Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-08-20
A TRYING NIGHT.

He was sturdy little fellow OF III, his
cheeks glowed with the hue Of health and his
bIne eyes beamed with the kindly feelings
with which the heart that beat under his
rough little jacket was full
Father be said one day, may go over
the dyke and carry some cakes to old blind
Heinrich
YES" said his fat old father, knocking tho
ashes out OF his pipe, but be sure not TO stay
too late In the evening or your mother viii
be uneasy about you"
Now Of course they spoke to each other in
Dutch, but as we do not understand that
language we will use our native English
IAN right, father" said little Hans, and
he put on the wooden cap his mother had
made for him and set of on his journey
He soon reached the humble cottage Of the
blind man.
"Ah, it is you, my little Hans" said the
cheerful voice Of old Heinrich, as he heard
the familiar footsteps ON the gravel path.
you always bring the sunshine 10 this old
heart Of mine. God bless you, my dear little
Hans"
God bless you, my dear old Heinrich"
cried the boy, throwing his arms around the
old man. II have brought you some cakes
mother baked for you, AMI will only wait
10 zee you eat one before must go home"
WHAT exclaimed the old man, with his
mouth full OF cake, and you will not wait
TO hear me tell the story Of the water sprite
who loved a mortal and gave up her per
petual youth and beauty TO become his bride;
or how the beautiful star grew lonely in
the sky and threw herself down to tine boat
where her lover was rowing and the frag-
ments struck the water and became beautiful
water lilies floating on its smooth surfacer
NO" said Hans, shaking his head, your
stories are very beautiful, Heinrich and l
love to hear them, but have promised my
father that will come home early this even
ing"
Heaven blesses the child who obeys his
father" said old Heinrich. II will not de-
tain you. Embrace me, boy, and run along
home"
As he went along by the canals, which are
used in Holland in the place OF roads, Hans
noticed that they were quite full Of water,
for IL was in October and there had been
heavy rains Here he met three women tug
ging merrily at a rope attached to a small
boat in the canal, and there jolly, fat
fisherman smoking his pipe as be lay in his
little cart drawn by two dogs his head
propped up by his basket of fish, while his
feet dangled over the front Of the tiny
vehicle. Then he passed a cool, clean dairy
where the women were busy making Edam
cheeses, while others were milking the cows
fastened to the wall of the stable by knots
in their tails passed over nails Here comes
wealthy burgher, driving his sleek, well
fed team, for fine horses are abundant in
Holland, but many Of the people are too poor
to own them.
Now he sees poor family embarking on a
canal boat, moving to another place in the
hope OF lettering their fortune, taking with
them all their worldly goods, their lowing
cows barking dogs, beating goats, squawk-
ing geese, cacklng hens and squealing pig
with a string tied around his foot by which
his rebesIous majesty can be dragged
Now Hans stops to gather a bunch of blue
forget-me-nots TO carry to his mother, who
loves these flowers so well
The road is gradually becoming more soil
tary, and soon neither the joyous shout of
the villager returning to his cottage home,
nor the rough voice of the carter, grumbling
at his lazy horses, is heard. There is only
the twitter of the birds as they cuddle NJ in
their warm nests, and the whir of huge
windmill that stretches its immense vanes
against the distant sky, reminding one Of a
EIeit lpuI Hliiiti not
afraid he trudges steadily onward, whistling
the alr of merry song.
Tho little fellow now perceves. however,
that the blue of the flowers in his hand is
scarcely distinguishable from the green of
the surrounding heritage, and he looks up in
some dismay Yes, the night is falling; not,
however, dark winter night, but clear
moonlight one, in which every object is
nearly as perceptible as by day,
Hans thinks Of his fathers warning to him
about coming home early, and is preparing
to quit the ravine, in which he is almost
buried, and to so back to the beach, when
suddenly a slight noise like the trucking of
water upon pebbles, attracts his attention
His heart is filed with fear, for he looks up
and sees there is hole in the wood of one of
the large sluices, which are huge gates placed
Mt intervals in the great dixie that protects
Holland from the encroachments of the Ger
man sea- and the water is trickling through
and threatening the country with overflow
Now Hans understood the danger that
threatened his beloved home thoroughly
as any intelligent Dutch boy would, but
some of us may not be so well informed, so
will try to explain to you what | have
found out about it from the books.
Holland is very singular country. In
fact. you may travel all over the world and
not find another one like it. Nearly the
whole region is below the level of the sea-
which is striving constantly but fruitlessly
to recover its ravished domain. The keels
of its ships are above tho chimneys of its
buildings and the frogs that croak in the
bulrushes of its bitches look down upon the
swallows twittering on its housetops
Long years ago the ocean said to the Hol-
landers: You shall have no country here I"
But the Dutch people, who are sturdy
race and brimful of energy in spite of their
miserable, moist climate, which ranges from
20 degs below zero to los above, replied to
thu ocean:
1--WE will have country here"
So instead of sitting down weeping and
folding their arms and letting their homes
and their families, their focks and their
herds be swept away by the overflows of the
sea. they went to work with hearty will
and preserved their lands from the winds
and the water and the waves Holland,
more than any region under the SUM- illus
trates the power Of industry and persever-
ance. Ii shows from tho first to the last that
to the active hand and steady will nothing is
impossible
So they built along the line of coast huge
dikes, somewhat resembling a milldam, and
here and there they put huge wooden gates,
called sluices, They employed men, called
sluicers, to open and shut these big oak gates
or sluices, which close the entrance of the
canals. and secure Holland from the danger
to which it seems exposed, of finding itself
under water rather than above it.
Now. the father of Hans was sluicer and
it was his duty, when water was required to
fill the canals, to raise the sluices and let the
water come through and then to close them
carefully again when no more water was
needed, Just as you shut of the water Of
hydrant by turning the faucet, otherwise
the water would flow into the canals, then
overflow them and inundate the whole
country.
Hans had often been with his father when
he was attending to the sluices with the men
in his employment He knew that the canals
were already so full they could hold no more
water, and must overflow If more was poured
into them With the instant perception
which every child In Holland would have.
the boy saw that the water must soon enlarge
the hole through which it was now only
dropping. and that utter and general ruin
would be the consequence Of the inundation
that must follow.
The song dies on his lips and his heart
trembles with fear as he realizes the danger
which threatens his country. There is no time
to run home and tell his father He knows
that every moment is as precious as . dia-
IT.