Washington sentinel., 1898-09-03
Dutch Manners.
GkBs

helmina rs so close at hand tina
there is naturally a prevailing in
terest in all things Dutch. Tn
artist may linger in Amsterdam Il
wonder at "The Night Watch;
the florist NAV linger arnid th,
tulips OF Harlem; but the averag,
English traveller allows about +;
week, the average American thIe,
days to "do" the land OF fat pas
lures and OF world famed cleanli
ness. lis expensive and it is small
so the tourist hurries on, and take:
little note of the doings of society
oil the home life of a rich and pros
porous people. There is only one
fashionable place in Holland - the
Hague. Now the Hague, with it:
queer mouldy odors, does not give
an impression of gaYety to the
average visitor. 1t is an acquired
taste; but, once acquired, it is apt
to be abiding, tor it is p ssible for
a girl, at any rate, to have a re-
markably good time between
Scheveningen and Het den Bosch.
The Dutch girl is not
kept meuVed up in convent; if not
so graceful as a French women,
she is by no means so dowdy as a
German Fraulein. She is often
pretty, and not always after the
plump rosy order. When Henry
the Eighth dismissed poor Anne
OF CleVes as great Flanders mare,
he forestalled the nearly invariable
verdict. There is, however, a
choice type that tells its own rom
antic story of love amid the bitter
est hatred. Some Of the swarthy
Spaniards who were so stately and
so cruel, must have wooed and
won the sweet, demure ancestres-
ses of certain dark eyed maidens
OF to-day, and left charming leg
acy OF Spanish beauty behind them.
The Dutch girl is not often bril-
liant, but she is very tolerably edu-
Gated and good lInguist.
A Dutch wedding is a porten
tous business. Smart Holland does
its devotions in barn like French
Protestant churches. The we'd
ding service is mournful to a de-
gree, and lasts two hours. The
bridegroom, in full evening dress,
and the bride, in orthodox white
satin. sit upon chairs in front Oft
black robed minister. He delivers
an extempore address fairly brist
ling with personalities. Mean
while relations sob in pews, until
finally everyone who can prove the
remoteSt connection with the bride
kisses her. Next follows a tre-
mendous breakfast in French style,
1t is ds TtgNeHr for all the friends
OF the bride to send her in morning
a bouquet or basket Of white flow.
ers plentifully ribboned. With
numbers Of these a very gay effect
is produced, though the Dutch are
lamentably bshind the times in
table decoration and posy making.
With the advent ofthe kOTS d'gAVrs
come speeches. The brides
brother or other delegate FIRST rings
a small hand bell. Then, amid a
silence broken by the cheerful
clinking of knives and forks, a
health is proposed. Then comes
quaint postscript to this very ordi.
nary ceremonial. Ladies and gen.
tlemen alike rise frc m their seats,
and, solemnly hlling up to the per-
son toasted, touch his glass with
their own. After a score OF
speeches the thing gets monoton-
Gus, but il is carried out to the bit.
ter end. ANY person omitted
would feel aggrieved. In Holland
1t is the family before everything.
A leading barrister was recently
compelled to throw up an impor-
tant case in order to attend the
birthday dinner party OF an aged
father who lived three hours dis
tant by rail
The Dutch are excellent hus-
bands, but quite preposterously
jealous. An Englishman who
found himself in a pa rty consisting
almost entirely OF assorteo couples,
Ventured to pay few compliments
and mild attentions to a charming
young married lady. He even had
the assurance to include her in a
general offering 81 roses made to
the company. The husband was
furious. He cancelled a previ-
ously given dinner invitation, and
there were awful rumors that,
though duels are now very rare,
he desired to challenge the often
der, who wisely placed the sea
between himself and his would
be opponent Until
quite lately a low cut dinner dress
was unknown, but an imitation Of |
England has supervened here
as in so many other respects. |
class Holland is still fifty |
years behind the times. Il has
touches OF analogy with life in
England in the era Of John Leech.
and is just rococo enough 10 give
a pleasing sense OF old worldness
to the jaded tourist. tired, as so |
many Of US are, OF what is eternalIy |
up to date. 1t will, no doubt, be |
to note the changes that |
will be effected by the bright |
young sovereign whose position,
so reminiscent OF that Of our own
liege lady, makes English eyes in
clined to regard her with an especi-
allY sympathetic interest.
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SELF -DOCToRING BY SOLDIERS
The wounded in a modern land |
L.AAIn Ill nAn. II l.. i