The National tribune., 1909-12-30

Portable, and mine appeared to be quit
free from the objection to which l have
referred several times already-tho, for
that matter, all the rooms have seemed
perfectly all right at first-and then
went into breakfast, during which meal
we discussed plans for the day.
Amsterdam, favorite niece, was at
one time q think about the 10th CEN
tury) the richest town in Europe, and
it has had a great history, which you
must read UP, for it is not the purpose
Of these letters to instruct TO any alarm
ing extent, as you have doubtless dis
covered ere this. 1t is still the chief
money market in Holland and the head
quarters OF large shipping companies.
The city is filled with canals, some of
which are bordered by rows of hand
some houses. the narrow strip of land
being planted with trees. The canal in
front of our hotel was filed with boats,
which were constantly loading and un-
loading. These ''Grachten," as they call
them, divide the city into 80 islands,
which are connected by nearly 900
bridges, some of which are of stone,
but the majority of wood and iron. so
constructed that small vessels can pass
thru. The water in these canals is
about three feet deep. and to prevent
sickness 1t is constantly renewed from
the North Sea, while at the bottom is
thick layer OF mud. which is cleaned
out every little while by drcdgers. The
houses are built of red brick, and look
terribly well built and substantial. /
understand they all rest on Il founda-
ton of piles. and ! think l have read
somewhere that when the great schol-
ar, Erasmus. said he knew city where
the inhabitants lived on the tops of
trees like rocks. he meant Amsterdam.
The people have very neat little ar
rangement by means of which they can
tra s.ifH ttaa NJ h
of an invading army. ] suppose they
retire themselves to their upper stories
during this period of bad walking. The
city presents very quaint and pic
turesque appearance on account of
these canals. which seem to be on
every street U do not remember a sin
gle house which was not on canaD,
but l do not call it a pretty city. AS
more land has been needed from time
TO time, some of these have been filled
up, and when the project of filling in
the ZuiderZee. upon which Holland is
now engaged, is completed the area of
the city will be much increased.
Amsterdam's chief attraction for
Elizabeth and me. however. was the
famous Ryks Museum, which, in addi-
ton to its regular museum collection,
is one of the best-known picture gal
leries in Europe. 1t is here that the
very finest Rembrandts are to be found,
together with some of the best speci-
mems of the work OF Rubens, Van Dyke,
Teniers, Frans Halls, Van Ostade, Jan
Steen, Albert Cuyp and all the others
of that wonderful group of Dutch paint
ers of the 18th century, whose brushes
were inspired by the period of peace
and tranquility which followed the
successful termination of her so years
struggle with Spain. This collection Of
pictures of the Dutch school is next to
that at The Hague. the finest in Hol-
land and, of course, the world.
i cannot tell you, favorite niece, how
much / enjoyed these. Elizabeth and
1 spent the entire day in the gallery,
getting something to eat at noon in a
lunch place in the basement. These
old Dutch fellows were such splendid
coiorists. They thought, they expressed
themselves in color; that is, in the deli
cate gradations of it. There were a
great many large pictures, representing
scenes in Hollands history, in which
the coloring was magnificent. The
small ones of Jan Stcen, who seems to
have been sort of Dutch Hogarth,
generally drinking or carousing scenes
were remarkable in color and in the
fine detail work. The landscapes of
Van Ruysdael were exquisite. There
were so many Frans Halls that you be-
came bewildered and hardly more than
glanced at any. But of course. the
which were really gems of purest raw
serene, were those painted by that
prince of colorists. Rembrandt, and il
was before two large canvases of the
Might Watch" and the Directors of
the Guild of Clothmakers'' that Eliza
beth and l really spent most of our
time. We would go away from these
for awhile and look at the other pic
lures, always returning, however, for
another period of speechless wonder
and delight in their marvellous color
and charm. Favorite niece, the Might
Watch" is beyond words. Rembrandt's
coloring had a marvellous richness
which no other painter ever quite got
The might Watch is in browns and
yellows. In the foreground of the pic
ture stand the Captain of the watch in
dark brown costume, and next to him
his Lieutenant. in a bright, rich, yellow
jacket. Upon these two the brilliant
sunlight falls. and the shadow Of the
Captains hand can be distinctly seen
on the Lieutenant's yellow coat. The
other figures in the picture are spirited
and interesting, and the rich brown
and yellow tones pervade the whole.
put It u the two figures in the fore