The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-17
Are These Dutch stories So?

Il bothers US now and then, when we are
reading fiction, to know whether or not
somstnlnR Ia 30. We have feeling deep
Gown that this concern Ia unwarranted and
foolish for what earthly difference can it
make after all? As we remember, rather
vaguely, there was a scene involving pigs,
AMI somewhat gross, in Mr.. Hardy's story
Of Jude the Obscure" Again we came
across pgs in a book of tales of Dutch
rea-ant life. MY Poor Relations, by Maar-
ten Martens Cd, Appleton 4 Coz. In the
story called Jan Hunkum's Money" here
included we read Of a Dreadful fellow who
heat a girl because she refused to help him
rob her father and who in the course Of
this abominable and violent business fell
into a pigpen, whereupon she bolted the
door on him. In the words Of the story
regar ding this unpleasant matter:
He struck her again and again, till,
wearied of his blows. or perhaps inflamed
hy them she ran upon his breast. between
his open arms. Under their double weight
rs they stumbled backward, the wretched
door e the pigshed swung open, and to-
gcther they rolled into the litter, among
the pigs. For moment they struggled
there amid grunts and squeakings; then
Suddenly she started up. leaped through
tie dim light Of the entry and shot the out
size bolt. She sank on her knees
She had never learnt to pray. but
she cried out to God to influence some
how-Fis tycuffs. Not that she believed
He could do it. Gradually the use
less petition died away; she lay against the
door in the drizzle. with a sickness SWELL
Ing at her throat. Presently human grunt
arose among he swinish ones grunt which
steadied to snore. Fist ycuffs had fallen
asleep. his head on rough pink belly. She
lay listening. and in The general appease-
ment her own passion sank to rest
This is altogether a queer tale. Its scene
Is the village of Hemel which is the Dutch
for heaven. The BARRIERS name was loop
Sloop-a strong tax on credulity. Jaap
Avis was a simpeton who found a form
which turned out to Re counterfeit. Fisty-
cuffs the bully who beat the enamored girl
and went to sleep in the plgren, said to the
barber: IN mash your potato nose into
pancake Joop Sloopl" Thereupon Barend
Fverts. the hero of the tale, the strongest
man in the village, took the hrawIer by the
tcr,ff Of the neck and thrust him from the
barber shop into outer darkness.
A shave in Hemel cost one cent and gin
vas as cheap as lather. Jan Hunkum was
an old fox, though we doubt if any other
fox ever bore such a preposterous name
He was miser. He was gloating at night
over his money, which consisted of gold
and hank notes and other brilliant stuff
when the hero burst into his dwelling and
told him that he ought to provide for the
heroine his natural daughter, Liza Brock,
the same whose unworthy lover. while
heating her. had fallen into the pigpen and
gone stertorously to sleep with his head
pillowed on pig. The hero suffered for
this adventure, but we are glad to say that
be came out all right in the end.
An absorbing story. after all, full Of rude
and vigorous incident, and we can hold our
heath at the drama and our noses at the
plgpen rart Of it, The Fair Lover" The
Mother" The Summer Christmas, "The
Minister'S Dog" and In EStremis" are the
titles Of some OF the stories that follow.
There are fourteen stories in ALL and we cal
assure the reader that he will get his moneys
worth.