New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-16

NAV dine or not dine as Providence anu the he"u
waiter shall decree
Everything at Ostcnd. like the villas and the
Kursaal, is public, with or without payment az
the case may be, and everybody on ucrnS "a
intimacy with everybody else. The immense
sands 90 far out TO sea at low water, and at high
water The sea comes amiably up to the very foot
Of the Dioue. and battles the foundations on which
the houses rest. / can throw stone from my
balcony 10 the beach below / do not, because
II Xvould be sure to hit somebody If did. There
arc Thousands of bathers and loungers the ANNA
tion is admirable the sound OF human voices ana
of laughter pours in at my windows; the children
cover the sands il is impossible Tor any pace "
be more cheerful; life and movement are every
where The costumes are gay Nowhere III Eng
land can you find a spot where people give Clehi,
selves up so completely 10 Delng merry anu
natural the elders are as natural and easy as the
children: nothing could surpass the simplicity OF
these good Belgians; stoid though it sometimes
be- They speak-it is singular they should, DuV
they do-their native language, which Is noC
language pleasing to the unframed foreign ear
Ii sounds thick and but impcrfectly artlculateu'
vet do they who speak il seem TO understand H.
So / should think would the aborignes of Sou'n
Africa; such Of them as the progress OF clVlii]"-
ton has spared
I'D on the sands where flags Of all nations may ne
bought; you may buy the Stars and Stripes IL you
like: there are almost as many of them as OF inc
perpendicular bars of black, yellow and red when
are the colors of Belgium itself. Beside 'he
bathing machines which are painted each WIN d
sharply triangular up and down pennant OF reu vi
green. there are canvas shelters to which 1amllieo
betake themselves for the day; square, shaIo"
handkerchef-bo tilted on end And tnere arc
the tough old salts who offer you their services
for dip in the sea-a sea SIX inches ueeP-in
uniforms of deep-red shirts and red trousers "ith
black sailor-hats and the number of each in black
on blazing white disk hanging at one size below
the belt. You can see them mile OIL
So you can not few Of the fairer Belglahs. L
call them all Belgians, and doubt whether the
beholder can readily discriminate between L ~li-
ings and Walloons Tor between the jewellers IN
Brabant and the jewellers in Liege A type pre-
walls be its origin what it may the good-natured
face. most often o blond with blue-gray eyes, the
features careessly finished, the complexion high,
the mouth large and always open for speech or
laughter the figure rather short, often good' al
most always substantial; the walk and gesture
free the department. of these damsels, devoid OF
over-shyness; frank and honest the glance OF
the blue-gray eyes direct enough, with touch OF
coquetry too.
There are others than Belgians OStend.
observes the accurate Baedeker-it shall be my
only ouotation-is one of the most fashionable
and COSMOPOLITAN watering-placeS in Eu-
rope Cosmopolitan, no doubt, but II there
be much fashion here il holds aoof. There is much
less. / should say, than at Dieppe-the delightful
Dieppe-or at Trouville, which would be delightful
too if it were more bracng Or perhaps the fashion
of the Low Countries and Of Germany differs
from the fashion of England and of France, and
is less easily recognizable. There must DC many
persons here of high degree The King OF the
Belgans is here, and the Queen and the Princess
Clementine They have a palace at the extreme
western end Of the town a simple building enough
in style, but of great extent, and perched on
high mound which looks like the embanlInent
of an uncompletcd railroad. The King is popu-
lar; all the royalties in Belgium are popular
They greeted him on Saturday with tOrchhght
procession a mile long; procession Of illuminated
transparcncics emblazoned with the most loyal
designs and loyal notices; in French and In
Flemish: a procession of Chinese lanterns, Of
Bengal lights, of brass bands and of guilds and
associations of workmen 1t filed the terrace from
the Palace to the Kursaal, and coming out of
the Kursaal il seemed as it, since you went in, the
terrace had been hung with lanterns and fireworks.
These fine spectacleS are amusing while they last.
They march past and vanish, and the people van
ish, and you are left alone with the sea, and the
starlight and the shadows of great ships on the
horizon G. W. ,.