Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-11-13

canal, manned by Americans. armed
with heavy batteries of kodaks. A
half dozen children from the island
come to town for holiday, stood on
the quay to see US off-girls in their
queer red and spangled bodices and
skirts and headdress; a little boy,
more girl than boy in appearance: an
old youth of 10, with a pipe in his
mouth and the wind luttering in the
trousers of a bow-legged father. more
terrible than an army with banners.
How quaint! How unique." shrieked
the Americans. A broadside from the
kodaks was exploded in their very
faces. The gawky girls and the awful
youth were in no way daunted.
'Moonie!" he exclaimed, "moonie,"
prophetic and significant request
couched, of course, not at French or
German, but in English-American
you might almost say. These fellow
Americans of ours upon the boat were
the first that we had seen for some 10
days-queer-looking things they are.
too, these Americans, when you don't
see them much-copper complexion,
sharp faces and after you have heard
a week or two the great mushy mouth
fuls of English vowels, how their
voices do go through you! You can
appreciate, almost, how Rudyard
Kipling gets the idiotic universal dia-
lect formula, which Unfortunately
sets all Americans meowing like mid
night cats. These specimens OF course
were evidently doing the right thing
IN the right way at the expense of
| considerable personal heroism. The
| soft green shores went by; then
hotels and shopping. How did you
find Paris?' 1--WE liked it exceeding
ly.' "Oh, look, mamma, here is a
windmill" ooh, indeed" How
quaint" How unique!" Crack goes
the broadside Of the kodaks. Score l.
WELL" continues mamma to the west
ern woman, did you find things so
cheap there as you expected" We'll
no. | was little disappointed" "Oh,
mamma, here's another windmill -
ooh, how quaint" How unique, -
| Crack goes another broadsire of the
kodaks. Score 2. And as for four
buttoned gloves, 1 finally decided l
/ could do just as we'll right at home in
| Potoka."
It had cleared nova lovely, soft,
misty morning, with sunlight in the
center Of the sky and at the edges of
the horizon across the bright green
fields dim, hazy clouds, with small
white thunderheads showing through
them-a characteristic Dutch atmos-
! phere. Occasionally as the day went
! by We got little Of it on us. We
passed through a couple of locks, by
various craft in the canal two old
men harnessed to canal boat, and
came at length to Brock in Water
land, the first place where the steam
er stopped. We were now some six
feet below the level Of the sea; the
lower meadows beside US were IS feet
below. Along the entire way you
saw the roofs Of the farm-houses-
little red yramids-peering above
the dllIeS. 1t was to see one of these
places that We stopped here. We
walked through the main street of the
little town, across it's maiarious little
bitches, covered with green growth, to
a dwelling on the other side. We had
seen one form Of the dear old stable
home in Ireland; here was another
more approved example The Dutch
family gathers back again not at the
old familiar hearthstone, but about
| the dear old family hay stack The
center of the Dutch farmhouse is
built primarily for the stack; that's
what the picturesque high roof is
practically a cover for a haymow On
! the front side are the two or three
rooms Of the family; at the left the
dairy; on the other two sides of the
stack the cattle-that is during the
winter months. Just now it is all
swept and garnished for the summer
time. We saw the process of making
and pressing the little round cheeses:
and inspected the living-rOOms. The
| features Of the latter were a magnif-
cent old cupboard and the sleeping
compartments. When you go to bed
IN Holland you retire into your own
alcoVe. There are curtains in it.
sometimes; sometimes wooden doors,
Ii you choose, you can just button
yourself up in a cupboard and break
into a deep, deep sleep. Baby is
overhead in a sort of manger, cross
ways of your feet. So here the
whole family lies together in a few
square feet Of space. You hear much
about the cleanliness Of the Dutch; it