial correspondence OF the PREss.l
AMSTERDAM

would suffice the most faStldl0uS. Here are
many of the famous Dutch pictures. REM
brandt's might Watch, where the corpor-
ais, drummers and guards, with the attend
ant crowd of boys and girls, are assembled
in the square to receive orders; Gerard
Dow's Evening School, where the old
pedagogue looking over his glasses, is trying
by the light of tallow candle to drive
knowledge into blockheaded boy; and
'sThe Floating Feather" which we must
confess failed to impress us as much as it
ought according to critics; but best of all is
Rembrandt's peerless old lady; nobody
knows who she was; but whoever she might
have been, she will always be known as
somebody's lovable grandmother. Among
hundreds of paintings by Weenix, Ruysdael
and others worthy of mention, one spies now
and then Teniers and Jan Stems comical
scenes in low life, and Wouverman's omni-
present white horse, which must have at
tanned to great equine longevity to have
posed for the scores of pictures his master
has left. An artist of this age would not
dare to put such a trade mark upon his can
vas, lest it would cheaper the market value
of his work. After seeing these masterpieces
of antiquity, we thought we did not care
anything about the modern paintings; Dut
we did them great injustice, as many OIL the
modern artists need not shrink from hang
ing their work beside the fathers. 1t is only
the too near view that cheats them out OF
their deserved praise. 1t seemsa shame that
many of them will suffer the pangs OF pow
erty and die unknown before their work can
be appreciated But their lot is no harder
than their predecessors. The next day at
HARLEM we saw portraits of Franz Haly,
which he would gladly have painted for a
few guilders, but which to-day are valued at
tens of thousands, if price could be named.
Visiting galleries is the most exhausting
work. No one can safely spend more than
three or four hours day in these chilly
rooms, straining the eyes, stretching the
neck and exercising the brain so intensely,
as one must to make a faithful study of art.
Sunday afternoon we took walk about
the city through the Jews quarters; and
buster scene one could not find; where all
the selfish and sordid traits of humanity
were rampant There were Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob jamming through the masses and
feeding the children for few pennies a
mentors, tremendously long forks, and bawl-
ing out to the utmost of their lung power
old clo'es, fruits and vegetables. Passing
near the synagogue we asked admittance.
The Hebraic church new year falling in Sep
TENDER, the Jews had closed on Saturday
long ecclesiastical feast, and the ''Koster"
was locking up the dishes used only on great
occasions. A they were made after the
similitude of the vessels, pitchers, spoons
and appurtenances thereof in Solomon's tenn
pie we were glad to see them. There were
immense salvers hammered out of solid gold
and silver; upon one was beaten the Queen
of Sheba and hef train of servants bringing
offerings to Solomon. 1t is surprising that
the Jews have maintained such severe SIM
plicity in their church architecture, when in
the midst of the costly temples both of pa
ganism and christendom. There was hardly
an unnecessary curve or bit of coloring in
the whole edifce. The walls were the bar
est, and only varied at the altar and the
front of the cabinet, where were kept the
rolls, which were of old Brazilian mahogany.
1t seemed strange to hear one of the Jews
say they were strictly forbidden by their
rabbis to embellish their synagogues, when
the great temple to which they all turn with
patriotic reverence was overlaid with gold
and shone with splendors of every descrip
ton.
Right in the heart of this district is plain
Catholic church more than two hundred
years old. The aggressive bishops tried for
a long time to get foothold in Amsterdam;
but were defeated until the rabbis could re-
sist no longer, and consented with the condi-
ton that the church should be called "The
Moses and Aaron" and have some outward
recognition of the great Hebraic potentates.
1t was built, and has two funny little figures
about foot and half tall, in relief-one of
Aaron swinging his censor, and the othersof
Moses giving the tables of stone But the
Romish church has made little Roadway in
proselyting the Jews. Rich or poor, refined
OF vulgar, they cannot, if they would dis
guise their nationality. They are very clan
nish, and do not take kindly to suggestions
from outsiders. Mammon is working changes
faster than any sectarian efforts to proselyte
in breaking down their obstinate adherence
to the Seventh Day worship, which one of
their number told us must sooner or later be
abolished, since it interfered SO materially
with their business relations with Christians.
If for any reason they ever adopt the Chris
tian Sabbath, they will have to invent some
ingenious Scriptural ground for so doing
without accepting the whole scheme of
Christianity. They are largely employed in
the diamond works at Amsterdam. The pic
ture galleries were crowded with them on
Saturday afternoon. Although many must
be people of taste and education to frequent
such places, still they impressed us as coarse
and loud in the extreme.
One day in strolling about Amsterdam, we
saw love of a box in an old window. AS
we stepped in to ask permission to examine
it, we found ourselves in the queerest old
junk store you could imagine. The old jew
ess, who was keeping house in the midst of
this rubbish was little grabbed at first; but
finding we really had an eye to a trade, she
became very friendly, and urged us to rum
mage about her premises. In one corner
was pile of trash we took for old tin, but
which proved to be trays, shutters, urns,
caskets-in short, every article which could
be made of metal, all Of solid silver, some of
the choicest fligree work, which was to be
sold by weight We listened to the SIRENS
voice and followed her up her winding stair
| to see the pretty things. The place was
packed sslid under the caves with old clocks,
watches of curious mechanisms, furniture
and oddities of antiquity. just as we closed
bargain for trifling memento of Holland
fer the children, Isaac came home, and TAX
ing in the situation of affairs at glance, be-
gan to raise both objections and his prices,
but Rebekah stood to her agreement and did
up the parcel much to Isaac's discomfort.
This done, the bill was to be made out, when
pen could not be raised in the establish
ment. We donot doubt parchment, wax and
stylus could have been produced: if not,,they
were the only things of the B. G. times which
were not there. A little Hebrew was de-
spatched to neighbours house for quill,
the bill was made out, and we left, fearing
the temptation of the place would prove too
strong for our bank account in London.
The old Jew spends his whole time iii
securing the hooks and crannies to
get his eye and his clutches upon some un-
lucky last heir, in watching for Sheriffs
sales, in shifting around death beds and pawn
brokers' dens. He always strikes at the