The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1886-10-22
their costumes.

The young men were about % years of age
and the girls about lS and 20. The latter
were quite pretty, and their costumes did not
detract from their beauty. They wore short
black silk skirts bound with belt at the
waist. Above this was a pink silk bodice,
with short sleeves coming down to few
inches of the elbow, and so tight that they
squeezed the flesh of their red arms. Over
the bosom and shoulders was bright colored
handkerchief which was fastened at the
waist, and around their neck was a wide band
of eight strands of coral beads fastened under
the chin and at the back of the neck by great
gold brooches as big as good sized individual
butter plates The head dress was a curious
cap of the whitest of linen, trimmed with
lace and fastened by three separate pins just
at the edge of the forehead above the eyes.
One of these pins had gold ball as big as
pigeons egg for head, and another had
sharp cornered gold plate as big as a small
visiting card fastened upon it. This plate
stuck out from the eyebrow, and I could
not help thinking that it would form
a dangerous element in case the lover
attempted to kiss her against her will.
This cap at the back is fastened by other
gold pins. It entirely covers the hair, with
the exception Of slight roll at the top of
the forehead, and it has great wings or flaps,
which, stiff with starch, stand at each side
of the head.
The men were quite as queer in their dress
as the women. They were smoothly shaved,
as are, indeed, most of the peasantry; and
their hair, thick on the top of the head and
rudely cut at the neck, looked as though they
had been their own BARRIERS and had insured
hxyQ ~. I.
and had cut the hair of close up to this
They wore no collars, but had instead gay
handkerchiefs about their necks which were
fastened with gold brooches as big as trade
dollars. Their coats were roundabouts, with
big buttons, and their black velvet trousers
were very full and very short These
were fastened at the waist by wide belts, the
buckles of which were round silver affairs as
big as the bottom Of a pint tin cup Their
shirts were Of gay colors, and they had rings
of gold in their ears
Both the young men and their sweethearts
were very happy. They chartered in Dutch,
showed their teeth in laughter, and kept up
their love making as long as they were in the
car. Part of the time the men smoked hav-
ing at the same time their arm around their
girls. They were probably farmers of the
better class, and may have been on a wedding
journey for all know.
saw afterward many strange head
dresses in Holland, and all of those of the
peasants had some curious ornament fasten-
ing the cap and sticking out at the outside
corner of each eye like horn. They are diff
ferent according to the villages from which
the women come. Some of those of Rotter-
dam wear spiral gold springs to which are
fastened other ornaments, and give you here
a sketch of a gorgeous costume of this kind,
which 1 saw at The Hague, where band of
gold three inches wide went clear around the
back of the head, partially covering the hair
under the cap, and ending at the forehead in
these ornaments. The Dutch girls of the
lower classes are often pretty Their COM
plexions are dark and rosy and their fat arms
rather beefy in their redness. They have
often too stout and stocky forms for beauty,
and as they grow older their hard working
lives soon take all the softness out of them
Scheveningen is the great seaside resort of
Holland. and it is also fishing village. Here
may be seen a sample Of the fisheries Of Hol.