Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-08-16
DUTCH CANALS IN WINTER.

4 tUNl " was WHY uNtfttus w Wv wv
little boys aud girls skating to school
aud colilding with aggressive batche
boys having meat trays on their heads
The ro-y color of the cheek. at tn
Amsterdam young ladies, NJ they to-
sped up aud down the more selec
canals, swept, and furnished will
chairs for their SWEET ser,ice) also prov
ell a feature Of attraction had hardl
dared to hope for.
The famous harbor of the capital Was
of course, cloggci "io the rimes.
Looking over its spacious waterway
whether towards the Zuyder Zse %
Zsandam, the prevalent stiffness of th'
big stcsIners which studded Il WAS Yer,
remarkable. Some of them snorted nov
aud then, ~ 10 10 proclaim their disgu.
with the frost; but II was futile rebel
lion. The Icy Wind was adding decln,l'
of an inch to the thickness of the har
bor's Jacket every minute. II SCOT
strung my moustache With icicles whei
! csssyed to speed toward Lsandam-
that celebrated village where Peter tn
Grat put on the masquerade OF q me
chanic.
u brought tear. Into the eyes to skai'
sgainst the wind In the direction oI
Zsandam; and though the distance u
but seven mllc-, an hour WAS none tos
much Tor II. The low hanks of the rive
we're simply no protection. IT. rcgi
ments of ~indmlll. might, had they beet
sma.s.d, have served as q fine, u limited
.tocksdc. Hut set along the rcc'i,
shores Que by one. like .entim.l., the,
were only haunting irrltstion.. rh'
whlrl ~ their ssIl. seemed to get AZ the
brain by way of the salt Wind, aud "a
make ones ideas ani thoughts whirl Ia
sympathy.
There was an Ice carnival at Zaindan
---as everywhere .l.. In Holland, and sp
par,ntly upon every day In the week
The little town swsrmed with Amsier
damers Who had skated over. iis chlei
hotel, by the harhor side. fumcsi viii
red b,ef.tcak.; aud young men and
maiden. sat aide by side at their San
culinary rrpa.ts, their feet still s'udde,
With the beloved curves. The demand
for bocks Was lncr..snt. Outside, too
the excitement wAs Immense. Banners
flutt.rvd from Venetian masts, and ener
g,tic gentlemen werc conducting th'
heats ~ racing competitors canii'
date. being stolid, fat boys, who, wheu
they stumbled snd fell, bounced afrcsi
into pcrIspdicularity az u they wcr,
things of Indis-rubber.
Peter the Great. house Il not much "a
see. u la merr hut In back street
The Inscription on IL, Nothing l. too
small for the great man." ought Ia be- :
huge comfort to CONSIDERATIONS tsilOrs
tine f,ncics that the opposite maxim,
Nothing I. too great for the small man,
has had quite its share ~ ,erihcatlon In
the history of the world. The green
wood 4 villa. of the little town. With
their qusint names ("l.efr.shmcnt,
Leisure" "lIspplne.s," and the like),
interest more than Peter the Great.
house.
The rcturn Ia Amsterdam, with the
Nind three points out % four behind
ws. lovely. II WAS now that perceived
Why the .tumpy little Dutch boys wore
such very roomy trousers. The rascals
used them ~ sails, aud pretty iigurc ol
fun they were a. they scudded az about
fft-cn mile. an ho az, With their hands
to their unmentionable., but never Z
.mirk on their faces. There's no hoy In
all creation 90 engagingly IN grim ear
nr,t 4. the butch boy. Imagine AZ
.oon as b. can rad hc take. very much
Ia heart the sober bat encouraging me.-
.sgr. oi the moral copybook. Whatever
be does, b. means II to be well done.
That makes him the most fascinating
absardity 90 br found anywhere. II be-
doe. not die sn East lndla millionaire
or leading batter merchant, II will not
be his fault.
Hut one must not stay In Amsterdam
Ia get the true flavor of Dutch winter.
The snow aud lce alike there soon ac-
qulr, the conventional grimy hue We
know .o we'll. The people, too, though
With n strong individuality, have q touch
Of co.mopolitanlsm la their manner.
which l. commonplace. The thing Ia
do, therefore, IL Ia skate right away Ia
frie.land-thc home, ssy the frie.-
land.rs, of the cleyercst skaters In the
world. Il Il an lnnoccnt little brsg aud
they may well hc forgiven for II.
iyseuwsrlen, the capital, IL bright
little r-i-bricked town having a gooi
many pleasant houses With graduated
fscsdes. For the msn Who wants but
ter or beasts IL may be regarded ne an
earthly paradise. The number ~ the
latter aud the pounds ~ the former here
sold la public market per snnum sre
astounding. The sleek butter aud beast
merchant. themselves inh,blt assuming
villas In q quarter of their own, aud
from the outside, even In winter, the
glimpse. of the tropical plants aud nick
mack. of their villas were very alluring
In my Ignorance ! had fancied frie.-
land might prove a tribe barbtrous la
matter. ga.tronomic. hut at I.eeuwsr-
den II was not so. True, with the roast
mutton they served roast chestnuts In q
butterboat; the beefsteaks were also
raw stewcd pears accompanied boiled
fowl. aud the pudding seemed built
upon basis of llluorice. These, how
ever. are trivial eccentricitles, aud
gladly proclaim that II Il Impossible Ia
.tarye In the land.
Ia the villages whittier ] sped on
skates things were naturally at n less
luxurious pitch. Hut bread aud cheese
aud gingerbread were never lacking at
the little canal side inns; aud Of the
national schadpps there seemed no end.
One does not like to think Of acquiring
the habit of tossing on q thimbleful of
neat gin every hour or an. Yet that u
what did, the gin-selling woman gen.
orally standing by With her red hands
ON her yielding sides, aud dim, Dutch
sort of menaclng expression on her face
the while. The genial cold aud the
brisk exercise fostered the appetite for
strong drink. and we're, OF course, a bar
to the likelihood of intoxication.
The days were the same. one after the
other. 4 frost of some five aud twenty
degrees during the night. At half past
eight In the morning the walter entered
my bedroom with Jug of hot water,
wherewith 10 thaw the Ice Of the wash
hand basin. At niue q crowd of hungry,
vigorous gentlemen triied Justify with
the rolls and cheese, the butter, ssu-
.sges, aud raw ham which adorned the
breakfast table. While they ate they
auarreled over the newspaper reports Of
the latest skating competition, and pro-
tested one against another that, under
fair conditions, they could severally beat
the various champions. by half past
nine or earlier was at the canal side,
either sitting on q chair hired for a
farthing, or the gunwsle ri an imprison.
ell boat, and boring my boots Ia the
presence Of rosy checked boys and girls
and phlegmatic old folks who did moi
spare their tongues. Then on and away
under the clear blue sky, across the
miles Of nst country, With nothing In
.lght but fields Of snow and windmilis--
With, perhaps, the shining vane Of &
saddle-baeked or splrcd church here Of
there In the distance.