Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1908-191?, 1910-09-22

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sides Of his canals. he works by in.
stinct rather than by design. and
shows himself to be possessed Of
feeling for proportion and line which
is impeccable.
IL is this innate suggestion OF beau.
" and rightness In the canal life OF
the country that gives to the wonder
iul calm OF the landscape It's crown.
ing glory. Flat pastures sweep out
on all sides to a far horizon where
lines and colors stand out with singu.
lar clearness and brilliance. Sleek
Dlack and white cattle are confined
TO their rightful meadows by smaller
canals which serve as hedges for the
people have put their mastery over
the water to practical uses at every
turn. We are shaded by tall trees
that are set along either side OF the
ROAD, and we know that we are I'm n
iand OF peace, where hurry and clamor
would be unseemly. And yet in all
this benign quietude there is nothing
iethafgic' for always with us are the
great canals with their procession of
me- quiet and slow. but resolute and
unyielding. For variety and richness
the English landscape is unapproacb.
aole' yet in this thing a contrast "a
not unlnteresting. AS we 20 through
our highways and lanes and wood.
i"hus we snail find all the beauty and
peace but the one thing that we shall
often miss is movement and life which
Is wholly in tune with the surround.
lhgs and is. SO to speak. essential
10 the life of the nation as a whole
trains may he this last, but they de.
stroy the calm instead of emphasizipp
IT, Motorcars are both discordant
ana lnessential. Even the pleasure
Ooats on a river lend a suggestion of
arunclality. A team on the plougb.
lands. shepherd folding his sheen a
neld or haymakers or reapers ONLY I'm
these do we find the i,te that ia in
exact accord with the scene. and these
we can only find at intervals. In
holland, on the other hand. I'm places
the most remote from cities and the
sound OF markets and commerce we
ma always the feeling OF seclusIon
anu restfulness heightened and
'ouched TO sense of vitality by the
canals and their full-sailed barges
These canals triumphantly redeem
the physical characteristics of the
country from the charge of dullness
Holland in its general features is I'm.
deniably quaint but quaintness has a
charm which is not enduring. After
while we begin to tire OF the souare.
ness and orderliness. and to look upon
What appeared to be individuality at
hrst as eccentricity. We grow a little
uncomfortable in the land of I,illinut
and fret for change and some match
OF wildness. But Of the canals wa
never weary. for In them we SEQ tho
expression OF nations character
nodded through centuries NJ s,,rr,na
and honorable history. We remember
the Dutch proverb: God made the
sea- we made the shore" and we feel
that these waterways are mot onlv
beautiful and charged with color ana
atmosphere, but symbolical OF a peo.
pies greatness.
The Dutch painters. through whom
the national genius has found IT'S most
forcible and enduring expression. have
realized very completely this strange
blend OF calm and strength. To>IooL
at one OF their portrait groups OF sav
body OF hospital governors Is to
understand at once that these non
conducted their business thoroughly
and well, but scornful Of undignifed
haste, and for untroubled repose Van
der Meer's picture Of Delft I'm the col
lery at The Hague could not weIl no
surpassed In the great Dutch paint.
ings we do not find the tranquillitv os
the open places and luxuriant baunts
OF nature, but the deep calm of strong
life sober and not highly imaginative
bat entirely satisfying in its degree.
The rise and fall of nations is q
phenomenon still unaccounted for and
constantly recurring. We know tbat
Rome step by step rose TO a splendor
the glory Of which is immortal. but
we cannot grasp the secret OF this
splendor's decay or OF the decline or
the other great civilizations OF the
world. We can but accept the fact
and wonder at the ruined and vet
noble monuments OF their greatness
that still stand as at once a memorv
and an inspiration. When the time
comes that the peoples OF western
Europe have also passed into the
shadow OF dead glories, we too shall
leave something of our works to bear
witness to greatness that has gone.
But Holland will be but recorded
history to the new nations OF far.otf
ages. The sea will have prevailed.
and the great canals, which are as
truly the essential expression OF a res.
olnte and heroic people as are the
palaces OF Venice or the Acropolis OF
the Greeks, will have perished and
will bear no testimony.