The Dolores star., 1906-02-09
Especial Correspondence

Belgium Is really peopled by two
distinct races, and there could not be
a greater contrast than between the
stolid, blue-eyed blondes of Teutonic
origin, who live in the northern prov
inces, and the nervous. gay and dark
eyed descendants of the Gauls. who
are the Inhabitants OF the southern
part Of the kingdom. 1t seems strange
that ancient, interesting Bruges,
Client and Antwerp are sister cities to
brilliant, progressive Brussels, which
Is often compared to Paris; and yet
the thSifty, vivacious. pleasure-loving
people OF southern Belgium and the
ponderous. phlegmatic natives Of the
north mingle in a friendly way at
their common capital, where each is
represented in the administration OF
public affairs.
We. passed few days at Antwerp,
then went on to Brussels, and a more
thorough transformation cannot be
imagined. Each has her own charm.
have always been averse to compari-
sons. for the trait which appeals t.
me more strongly than another is ir.-
dividuality. Persons and cities ani
'hhSo WuiSh arc uldIhcu Will tISS
characteristic stand alone in my mind.
Cologne's cathedral is grander. you
may say. All, yes. but Antwerp has
her own cathedral, which is different,
and her Rubens also.
Rubens' Famous Painting.
Sunday morning We entered TIE
cathedral by the south transept, es-
pecially to see the celebrated pictures
of Rubens. The Descent from the
Cross" ranks second in the ten world
pictures; both this and THE Elevp-
tion to the Cross" are painful subjects
but the masterful stroke is nndeni
able Both are wing pictures and
occupy the wall spaces opposite each
other in the north and south tran
septs THE Assumption of the VIZ
gin" hangs in the high altar of the
cath adral, but the eye scarcely wall
ders from the descent, which has been
so f.rcibly portrayed. The pulpit and
choir. stalls are beautiful specimens Of
wood carving, which art still flour
ishes in Belgium.
Tie streets of the city are narro
and uninteresting, and 1t is hard to
realize that no other city equaled the
splendor and wealth of this one until
the covetous Spaniard brought de-
strultion to its palaces and buildings
and cruelty massacred it's inhabitants.
Nothing in history is more revolving
than the sack of Antwerp by this ma
tionnlity. Think of it-in three days
time 5000 Of her people mere mur-
dered. while hundreds of bodies were
piled in the streets! The Spanish SOL
diers forgot they were human. The
blackened walls of hundreds of ma
BILE palaces were all that remained Lf
past glory. In 1868 the city had a
population of 125,000. Twenty years
later her inhabitants numbered only
$4,000. Under the reign Of Leopold II.
she is fiourishing once more, and now,
besides being such prosperous sea
port. she has one of the strongest
fortresses on the continent.
Those who are fond of art should
not pass hurriedly through Antwerp,
for the Royal Art museum here con-
tains many treasures and a collection
of fully 800 paintings. which are the
finest in the world of the masterpieces
of Flemish art. The Rubens collec-
tions fills an entire room in the center.
In The Netherlands the air seems
freighted with art, just as it is in Italy.
and yet the two schools are very un-
like. While the imaginative Italian
painted saints and angels and mar
tyrs, the practical Dutchman and
Flemish artist brought out everyday
life in vivid scenes upon the canvas.
Van Dycks fame equals that Of his