Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-12-25
LITTLE DUTCH JAN VOWS
WAR IS AsCREAT THING
Evenrif Papa is Off with the
Army and, Mamma is Sad.
SchoolhOuses I'm Holland
are Barracks and Hours
OF Study are Short
ened


ened
Especial TO The Eagle From a Stall
Correspondent
S~cheveningen. Holland, November 5
Jan lie a little Dutch boy, and he's
very happy, because bis father, who
used to catch big, Shiny green fish 10
the North Sea out of a smelly boat, has
gone OF to the wars. Jan has a paper
hat made out OF one Of those indeci-
pherable Dutch newspapers, and a
rough wooden !sword Of splintering
possibilities, and he marches up to q
fountain, kicks of n wooden shoe,
and fills 1t to have a drink.
1 sat down on the gutter to watch
Jan, and :becauses he spotted me for a
foreigner, he stabbed me in the
stomach,i.with Iall the undiscrimin-
ating fury Of ten years. After that l
looked SO panied that he was stricken
with remorse, which changed to de-
light at the sight of q stick of red
candy, and we became great friends.
And even if one doesn't speak Dutch,
the gurgle of ten years is a universal
language, SO, unless you are only ten,
either in years or at heart, please don't
bother reading any further about JAMS
happiness at his fathers disappearance.
my fathers gone to the wars, /" said
Jan, smuggling up close to the candy
pocket. "He's a great big fellow, my
father is, and he wears a blue shirt,
and blue p~antaloons, and a blue hat,
just like the water. l guess that's SO
fishes can't see him when he leans
over his boat. The boats blue, too,
so are my mothers eyes"
And SO are yours, Jan, y said /,
.Am Little Dutch Boys Eyes Are
Blue" Says Jan.
$50 are all little Dutch boys" said
Jan, putting a chubby hand into the
pocket.
I'm the winter time my father goes
out In bis big boat, and the sea gets
very mad, because he catches SO many
fish, l guess. Don't you think that's
the reason? And my mamma she sits
at the window and series just like a
baby. But l don't cry cause I'm not
q baby, and besides my father, he
always comes back. Then he kisses
my mamma-they're very silly that
way-and they both laugh at me.
"When this wal came, l didn't want
my. papa to go at first. OF course,
he's not fighting eve now, cause we
Dutch don't fight unless we have to;
but he's got a uniform and a gun, and
it's just the same as fighting, isn't 1t?
You see, we haven't got much money,
my father and /, and he just has to.
keep catching fish 20 / can have my
pants and some real store shoes once
In a while, and besides my mamma
needs new dresses, too, at 81. Nicholas
time.
"sI've got to co. saidrmy father,
cause the Queen says SO, and | guess
what she says goes in this house,
"Myi Didn't my father lookl.fne In
his new blue coat and brass buttone!
But my mamma, she took his old blue
fishing shirt upstairs and cried over
it. Amt women funny.
nOf u it's hard now. We don't
have all the good things.to eat we used
to get, and I've got to wear these
wooden things ever on Sunday. We're
saving our money, that's what we're
doing. But Til show you the very
best thing of all. Come alongln
Jan got up, and hastily putting on
his shoe, which was still wet. scam
pered of down the street, brandishing
his sword. 1t was allnarrow street in
that part of lScheveningen, where the
fisherfolk live. Tidy housewives were
scrubbing their houses and others were
chattering, and Others, in shawl and
kerchief, were waddling with baskets
to the shops. Jan didn't mind them
at all. Dodging between fat rouw
and yellow-haired lmaidens-the latter
deeply e~ngrossed in marine love max
ing, he came at last into an open space.
.Therep he cried, and then grew
silent e. II he were still unable 70