month, and so escape sacking. Thence- machines and bobbing bathers in dismal forth births in Haarlem are celebrated by sack-like dresses to see; and little Dutch what has now become an ornament on the children playing about with their English doors, called a klopper. Hugo brought or Swiss nurses. The talk around is wonforth their family one to show me. Aderfully polyglot. The Dutch use their square of lace with his coat of arms finely own language by nature; but almost as embroidered and edged with exquisite old often speak, and they assure me think, in Mechlin. This is lined white for a girl, French, from habit, their second nature. half in pink for a boy. Fastened over To know it is a polite necessity, like havwood, it was hung out by day, and care-ing a visiting-dress; and only old-fashfully goffered again at night. The Jews-ioned people would dream of sending the plague here of all curio-fanciers invitations otherwise than in French, and scenting out every bit of old silver, lace, indeed many more familiar letters. china, or carving in cottage or family seat to English, I can remember no one of our Ι came sniffing around his klopper with acquaintance who did not know it a little, vainly large offers for the Mechlin when many, like my kinsfolk, excellently well, last it was hung out. and they like to "practise on all occasions. Most know German, too; some, perhaps, Italian. As Several mornings we used to start early for Zaandvoort in the coureuse, or stanhope Jacqueline driving us along the Driving home in time to dress for dinstraight road, bordered by trees, through ner, most likely some neighbors pay an the downs, or dunes. These lie like a evening visit afterwards, and stay chattroubled sea of sand-hills all along the ting till nine or ten o'clock. In summer coast, covered with sparse green and cop- this is the favorite hour for callers, and pice. They are divided into shootings, the terrace is gay with laughter and voices said to be fair as to partridges and pheas- in the warm evenings. But it was getting ants, and very good for wild duck and dark now to stroll out from Haarlem, or rabbits. Lonely and sheltered, with fresh the environs. One day we saw a peasants' sea-air and sweet copse scents, the downs wedding passing the gate, a procession are pleasant to ramble in through a sum- bound on the gala drive that follows the mer's day, taking one's lunch in a basket, civil and religious ceremony. There were as the Lindenroede household do. Near fifteen to eighteen little yellow-varnished the coast, sandy tracts are carefully and gigs (or chaises, as they call them), the anxiously planted with coarse grass-tufts, whips and the plaited long manes and each only a foot apart, for this grass bind-tails of the horses adorned with ribbons ing the loose sand against cruel winds and flowers; an orange horse-cloth hangforms the bulwark of the land. Zaand- ing behind the gig. First came the bestvoort is the smaller, quieter rival of fash- man and bridesmaid; next the happy pair ionable Scheveningen, a few miles down in a more ornamental "tilbury" than the the coast; and all the pleasanter to my following pairs. Each man drives on the mind for being so much less frequented. left side with his right arm round his maidPassing through the old fishing village en's waist, taking "toll" at all bridges, with its wooden houses, we leave the and throwing sugarplums at the gazers coureuse, and go down on the deep sands. the villages. The old folk follow four toHere sitting in big basket seats, like por-gether in larger covered yellow chaises ters' chairs, to keep off the wind, we watch shaped like poke bonnets with glass sides. the low, grey sea; the big fishing-smacks N. B. "Some little tilburys have caps, called pincks hauled up ashore with too," Jacqueline remarks to me, "but their wooden fins, and their blue pennons these are only for married people! No flying; the fishwives with their lace caps unmarried peasant girl or boy ventures to and curved straw bonnets, peculiar to drive in such." The peasants end their themselves, and long aprons, with a stripe drive with a dinner somewhere, and diveratop always of a different stuff, why, no sions. But as the latter are the same as at one knoweth. The fishermen wear blue a servant's wedding, I can describe them shirts, and crimson serge trousers, often for both. At Lindenroede, the last serrolled up to the knee, as they go about vant's wedding was minus the peasants' barelegged; and there are, too, bathing-drive; but a party was given in the long *Pink was an old name in Shakespeare's days for a small vessel. in glass orangery for them. Here they sang, danced, with laughter and noise; ate cakes and drank their favorite persico. (A drink in which pounded peach-kernels is the chief ingredient.) The family come Daar ging een Pater langs de kant, the whole being translated as follows: There went a friar along the way, It was in the May so gay, Come, father, give your nun a kiss, out to watch them, and then the favorite | verandah and enclosed lawn of the latter dance, a kind of kiss-in-the-ring, is sure to are crowded thickly with members and begin. Joining hands in a circle, all dance their families, sitting round little tables, round one in the middle, singing the old some with various refreshments, all talksong beginning,ing gaily. "The repose of Vere de Vere," the passionless expression and half-extinguished voices of which our high society has been accused lately by a Gallic observer, are not fashionable here. Dutch stolidity or phlegm is, I think, true of the lower classes; but added to good humor and cheerfulness. Carriages with welldressed people stand about in the shade. Through the wood come likewise all manner of little peasant gigs, and larger farmers' hooded chaises from the fen-lands of the dried lake. Here and there are women with curious head-gear, among At the last verse the man in the middle many- - too many, of late years without kneels on one knee, and calling out a girl costume. Silver and gold skull-caps cov to sit on his raised knee, kisses her severed with lace, from Friesland; other eral times, then retires. She, in turn, caps with pinned-up lappets and all mancalls out another swain who likewise ner of queer pins of gold-twisted wire kneels and kisses her; and so the dancing, singing ring goes noisily on. This pastime is amongst the "good old customs" recognized by all; and even young people of good family, of school boy and girl ages, indulge in it at festive seasons. When Sunday morning comes, we drive into the French church at Haarlem; disregarding the glorious sounds of the cathedral organ reaching us even outside as we pass through the old market-place. No; the Dutch service and sermon in there is too prosily long. Our church is small, whitewashed, and bare to ugliness. The few ladies sit on chairs in the middle, the fewer men in pent-house pews around. A cantique or two, a little évangile, a long prayer made by the black-gowned minister, and a longer sermon, ended by a glass of water, forms the service. Add also, that for the collection two black velvet tasselled nightcaps, with peaks, are handed round at the end of long poles. Inside one peak is written église, on the other pauvres. Church over, we get warmed driving back in the cheery sunlight to lunch. In the afternoon the large carriage and pair of horses takes us all for an Life, on the whole, goes comfortably hour's drive through the woods of pretty and cheerily in the Haarlem neighborhood, Bloemendaal or Overween, full of charm-if quietly. There were a good many ing villas inhabited by rich Amsterdam country-house dinners going on during my merchants or retired Java planters. Then visit, and a few tennis parties; though about four we turn-like all the carriages tennis is not made the rage and accomof the neighborhood - towards Haarlem plishment it is in England. Most people Wood. 66 Sunday afternoon in the wood ” were straying home from various German is a Haarlem sight. In one of the open watering-places; and many of those who spaces of the old wood, which is one of had country-seats would nevertheless go the chief beauties of the town, a band into town, the Hague, or Amsterdam, for plays opposite the club or societeit. The some winter months. In Haarlem, what VOL. LX. 3072 LIVING AGE. and diamond sparks; forehead ornaments, the Princess called la petite vie en ville with dignified ease rebuke the gratuitous was fast approaching; when, unless a hard familiarity of a well-meaning, but sadly frost stirred every one's pulses, there misguided, fellow-traveller. That was at would most likely be few amusements ex- dinner, when we were all assembled on cept some dinners, and perhaps a rare those hard benches with movable backs. subscription ball. The Hague, however, on each side of that long cuddy table with at an hour's distance, has a gay season its crude display of cutlery and cruetof its own. And there people, as in stands, all so aggressively bright and matall capitals, give themselves airs, form ter-of-fact that they generally succeed in cliques, and set cancans and gossip afloat. chilling any faint-hearted appetite. BeNevertheless, though wherever human na- tween meals, though, with tablecloth and ture is being as it is!-some scandals Newcastle porcelain removed, the aspect and heart-burnings will arise, yet the of this arrangement in cabin furniture is Dutch affirm that social life among them particularly desponding, always recalling is far more moral, purer, and happier than to me a certain desolate schoolroom to in France firstly, or secondly in England, which obstreperous boyhood was occasionof late years. MAY CROMMELIN. ally relegated, to grapple in solitude with some disgusting problem. At the head of the table the captain presided, and next to him was a Hamburger merchant, who I had ordered a bottle of champagne and two glasses. When the steward had brought the wine, uncorking it with a pop and a flourish, as a gentle hint to the rest of us that we might with advantage follow such a laudable example, the German had filled one of the glasses, and with atrocious self-complacency and an air as who should say, "There's a treat for you! pushed it towards our bold commander. The latter, with a look of supreme contempt, merely observed: "Thank you; I never take wine with my passengers." From The Cornhill Magazine. THERE is, perhaps, no more popular fallacy than the belief that European tour ist resorts, worth visiting, have been long since explored. To assert that every spot in Europe has not been prospected, timetabled, and described in the crimson-covered guide-book, which is part and parcel of our civilization, would undoubtedly be rash. But, happily, these records have not always sufficed to turn on the full stream of light-hearted, light-headed sight- But now we were near our journey's seers who tramp along the corridors of end, and on the upper deck the captain old-fashioned hotels, thump the keyboards had been telling some of his experiences of long-suffering pianos in public morning- to a small knot of men, which did not inrooms, drive up prices sky high for miles clude his Hamburger friend. "Did you around, and—gravest of all indictments ever come across a Norwegian pilot?" I -cause a host of pestering guides, with asked, cherishing a sailor's veneration for smatterings of English, to spring up like the indomitable courage of these northern mushrooms from a congenial soil. Many a sea-dogs. "Did I? he returned with bypath and roadway of an incomparable warmth; "I should think so. Why, only and picturesque beauty can still boast an last year, bound for Christiansand, I came idyllic quietude, hitherto undisturbed by here in a dense fog that had lasted nearly the hurried feet of myriads. Foremost all the way across. Knowing I ought to among these may be counted lovely tracks be pretty close ashore, I stopped her enon the western frontier of Sweden, and gines and blew the whistle; but not a bound thither we found ourselves on board yard ahead could I see, and as night set one of the many steamers that call at Go-in, I don't deny I didn't like it. Sudthenburg. It was late in spring. The passage across the North Sea, which had been a pleasant one, was drawing to a close. The Göta Elf, an estuary leading to the town, would be entered early the next morning, and now, with a smooth sea, a ruddy twilight, and an accomplished supper, our captain unbent somewhat and related cheering anecdotes anent himself, his passengers, and other seafaring matters. The day before I had watched him denly I heard a voice: 'Do you want a pilot, sir?' and, looking over the side, there, sure enough, was a pilot-boat. Well, the fog was as thick as a wall; but no sooner was the fellow on board, than 'Full speed! Starboard her helm!' and away we went for the rocks. After steaming ahead for about half an hour the roar of the breakers became deafening, and I could see absolutely nothing- nothing but the fog. 'Hard a-port!' the pilot sung out, and hard a-port it was. Close to us the surf thundered among the rocks; | ing, for miles along the shore, these bald but a moment later we were in smooth granite islets, some small, some large, lie water and were brought to an anchor as in serried rows with deep water between handy as if it had been clear daylight." them and the mainland - a convenient arThe captain here walked away a few rangement that should be appreciated by paces to get a better look at something yachstmen, since it affords vessels of orforward. When returning he added: dinary size an opportunity for coasting "Sir, you may go through the length and agreeably in smooth water, even when the breadth of this world, but for hardiness Kattegat or the Skager Rack outside are in and skill you will not beat the Norwegian a mood severely unpleasant. There was pilot!" a golden light upon the calm sea, a crisp, This warm encomium recalled a remi- invigorating atmosphere. In the far disniscence of my youth, which at the time tance the rocks took a bluish hue, rising made a vivid impression upon me, and up out of the water in a fantastic, airy which, though it has absolutely nothing to manner that almost equalled an eastern do with the present visit to Sweden, I mirage. As we entered the Göta estuary cannot refrain from mentioning. Imag- we overtook a crowd of open fishing-boats ine a stormy winter's day with a pale-blue making their way to town, deeply laden sky, a dark-blue turbulent sea, and a ship with glittering herring; in the level beams with close-reefed topsails. The gale of the early morning sun their red sails, howled in the rigging, ballooning the nar- the blue ocean, and the grey granite row strips of canvas and rap-rapping the background harmonized admirably. Our running gear against the spars with weari- steamer passed close to many of the fleet, some monotony. Under our lee, as far as and it was impossible not to be struck with the eye could reach, stretched the iron- the fine physique of their crews, robust and bound coast of old Norway, where the stalwart, yellow hair and fair beards being waves, leaping unceasingly against the unmistakably the fashion. The Swedish black rocks, hurled jets of white foam high flag-dark blue with a gold cross-flut into the air. From out among these tered over the fort of Elfsborg, which granite boulders a small craft appears, crowns a small island in the middle of the showing at first only a spritsail with a red river. Anent this place there is a curious stripe down the middle; but when it draws story. The young Danish admiral, Peter nearer we can see that the boat is covered Tordenkjold, the hero of many a bold with a deck, is broad of beam, clinker- romance in the eighteenth century, had built, and pointed fore and aft-shaped, fruitlessly besieged this stronghold for in fact, like a gull. There are but two weeks. At last he sent an envoy to the hands on board. The pilot -yellow-defenders to say that, having received bearded, broad-shouldered, with a sou' heavy reinforcements-sufficient, in fact, wester on his head-stands by the mast; to take the place by assault at any timehis son, a mere lad, has hold of the tiller. to save needless bloodshed he proposed Our ship has been kept close-hauled, that a truce should be agreed upon, and laboring heavily in the rough sea, and that the commandant should personally presently the boat is to windward a short inspect the new troops and so judge for distance off. With his hand firmly on the himself whether resistance was possible. tiller the boy is keenly watching his The invitation was accepted; the comchance, and the next moment runs us dan-mandant was cordially received and congerously near; then a rope is thrown; is deftly caught by the pilot, who ties it round his waist, and the boat again sheers off. There is a moment's suspense; a big wave approaches; as it rises it lifts the small craft on its crest to a level with our rigging; in that instant the pilot jumps, and lands safely in our mizzen shrouds. The lad meanwhile has promptly luffed, and alone in his nutshell, now lost to sight, now heaved aloft, he makes his way sturdily towards shore; but on board the frigate we know that "all's well!" ducted to a tent, where a sumptuous banquet had been provided in his honor. History then relates that the sailor host here passed the bottle so freely and with so much frank, engaging hospitality, that it was difficult, not to say impossible, for the Swedish officers to refuse; besides, having suffered considerable privations during the long siege, their heads were perhaps not so strong as usual. Be this as it may, the troops were afterwards inspected. The various regiments had been drawn up in the small town on the mainA number of barren grey boulders land opposite; but when the mounted offiformed the first and rather disappointing cers had reviewed the ranks paraded in impression of Sweden. The next morn-one street and had turned into the next, the soldiers promptly and silently filed off | well out of doors during prolonged severe at the other end and formed afresh in a winters. The long lines of narrow casethird street, this manœuvre being repeated ments mostly with double frames, the until all the town had been traversed. little spy-mirrors fixed outside, which, The effect was so imposing that the commandant forthwith signed an unconditional surrender.* without opening the window, enable the people within to see up and down street, and the utter absence of balconies, all Beyond Elfsborg the timber trade as- confirm this impression. Most of the serted itself with a vigor that was almost houses have only a height of two or three appalling. All thoughts of the landscape stories, and nowhere are there any venervanished. It is said that in Gothenburg able-looking piles, such as stimulate the the figure of speech most in use is "Three curiosity simply by the general air of hisby nine by fourteen," a mysterious shib-tory that pervades them. Even such boleth-meaning an average plank, meas- minor and frivolous matters as plate-glass uring three inches in thickness, nine shop fronts with varicolored displays, inches in width, and fourteen inches in which do so much to dispel the dulness of length which may be fairly accepted as a street view, are few, considering the proof of the commercial prosperity of the undoubted wealth of the inhabitants. In town. Here on either side, as we steamed the canals lay small schooners and other up the river, ships of all classes and all craft from the inland lakes-not crowds nations were taking in "deals" of yellow of vessels as in the towns of Holland, but pine. Huge timber-yards, with stacks of a few scattered here and there and their wood tall as houses, lined the route; and masts, sails, and fluttering streamers gave everywhere, walking about with a long a welcome look of gaiety to the quay. plank on their shoulder, were men whom The population move about preoccupied nature apparently would have treated with and busy. The fair sex, undoubtedly fair more justice had she omitted to provide and mostly pretty, dress in good style them with heads, since in the matter of with decided elegance, and walk well, carrying planks with ease this troublesome notwithstanding the municipal preference appendage seems awkwardly in the way. for pointed stones. The men affect an But presently our engines were slowing, Anglo manner and bearing, grow flowing then an observatory, churches, and cus- whiskers, and the many who speak Entom-house buildings swung into view, and glish do so without the trace of an accent. a few moments later our steamer was But for a commercial town the bustle and tightly secured along the quay. Every-traffic are slight save by the riverside, body flocked to the landing-stage, but where the lumber-yards absorb the princiforemost the Hamburger merchant, en-pal energy and interest. On the whole, cumbered with a bewildering variety of one arrives at the conclusion that this is travelling paraphernalia, and, lo and be- the place where the Swedes make their hold our captain was actually shaking him cordially by the hand. There are none like sailors to forgive and forget. Gothenburg somewhat reminds one of a Dutch city; it is neat, prosperous, and highly respectable; it has canals, stone bridges, and indifferent pavements. But there the resemblance ceases. The quaintness, the variety of color and structure that delight the eye in towns like Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Schiedam are looked for here in vain, and, judging from what one sees, the Swedes do not appear to excel in architecture. The rows of stolid, yellow-brick façades, varied now and again by a dull grey where the masonry has been polished with a coating of cement, couple uniformity of design with monotony of aspect, and give the idea that the paramount object had been to keep the cold * Thus, at least, is it recorded in the Danish chronicles; doubtless the Swedish version differs somewhat. fortunes, that afterwards they may spend A dainty little steamer, so commodiously arranged, so scrupulously clean with white paint, and so well provided with excellent fare that we half fancied our Oh! Vermland, thou lovely, thou most entrancing land, Thou crown of Svea's possessions, jewel of her band |