River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-06-25
LEGEND OF A THIMBLE.
The Useful Little Article Was IN
vented for Loves Sake.


The snow ceased falling. The tenn
perature air ady low WAS still falling.
a beautiful frost at last seemed about
t. follow the iutcrminahle. gloomy.
disagreeablc DAYS which for week, had
kept the people Of Amsterdam shut up
In their houses these people whom
that old Dutch scholar. Erasmus. be-
cause Of their houses being T. tit upon
piles, has liScned To crows pcrched
upon frees But suddenly the sun sue
Ceeied in piercing the leadcn darkness
mingled with clouds that stretched
themselves like a sheet Of water to
the north ~ Holland. I'm less than an
hour the east wind the grand motor
Of the iuuumerable wind-milI~ Of the
countr- swept the sky and restored
il, rlcaI. shining. like "A Silvrrv satin.
Whercupon "A wild joy took possess
sion If the town. Everybody went
out. The air. cold. hut pure and whole
some a. water from "a rock. was in
toNieatiue At last they were able to
give themselves mp u skating, the ia
vorite pleasure Of the HuliaudcrS-
These people, reputci quiet by those
who know them but little. bcStow upon
their holiday hours an activity wi thout
its equal; a robust gayrty of which loud
laughter and rrpartcr form an integral
part. This Venice Of the north. with
IT. inuumerabIc canals and It's vast har-
bors buSicS itself ordinarily with its
immense commerce In comparative ST.
lence. due - the almost total absence
Of carriages and u the almost unique
movement IT its huatmcu. Iiut let the
frost come an astonishing reaction
bursts forth, an eruption 81 pent-up
life. il is "A curious and extraordinary
spectacle. Everybody puts On his
skates: the iniirm make Sledgcs serve
a. vehicles: children. seated in little
carriages. which they propcl bv the
use of sticks, dart among the legs Of
the skaters causing many a fall-,lroU
accidents at which one cannot help
laughing Grave people who would
fam resist 70 are drawn into the scriIn-
mage. Everybody Is excited bv the
Noise. gestures. talk. movement. There
IS Hstuiug comparable in this intox-
icatIgn with that Of the Italian carni-
walls
Moreover the gracious side is not
lacking Ia these scenes. 50 fuli of free
dom IF laisscr-aller, sometimes II
a. twni-hnrsS Skaters 81 wonderful
ocNtrrItv charm tine eve bv the ease
they know how 10 employ in executing
the greatest difficulties of their fayorite
exercise. and young men invite Young
girls for skating duet just as in the
drawius-rpomS they ask for waltz
d.
after dinner. charming girl. seventeen
or eighteen years 1T age. elegantly
clothed, started out Ilonc-her delicate
feet Swimming over the lee
She could not however, have lacked
,-irepauy in her evolutiou> had >h. de-
sired il: for she was the only daughter
nf th,. privatccr Van der Ea>~cu. one of
the wcalthie>t men ia Amsterdam
Eut. contrary Ia ITS wont. her sweet
face >eemrd peu~ivc. She had refused
the gallant invitations ~ an her fa- theirs
friends and avoided the society ~ her
customary companions
She ~6atvd distract and solitary in
the mia~t of the crowd. collision with
whom She avoided >SiIlullv. when sud
denly her eye lighted mp. her rosy check
toak On q r,,>icr tint. and "a >mil, half
Opened her little mouth at sight of
Young man simply dressed. but supple
and elegant. " ho was approaching her
on ths. point of one of his skates
.-sood-day. Jacquiue-"
.'t;,,oj-iav. Nicolas"
lie described "a narrow circle in order
t. es,1.e nearer to her. lie >eizci the
two hands she stretched out - him.
and. INTERVIEWING their arms. they
spun away together. rapidly. In a har-
mouJouS movement, away from the
crowd
They hal known each other for a
long time Nicolas van Eenshatiu was
very cordially received almost ike
rclafiv 1t the house ~ Van der Has
sen. although he was poor and ar arti-
san. But in those DAYS labor honorrd
the lalurer. ami. beside. Nicolas. a >ou
Of an officer IF the Marines. kilIei in a
naval combat, belonged 10 a good fam
ilv and had been well brought M
F5rsed bv necessity 10 enter into Some
industry. he had chosen profession
highly esteemed. and at this cpucF. alb
solutelv arti>tic-that of Silve- mith-
4 pupil Of Lutona-a maSter-h, was
full II talent and could in his turn have
BECOME patron had he possessed the re
sources Necessary to establish himself.
Unfortunately burdens which he had
generously assumed day by day con
summed hs> modest profits
Nueu the two Young people were at
little distance from the noisy crowd
they broke tine stiffness preserved until
now
II was Nicolas. who in a penetrating
and excited voice commenced thus.