The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-08
GOOD PICTURE Of
DUTCH RURAL LIFE
LITTLE FOLKS MUST DUPLICATE
PARENTS ATTIRE OR BE OUT
OF FASHION.

Washington. d. c., March IA
pleasing picture of Dutch life is drawn
by Mrs. Florence Craig Albrecht in a
paper prepared for the National Geo.
graphic Society. in which she des-
cribes the tidy housewife, shows how
the little girls exactly duplicate their
mothers in dress and the little boys
must be apparelled exactly like their
fathers or be hopelessiy out of fashion.
The writer shows how formerly
every one OF Hollands many islands
and most OF her many towns had their
own particular and distinctive dress.
and how. even to this day. In little
country less than fourth as big a.
Ney York, one may recognize the
places from which many people come
by their costumes. She draws pic
ture of the Walcheren DANES who
drive TO the butter market at Middle
burg. descend from their wagons and
chaises with much shaking of volumin-
Gus skirts and aprons much patting of
their comely Dutch caps, and much
smoothing OF wrinkled laces.
When the farmers wife comes to
town she replaces her workaday apron
with one of black sateen.A says Mrs.
Albrecht. almost as long and fun
as her skirts: 1t la close shirred at the
waist in many fine. even rows. Her
bodice is black likewise: but shield
shaped tucker is frequently OF gay
colors. and the sleeve is but an apoi-
ogy, ending far above the elbow in a
broad and very Eight black velvet
band
with all their occurrences OF dress
and bearing, the Dutch girls are fond
Of banter and fun Ask one her name
and she is likely to answer that her
mother can tell it better than sho
can, as Mother knew 1t first" She
has no objection to your knowing her
name. but she is great tease at all
times, says the writer.
"A tiny maid of four, wee laddio
unable to speak plainly. wear precise
lly the same costumes as mother ana
father--full. long, black skirts. white
cap. gold spiral, coral beads, and apron
cor the one; black cloth or velvet
I ousers and jacket. much adorned with
silver buttons. silver-buckled shoes.
and queer black hat for the other.
| Care ~ to Dress.
THE tiny baby pats and smothes ana
settles its many wide skirts, adjusts
its beads, and feels Its gold spirals.
Ito be quite sure they are all as they
ought to be. with as much care a.
its mother. IL must be confessed that
this anxiety of dress is much more
developed in baby girls than In boys.
Perhaps IL Is only another example OF
masculine conceit. this seeming indiff-
erence. The little boer. as the country
boys are called, may think that he
cannot fall to look we'll under any
circumstances and his principal pur-
pose seems TO be to have his hat
tilted over his eye as just fathers
angle. But the little girl simply must
know that her cap is straight and
her skirt even and unwrinkled before
she can be happy"
| According to Mrs. Albrecht. many
of the women and men of Holland
proclaim their adherence to Catholic
lam or Professionalism by their dress.
The lace cap coming down smooth and
straight. and ending squarely across
the shoulders denotes the Protestant
woman. The Protestant gentleman
wears his beaver hat with brim rolled
up all around: the Catholic gentleman
turns his down in front to form =
visor.
/ "The Zealand farmer takes kindly
to progress says the author. In
spite of his conservatism in the mat
ter of costume. American farm ma
chinery stands In many a farmyard:
and ne has quickly adopted the Amer
Jan bicycle. the American alarm clock.
the American street car. and tho
American telephone"