Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-23

clude to go deeper. This causes the houses
in time to lean, and unfortunately they do
rot all take the same direction. There
seems 20 be a sort of architectural jam
boree, and in looking down one of the old
streets, one Is startled at the angles which
the house fronts make with the vertical
Some lean forward as If impatient to start
in a race across the city; others rear back
ward like an unwilling criminal dragged to
justice; some lean together like conspira-
tors, while others show an inclination to
separate from one another as though they
were school girls fresh from quarrel A
strangers first impulse is to exclaim Sure
ly these houses will some day fall" The
Holanders will promptly answer: But
they never do
The heavy material-tile-used for cover
ing the houses makes 1t necessary to have
steep roofs, hence, IN order not to waste
valuable space In high attics, the roofs all
extend in the direction of the length of the
house. placing the gable on the front and
he rear. Projecting from the comb of
practically every front gable there is a
covered beam carrying a heavy hook, on
which a pulley can be hung. This Is of
great value in moving furniture into or
out of the upper stories Of house In the
strict sense of the word flats are not
common in Holland, but in the larger cities
the majority Of the houses are four-storied
plying the two lower floors and the other
the two upper. Thus it is that all of these
houses have two front doors, one opening
directly into the hallway attached to the
lower apartment, while the other is at the
bottom of stairway whose upper end is
the hall of the apartment two stories up.
This upper house Is called 'Bovenhuis,"
from bowen" above.
The long stairway referred to makes
moving a difficult task If every piece of
furniture is carried up. But by having a
wide window in the center of the house for
each story, every article that is hoisted up,
with the aid of the pulley just referred to,
can be taken in through the window This
then obviates the necessity for having
wide, easy stairs. and since they would re-
qGire so much space, narrow, steep stairs
are the rule.
Domestic Duties.
Frequently this doubling up of families
in a single house is great convenience
Every morning all the loose rugs in a
house must be shaken. For this service
two strong girls are needed. hence If a
family keeps only one servant, it arranges
with the co-family for CO. peI alive shak-
ing. The intimacy between the two FAM
lilies may be very slight. but they will al
ways be ready to unite against their COM
mon foe, dirt. This carpet shaking is done
on the sidewalk, and the work furnishes
quite pleasing sight. In fact, nearly
every OulOOOf OCCupitlOn III winch the
Dutch girls are engaged furnishes an
agreeable spectacle. These prim girls are
dressed in striped ginghsms. and wear
dainty lace caps. They look as though
they were members of great army whose
uniform is fixed and invariaLle. It is true
that there is an option in the kind Of
stripes selected. and the shape of the cap
may differ-so does the uniform of the
various branches Of an army. In Holland
one notices a fondness for uniform. The
postman, Of course, Is uniformed; then,
too. the policeman and the fireman, who
always carries a coil of rope for emer-
gencies. but odder than all Is the dress of
the hired mourners.
Funeral Ceremonies.
AS in everything else, funerals are CLASH
fed, the classes being distinguished by the
hour Of interment and the rumber of hired
attendants. Sometimes as mary as twen-
ty of these s,lemn-faced, black-dressed and
silver-corded men may be seen walking be-
side the hearse or following 1t two abreast,
while behind each accompanying carriage
one rides footman. After burial these
men distribute to such acquaintance of
the deceased may live in the city no
tees of the demise.
l obtained one of these formal announce
ments. 1t was in two paragraphs. The
first stated in plaintve teIms that their be-
loved son, husband, father, brother and
brother-in-laW, Mr.. -, had fallen asleep
on such and such date. The second para
graph thanked the generous public for the