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UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
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Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
THE 
 
 Little Cousin Series 
 
 (trade mark) 
 
 Each volume illustrated with six or more full-page plates in 
 
 tint. Cloth, i2mo, with decorative cover, 
 
 per volume, 60 cents 
 
 LIST OF TITLES 
 
 By Mary Hazelton Wade 
 
 (unless otherwise indicated) 
 
 Our Little African Cousin 
 Our Little Alaskan Cousin 
 
 By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet 
 
 Our Little Arabian Cousin 
 
 By Blanche McManus 
 
 Our Little Armenian Cousin 
 Our Little Australian Cousin 
 
 By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet 
 Our Little Brazilian Cousin 
 
 By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet 
 
 Our Little Brown Cousin 
 Our Little Canadian Cousin 
 
 By Elizabeth R. MacDonald 
 
 Our Little Chinese Cousin 
 
 By Isaac Taylor Headland 
 
 Our Little Cuban Cousin 
 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 By Blanche McManus 
 
 Our Little Egyptian Cousin 
 
 By Blanche McManus 
 
 Our Little English Cousin 
 
 By Blanche McManus 
 
 Our Little Eskimo Cousin 
 Our Little French Cousin 
 
 By Blanche McManus 
 Our Little German Cousin 
 Our Little Greek Cousin 
 
 By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet 
 
 Our Little Hawaiian Cousin 
 Our Little Hindu Cousin 
 
 By Blanche McManus 
 
 Our Little Indian Cousin 
 Our Little Irish Cousin 
 Our Little Italian Cousin 
 Our Little Japanese Cousin 
 Our Little Jewish Cousin 
 Our Little Korean Cousin 
 
 By H. Lee M. Pike 
 
 Our Little Mexican Cousin 
 
 By Edward C. Butler 
 
 Our Little Norwegian Cousin 
 Our Little Panama Cousin 
 
 By H. Lee M. Pike 
 
 Our Little Philippine Cousin 
 Our Little Porto Rican Cousin 
 Our Little Russian Cousin 
 Our Little Scotch Cousin 
 
 By Blanche McManus 
 
 Our Little Siamese Cousin 
 Our Little Spanish Cousin 
 
 By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet 
 
 Our Little Swedish Cousin 
 
 By Claire M. Coburn 
 
 Our Little Swiss Cousin 
 Our Little Turkish Cousin 
 
 L. C. PAGE £r COMPANY 
 
 New England Building, Boston, Mass. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/ourlittledutchcoOOmcma 
 
PIETER AND WILHELMINA 
 
* *§> 
 
 * Our Little Dutch * 
 
 * . * 
 
 | Cousin $ 
 
 ♦ * 
 
 * — * 
 
 * By * 
 
 * Blanche McManus 4 
 
 * 4 
 
 ^^ Author of " Our Little English Cousin," " Our Little ^* 
 French Cousin," " Our Little Scotch Cousin," etc. 
 
 Illustrated by 2 
 
 ^ The Author a 
 
 * * 
 
 T* Pi 1^1 IS ** 
 
 * * 
 
 * * 
 
 * Boston 4* 
 
 * 4 
 
 ^ L. C. Page df Company ^ 
 
 4* PUBLISHERS ^r 
 
 ^4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4* 4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4f*?Nf 
 
Copyright, igob 
 By L. C. Page & Company 
 
 (incorporated) 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
 THE LITTLE COUSIN SERIES 
 
 {Trade Mark) 
 
 Fifth Impression, July, 1909 
 
Preface 
 
 Our little Dutch cousins have much in 
 common with little American cousins, not so 
 much perhaps with respect to present-day in- 
 stitutions and manners and customs, as with 
 the survivals and traditions of other days, when 
 the Dutch played so important a part in the 
 founding of the new America. 
 
 It was from Holland, too, from the little 
 port of Delfshaven, that the Pilgrim Fathers 
 first set sail for the New World, and by this 
 fact alone Holland and America are bound to- 
 gether by another very strong link, though this 
 time it was of English forging. 
 
 No European country, save England, has 
 the interest for the American reader or trav- 
 
VI 
 
 Preface 
 
 eller that has " the little land of dikes and wind- 
 mills," and there are many young Americans 
 already familiar with the ways of their cousins 
 from over the seas from the very fact that so 
 many of them come to Holland to visit its 
 fine picture-galleries, its famous and historic 
 buildings, its tulip-gardens, and its picturesque 
 streets and canals, which make it a paradise for 
 artists. 
 
 Our little Dutch cousins mingle gladly with 
 their little American cousins, and the ties that 
 bind make a bond which is, and always has 
 been, inseverable. 
 
Contents 
 
 I. PlETER AND WlLHELMINA 
 
 II. The American Cousin . 
 
 III. The Land of Dikes and Windmills 
 
 IV. The Kermis 
 
 V. The Bicycle Ride .... 
 
 VI. Where the Cheeses Come from 
 
 23 
 34 
 53 
 63 
 81 
 
List of Illustrations 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Pieter and Wilhelmina .... Frontispiece 
 
 "'How old is Cousin Theodore, mother?' asked 
 Wilhelmina" 27 
 
 "'I'm going to snap-shot one of them with 
 my camera ' " 48 
 
 At the Kermis 61 
 
 On the Road to Delfshaven 66 
 
 "The children stood in the bows" . . .98 
 
Map <f f/OLLJArz^Sm 
 
 JS6oL0l/7yj!)/aCQS ' 
 
 ttientt'onect in 
 Ow/ktfe %)ufc6 Co usn 
 
Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PIETER AND WILHELMINA 
 
 What do you think of a country where 
 you can pick up sugar-plums along the road ? 
 Well, this was just what Pieter and Wilhel- 
 mina were going to do as, hand in hand, they 
 flew up the road as fast as their little wooden 
 shoes would let them, to meet a carriage which 
 was rapidly approaching. Behind the carriage 
 ran a crowd of children, laughing and tumbling 
 over each other. 
 
 " Oh ! they are throwing the c suikers ' now ; 
 run faster, Wilhelmina," panted Pieter ; and, 
 sure enough, as the carriage went by, a showei 
 
2 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 of candies fell all about them. One piece 
 dropped right in Wilhelmina's mouth, which 
 of course was open, because she had been run- 
 ning so hard. But there was no time to laugh, 
 as the children were all scrambling hard to 
 pick up the sweets. Then they tried to catch 
 up with the carriage again, but it was nearly 
 out of sight by this time, and so one by one 
 the young folk stopped to count up their 
 gains, and compare them with one another. 
 
 This was a wedding-party returning from 
 church. In the carriage sat the bride and 
 groom. The carriage sat high up on its two 
 great wheels, and was gaudily painted and gaily 
 decked with flowers and ribbons. 
 
 Pieter and Wilhelmina had been on the 
 lookout for this bridal party with more than 
 usual interest, for two relatives of the bride 
 had come to their mother a few days before to 
 invite her to the wedding ceremony, and the 
 children thought these young men had looked 
 
Pieter and Wilhelmina 3 
 
 very fine in their best clothes, with flowers 
 stuck in the sides of their caps. 
 
 The bride had her arms full of candies, and, 
 as was the custom, she threw them out to the 
 children as they drove along. The little Dutch 
 children call these candies " suikers." As you 
 may imagine, this is a great treat for them, 
 and accordingly the children of Holland take 
 more of an interest in weddings than do the 
 children of other countries. 
 
 " Put all the c suikers ' in my apron, Pieter," 
 said Wilhelmina, " and let us go and show 
 them to the mother/' and the children quickly 
 ran back home. 
 
 Wilhelmina and Pieter were twins, so it 
 does not matter whether we say Wilhelmina 
 or Pieter first, and they looked so much alike 
 that when they stood together in the high 
 grass by the side of the canal which ran in 
 front of their home, it was hard to tell one 
 from the other if it had not been for Pieter* s cap. 
 
4 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 They both had round, rosy faces, and round, 
 blue eyes, and yellow hair, only you would not 
 know that Wilhelmina had any hair at all, for 
 it was completely hidden by her cap. They 
 both wore little wooden shoes, and it was a 
 marvel how fast they could run in them, for 
 they seem to be on the point of dropping off 
 most of the time, but, strange to say, they 
 never do. 
 
 Holland is the dearest little wee country in 
 the world. Uncle Sam could put it in his vest 
 pocket. It looks like a country just made to 
 play in. Its houses are so small and trim, all 
 set about with neat little gardens and trees, 
 which look as if they had been cut out of 
 wood, like the trees in the " Noah's arks." 
 There are little -canals and little bridges every- 
 where, and little towns scattered here and there 
 all over the broad, flat country. You could 
 go to all of the principal cities of this little land 
 in one day, and you can stand in one of the 
 
Pieter and Wilhelmina 5 
 
 church towers and see over half the country at 
 a glance. The only things that look big are 
 the windmills. 
 
 What do you think of a garden gate without 
 any fence ? But this is just the sort of a gate 
 that the twins entered when they arrived home. 
 Instead of a fence there was a small canal which 
 divided the garden from the road, and of course 
 the gate was in the middle of a small bridge, 
 otherwise how could they have got across the 
 canal ? 
 
 At the front door they both left their shoes 
 on the steps outside, for Dutch people never 
 think of bringing their dirty shoes into the 
 house. Then they opened only half of the 
 front door and went in. Many Dutch doors are 
 made in two parts, the upper half remaining 
 open most of the time, like a window, while 
 the lower half is closed like an ordinary door. 
 
 " Oh, mamma, see what a lot of c suikers * 
 the bride threw to us," said Wilhelmina, run- 
 
6 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 ning up to Mevrouw Joost, who was bustling 
 about the china cupboard in the living-room. 
 
 " And she was such a pretty bride, too, with 
 a lovely dress ; and there were flowers twined 
 all about the carriage, and a wreath on the 
 horse's head, and long streamers of white rib- 
 bon wound around the whip," she continued 
 breathlessly. 
 
 " And we got more c suikers ' than any one 
 else," put in Pieter. 
 
 " Yes, it was a gay party. I saw them pass 
 by the house," said Mevrouw Joost, smilingly, 
 as she ate a " suiker." 
 
 " Baby Jan must have one too," said Wil- 
 helmina, as she went over to play with the 
 baby who was kicking and crowing in his great 
 carved cradle near the window. Jan was the 
 household pet, and there had been a great cele- 
 bration when he was a week old. 
 
 All the friends of the Joost family were in- 
 vited to come and see the baby, a red pin- 
 
Pieter and Wilhelmina 7 
 
 cushion having been hung out beside the front 
 door to let everybody know that there was a new 
 baby boy within. When the guests arrived, 
 they were given rusks to eat, a kind of sweet 
 bread, covered with aniseed and sugar, called 
 " muisjes," which really means " mice." Be- 
 fore, when the friends had come to pay their 
 respects to Wilhelmina and Pieter, there had 
 been two kinds of "muisjes." One had a sort 
 of smooth white icing on the top, and that was 
 Wilhelmina's, while Pieter's rusks had lumps 
 of sugar sticking up all over them. 
 
 The Dutch are the neatest people in the 
 world. They are always washing and rubbing 
 and dusting things, and one could no more find 
 a spider's web in Mevrouw Joost's home than 
 they could a white elephant. 
 
 The floor of the living-room was made of 
 tiny red bricks, waxed and polished until they 
 shone like glass. There was much heavy oak 
 furniture, beautifully carved ; a big round table 
 
8 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 stood in the centre, and on one side was a great 
 dresser or sideboard. The chairs were solid 
 and big, with high backs and straw seats, and 
 some of them were painted dark green, with 
 curious little pictures and decorations also 
 painted on them. 
 
 One end of the square room was filled by 
 what looked like two big cupboards with heavy 
 green curtains hanging in front of them, but 
 one of the curtains was drawn partly back and 
 one could see that they were two great beds 
 instead, built into the wall just like cupboards. 
 These were the " show-beds," and were not for 
 constant use, but mostly for ornament. 
 
 Mevrouw Joost was very proud of these 
 beds and kept them always made up with her 
 very finest linen, trimmed with rich lace, and her 
 most brilliantly coloured embroidered cover- 
 lids, the whole being piled so high that the 
 beds nearly reached the ceiling. There was 
 barely enough room on top for the two enor- 
 
Pieter and Wilhelmina 9 
 
 mous eider-down pillows, with gay covers and 
 lace ruffles, which lay on each of the beds and 
 completed their furnishings. 
 
 Some Dutch houses have a separate room for 
 these " show-beds," which we should call a par- 
 lour, but Mevrouw Joost had her " show-beds " 
 where she could enjoy their magnificence every 
 day. 
 
 She had her " show-room," too, but kept it 
 most beautifully and tightly closed up, so that 
 not a ray of light or a speck of dirt could come 
 in, for it was only used on some great occasion. 
 
 Another side of the living-room was nearly 
 filled by the huge fireplace, covered with square, 
 blue Delft tiles, on each of which was a pic- 
 ture which told a story from the Bible. The 
 ceiling was crossed with great beams of wood, 
 and a wainscoting of wood went all around 
 the room. 
 
 On the sideboard, on the shelves above the 
 beds, and over the mantel were fine pieces of 
 
io Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 rare old Delft china, which is a beautiful deep 
 blue. It is very rare now, and much prized 
 by the Dutch Mevrouws. There was also a 
 quantity of copper and brass jugs and pewter 
 platters, while by the fireplace hung a big brass 
 warming-pan, which is a great pan with a cover 
 and a long handle. On a cold and damp win- 
 ter's night Mevrouw Joost filled it with 
 red-hot coals, and warmed the household 
 beds by slipping it in and out between the 
 sheets. 
 
 There were spotless white curtains at the 
 tiny windows, and everything shone under the 
 housewife's brisk rubbings. 
 
 Back of the sitting-room was the kitchen, 
 with another big fireplace, in which was set 
 the cooking-stove. Around the walls were 
 many bright copper pans and pots of all 
 kinds. 
 
 There were big brass jugs to hold milk, and 
 kegs with brass hoops in which they stow 
 
Pieter and Wilhelmina 1 1 
 
 away their butter. The Dutch are so fond of 
 polishing things that they put brass on every- 
 thing, it would seem, just for the joy of rub- 
 bing it afterward. 
 
 Many of the commoner things were made 
 beautiful as well. The knife-handles were 
 carved, and on many of the brass bowls and 
 platters were graceful patterns. One would 
 see a little cow carved on the big wooden 
 butter-spoon, or a tiny windmill on the handle 
 of a fork, while the great churn that stood in 
 the corner of the kitchen had gay pictures 
 painted upon it. From this you may judge 
 what a pleasant and attractive room Mevrouw 
 Joost's kitchen was. 
 
 " Why are you putting out all the best 
 china and the pretty silver spoons, mother ? " 
 asked Wilhelmina. 
 
 (f The father is showing a visitor through 
 the tulip-gardens. It is the great merchant, 
 Mynheer Van der Veer, from Amsterdam. 
 
12 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 He has come to buy some of the choice plants, 
 for he says truly there are no tulips in all 
 Holland as fine as ours," and the good lady 
 drew herself up with a pardonable pride, as 
 she polished the big silver coffee-pot, which 
 already shone so Wilhelmina might see her 
 face in it like a mirror. 
 
 "Can I help you, mother?" asked Wilhel- 
 mina. She would have liked nothing better 
 than to handle the dainty cups and saucers, 
 but she knew well that her mother would not 
 trust this rare old china to any hands but her 
 own, for these cups and saucers had been 
 handed down through many generations of 
 her family, as had the quaint silver spoons 
 with the long twisted handles, at the end of 
 which were little windmills, ships, lions, and 
 the like, all in silver. 
 
 " No, no, little one, you are only in the 
 way ; go out into the garden and tell your 
 father not to delay too long or our guest will 
 
Pieter and Wilhelmina 13 
 
 drink cold coffee," said Mevrouw, bustling 
 about more than ever. 
 
 Wilhelmina was eager enough to see the 
 great Mynheer, so she joined Pieter, who had 
 already slipped out, and together they went 
 toward the bulb-gardens, where Mynheer and 
 their father were looking over the wonderful 
 tulips. 
 
 Pieter and Wilhelmina lived in a quaint 
 little house of one story only, built of very 
 small red brick, with a roof of bright red tiles. 
 The window-frames were painted white, and 
 the window-blinds a bright blue, while the 
 front door was bright green. There was a little 
 garden in front, and the paths all followed 
 tiny canals, which were spanned here and 
 there by small bridges. In one corner was a 
 pond, on which floated little toy ducks and 
 fish, and it was great fun for the children to 
 wind up the clockwork inside of these curious 
 toys, and watch them move about as if they 
 
14 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 were alive. But on this afternoon the twins 
 were thinking of other things, and kept on to 
 the bulb-gardens. Here was a lovely sight, 
 — acres and acres of nothing but tulips of all 
 colours, and hyacinths, and other bulbs which 
 Mynheer Joost grew to send to the big flower 
 markets of Holland and other countries as 
 well ; for, as Mevrouw Joost had said, their 
 tulips were famous the world over. Mynheer 
 Joost took great pains with his bulbs, and was 
 able to grow many varieties which could not 
 be obtained elsewhere. 
 
 The tulip is really the national flower of 
 Holland, so the Dutch (as the people of 
 Holland are called) are very fond of them, 
 and you see more beautiful varieties here than 
 anywhere else. Every Dutchman plants tulips 
 in his garden, and there is a great rivalry be- 
 tween neighbours as to who can produce the 
 most startling varieties in size and colour. 
 
 Pieter and Wilhelmina were never tired of 
 
Pieter and Wilhelmina 15 
 
 hearing their father tell of the time all Holland 
 went almost crazy over tulips. This was nearly 
 three hundred years ago, after the tulip had just 
 been brought to Holland, and was a much 
 rarer flower than it is to-day. It got to be 
 the fashion for every one to raise tulips, and 
 they sold for large sums of money. Several 
 thousands of "guldens" (a "gulden" is the 
 chief Dutch coin) were paid for a single bulb. 
 People sold their houses and lands to buy 
 tulips, which they were able to sell again at a 
 great profit. Everybody went wild over these 
 beautiful flowers, rich and poor alike, men, 
 women, and children. Everybody bought 
 and sold tulips, and nobody thought or talked 
 about anything but the price of tulips. At 
 last the Dutch government put a stop to this 
 nonsense, and down tumbled the prices of 
 tulips. 
 
 In spite of this, the Dutch love for the 
 flower still continued, and to-day one may see 
 
16 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 these great fields of tulips and hyacinths and 
 other bulb-plants covering miles and miles of 
 the surface of Holland, just as do wheat-fields 
 in other lands. 
 
 There is a large and continually growing 
 trade in these plants going on all over Hol- 
 land, and Mynheer Joost was always able to 
 sell his plants for as big a price as any others 
 in the market. The principal tulip-gardens 
 are in the vicinities of the cities of Leyden and 
 Haarlem, and from where Wilhelmina and 
 Pieter now stood, in the midst of their father's 
 tulip-beds, they could see the tower of the 
 Groote Kerk, or Great Church, of Haarlem. 
 
 Mynheer Joost sold a very rare variety, 
 which only he knew how to grow, and which 
 was named the " Joost ; " it was almost 
 pure black, with only a tiny red tip on each 
 petal. It was the pride of his heart, and he 
 often told the children that he hoped some 
 day to be able to turn it into a pure black one ; 
 
Pieter and Wilhelmina 17 
 
 and then what a fortune it would bring them 
 all ! So Pieter and Wilhelmina watched its 
 growth almost as carefully as did their father. 
 
 " There is Mynheer and the father now, 
 looking at the c great tulip/ " said Pieter. This 
 was the way they always spoke of this wonder- 
 ful plant. 
 
 But Wilhelmina suddenly grew shy at the 
 sight of the great man. " Come, let us hide," 
 she said, and she tried to draw Pieter behind 
 one of the large glass houses, in which were 
 kept many of the rarer plants. But Pieter 
 wanted to see Mynheer Van der Veer, the 
 well-known merchant who owned so many big 
 warehouses in Amsterdam, and also a tall, fine 
 house on one of the "grachten" of that city, 
 which is the name given to the canals. 
 
 Mynheer was a portly old gentleman, and 
 was dressed much as would be a merchant in 
 any great city ; in a black suit and a silk hat, 
 for the wealthy people of the big cities of 
 
18 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 Holland do not wear to-day the picturesque 
 costumes of the country people. It is only 
 in the country and small towns that one sees 
 the quaint dress which often has changed but 
 little from what it was hundreds of years ago. 
 But the Joost family, like many another in 
 the country, were very proud of their old- 
 time dress, and would not have changed it for 
 a modern costume for anything, and though 
 Mynheer Joost was also a wealthy man, he 
 was dressed in the same kind of clothes as 
 those worn by his father and grandfather be- 
 fore him. He had on big, baggy trousers of 
 dark blue velvet, coming only to the knee, 
 and fastened at the waist with a great silver 
 buckle ; a tight-fitting vest or coat, with two 
 rows of big silver buttons down the front, and 
 around his neck was a gay-coloured handker- 
 chief. On his head was a curious high cap, 
 and on his feet the big wooden shoes, nicely 
 whitened. 
 
Pieter and Wilhelmina 19 
 
 Each of the men were smoking big cigars, 
 for the Dutch are great smokers, and are never 
 without a pipe or cigar. 
 
 Mynheer Van der Veer had finished select- 
 ing his tulips, and now caught sight of the 
 twins, who were standing shyly together, hold- 
 ing hands as usual, behind a mass of crimson 
 and yellow tulips. 
 
 " Aha ! these are your two young ones, my 
 friend ; they, too, are sturdy young plants. 
 
 " You look like one of your father's finest 
 pink tulips, little one," he continued, patting 
 Wilhelmina's pink cheeks. 
 
 You might not think it was a compliment 
 to be called a tulip, but you must not forget 
 what a high regard the Dutch have for these 
 flowers. So Wilhelmina knew that she was 
 receiving a great compliment, and grew pinker 
 than ever, and entirely forgot the message 
 which her mother had given her. 
 
 " And, Pieter, some day I suppose that you 
 
20 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 will be growing rare tulips like your father," 
 said Mynheer, peering at the lad over the 
 rims of his glasses. 
 
 " Pieter helps me greatly now, out of school 
 hours, and Wilhelmina can pack blossoms for 
 the market as well as our oldest gardener," said 
 Mynheer Joost, who thought that there were 
 no children in Holland the equal of his twins. 
 " But you must let the Vrouw give you some 
 of her cakes and coffee before you leave, Myn- 
 heer," he continued as he led the way back to 
 the house. 
 
 The Dutch are very hospitable, and are 
 never so happy as when they are giving their 
 visitors nice things to eat and drink, and it 
 would be considered very rude to refuse any 
 of these good things ; but then nobody wants 
 to. 
 
 Mynheer Van der Veer was soon seated at 
 the big oak table, which was covered with a 
 linen cloth finely embroidered, and edged with 
 
Pieter and Wilhelmina 21 
 
 a deep raffle of lace. On it were the plates 
 of Delftware filled with many kinds of cakes 
 and sweet biscuits, which the Dutch call " koe- 
 jes ; " besides, there were delicious sweet rusks, 
 which Mevrouw Joost brought hot from the 
 oven. Then she poured the hot water on to 
 the coffee from a copper kettle which stood on 
 a high copper stand by the side of the table. 
 The silver coffee-pot itself stood on a porce- 
 lain stand at one end of the table, and under 
 this stand was a tiny flame burning from an 
 alcohol-lamp in order to keep the coffee warm. 
 There was no better coffee to be had in all 
 Holland than Mevrouw Joost's, and how 
 good it tasted, to be sure, out of the dainty 
 china cups, — real china, for they had been 
 brought from the Far East by a great-uncle of 
 the Joosts who had engaged in the trade with 
 China at the time when there were nothing but 
 sailing ships on the seas. After the coffee 
 came brandied cherries, served in little glasses, 
 
22 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 "When the young people come to Amster- 
 dam again, Mynheer Joost, you must bring 
 them to see me," said the merchant, " and 
 perhaps the young man will want to leave even 
 his tulips when he sees what is in the big ware- 
 houses." 
 
 The twins' eyes shone and they pinched 
 each other with delight at the mere thought 
 of a visit to the wonderful city house of the 
 great merchant in wealthy Amsterdam, the 
 largest city in their country. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE AMERICAN COUSIN 
 
 Any one who saw the twins on their way to 
 school one morning soon after the visit of 
 Mynheer Van der Veer would know that 
 something unusual had happened, for they 
 were both talking away at once, in a most ex- 
 cited manner. Little Dutch children are usu- 
 ally very quiet, when compared to the children 
 of most other countries, though they are full 
 of fun, in a quiet sort of a way, when they 
 want to be. 
 
 " Oh, Pieter," Wilhelmina was saying, " to 
 think that we have a cousin coming to see us 
 from across the seas ! " 
 
 " I wonder if he can talk Dutch ; if he can't 
 
 we will have to speak English, so you had 
 23 
 
24 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 better see to it that you have a better English 
 lesson than you did yesterday/' said Pieter, 
 who was rather vain of his own English. 
 
 There is nothing strange in hearing little 
 Dutch children speak English, French, or 
 German, for they are taught all three languages 
 in their schools ; and even very little children 
 can say some words of English or German. 
 
 " It is well for you to talk," said Wilhel- 
 mina, feeling hurt. " English is not hard for 
 you to learn ; as for me, I can learn my Ger- 
 man lesson in half the time that you can." 
 
 " Ah well ! the German is more like our 
 own Dutch language," said Pieter, soothingly, 
 for the twins were never " at outs " for long at 
 a time. " You will soon learn English from 
 our new cousin from America. Listen ! there 
 is the school-bell ringing now," and away they 
 clattered in their wooden shoes to the school- 
 house. 
 
 Yesterday there had been a solemn meeting 
 
The American Cousin 25 
 
 in the Joost home. You must know that it 
 was an important occasion, because they all 
 met in the " show-room." The " domine " 
 (as the Dutch call their clergymen) had been 
 invited, and the schoolmaster, too, and they 
 all sat around and sipped brandied cherries and 
 coffee, the men puffing away on their long 
 pipes, while Mynheer Joost read aloud to them 
 a letter. It was from a distant relative of the 
 Joost family who lived in New York City. 
 
 You know, of course, that the Dutch were 
 among the first to settle in America, and in the 
 present great city of New York. In those early 
 days a great-great-grand-uncle of Mynheer 
 Joost had gone to the island of Manhattan, 
 and made his home, and now one of his de- 
 scendants, a Mr. Sturteveldt, who was a mer- 
 chant in New York City, was anxious to learn 
 something about his family in Holland. He 
 had heard of Mynheer Joost through a friend 
 of his who was fond of flowers, and who had 
 
26 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 once come to Holland to buy some of Myn- 
 heer Joost's beautiful tulips. 
 
 So Mr. Sturteveldt had written Mynheer 
 Joost many letters and Mynheer Joost had 
 written him many letters. Finally Mr. Sturte- 
 veldt wrote and said he very much wished his 
 only son Theodore to see Holland, and to be- 
 come acquainted with his Dutch relatives. 
 Upon this, Mynheer Joost had invited Theo- 
 dore to come and spend some time with them, 
 and this letter that he was now reading said that 
 Theodore was to sail in a few days in one of 
 the big steamers that sail between New York 
 and Rotterdam, under the care of the captain, 
 and requested that Mynheer Joost would make 
 arrangements to have him met at Rotterdam. 
 
 No wonder they all had to talk it over be- 
 tween many sips of coffee and puffs from the 
 long pipes. It was a great event for the Joost 
 family. As for Pieter and Wilhelmina, they 
 could talk and think of nothing else, and Wil- 
 
"'HOW OLD IS COUSIN THEODORE, MOTHER?' ASKED 
 WILHELMINA" 
 
The American Cousin 27 
 
 helmina went about all the time murmuring to 
 herself, " How do you do ? " and " I am very 
 pleased to see you/' and " I hope you had a 
 pleasant voyage," so as to be sure to say it 
 correctly when her American cousin should 
 arrive. 
 
 " How old is Cousin Theodore, mother ?" 
 asked Wilhelmina, as she was helping to give 
 the "show-room" its weekly cleaning. "Just 
 twelve, I believe," said her mother. 
 
 "And coming all by himself! I should be 
 frightened nearly to death," said Wilhelmina, 
 who was polishing the arm of a chair so hard 
 that the little gold ornaments on her cap bobbed 
 up and down. 
 
 Wilhelmina was short and chubby, and her 
 short blue dress, gathered in as full around her 
 waist as could be, made her look chubbier 
 still. Over her tight, short-sleeved bodice was 
 crossed a gaily flowered silk handkerchief, and 
 around her head, like a coronet, was a gold 
 
28 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 band from which hung on either side a gold or- 
 nament, which looked something like a small 
 corkscrew curl of gold. On top of all this she 
 wore a pretty little lace cap ; and what was really 
 funny, her earrings were hung in her cap in- 
 stead of in her ears ! To-day she had on a big 
 cotton working-apron, instead of the fine silk 
 one which she usually wore. 
 
 Wilhelmina and her mother were dressed just 
 alike, only Mevrouw's dress was even more 
 bunchy, for she had on about five heavy woollen 
 skirts. This is a Dutch fashion, and one won- 
 ders how the women are able to move around 
 so lively. 
 
 " Oh, mother, you are putting away an- 
 other roll of linen ! " and Wilhelmina even for- 
 got the coming of her new cousin for the 
 moment, so interested was she as she saw the 
 mother open the great linen-press. This linen- 
 press was the pride of Mevrouw Joost's heart, 
 for piled high on its shelves were rolls and rolls 
 
The American Cousin 29 
 
 of linen, much of it made from the flax which 
 grew upon their place. Mevrouw Joost herself 
 had spun the thread on her spinning-wheel 
 which stood in one corner of the room, and then 
 it had been woven into cloth. 
 
 Some of these rolls of linen were more than a 
 hundred years old, for they had been handed 
 down like the china and silver. The linen of 
 a Dutch household is reckoned a very valuable 
 belonging indeed, and Wilhelmina watched her 
 mother smooth the big rolls which were all 
 neatly tied up with coloured ribbons, with a 
 feeling of awe, for she knew that they were a 
 part of their wealth, and that some day, when 
 she had a house of her own, some of this old 
 family linen would be given her, and then she, 
 too, would have a big linen-press of which to 
 be proud. 
 
 Just as Mevrouw Joost closed up the big 
 " show-room " there came a cry from the road 
 of " Eggs, eggs, who'll give us eggs ? " " There 
 
30 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 come the children begging for Easter eggs," 
 said Wilhelmina as she ran to the door. 
 
 At the gate were three little children waving 
 long poles on which were fastened evergreen 
 and flowers, and singing a queer Dutch song 
 about Easter eggs. 
 
 " May I give them some, mother?" 
 
 " Yes, one each, though I think their pock- 
 ets are stuffed out with eggs, now," answered 
 Mevrouw. 
 
 But if they already did have their pockets 
 stuffed, the children were delighted to get the 
 three that Wilhelmina brought out to them, 
 and went on up the road, still singing, to see 
 how many they could get at the next house. 
 
 The Dutch children amuse themselves for 
 some days before Easter by begging for eggs 
 in this way, which they take to their own 
 homes and dye different colours and then ex- 
 hibit to their friends. On Easter Day there is 
 more fun, for they all gather in the meadows 
 
The American Cousin 31 
 
 and roll the eggs on the grass, each trying to 
 hit and break those of his neighbours. 
 
 At last the day came when Pieter and Wil- 
 helmina were to see their new cousin for the 
 first time. Their father had gone to Rotter- 
 dam to meet the steamship and bring Theodore 
 back with him. 
 
 The twins hurried from school, and hurried 
 through dinner, and in fact hurried with every- 
 thing they did. Then they put on their holiday 
 clothes and kept running up the road to see if 
 their father and Theodore were coming, al- 
 though they knew that it would be hours 
 before they would reach home. But of course, 
 just when they were not looking for them, in 
 walked the father and said : " Here is your 
 Cousin Theodore, children ; make him wel- 
 come." And there stood a tall lad, much 
 taller than Pieter, though they were the same 
 age, holding out his hand and talking English 
 so fast that it made their heads swim. 
 
32 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 Pieter managed to say " How do you do ? 
 I am glad you have come/' but poor Wilhel- 
 mina — every word of her English flew out of 
 her head, and all she could think to say was, 
 " Ik dank v y mijnheer" — "Thank you, sir." 
 
 Then suddenly the children all grew as shy 
 as could be, but after they had eaten of Me- 
 vrouw's good supper, they grew sociable and 
 Theodore told them all about his voyage over, 
 and Pieter found that he could understand him 
 better than at first. Even Wilhelmina got in a 
 few English words, and when Pieter and Theo- 
 dore went to sleep together, in what Theodore 
 called a " big box," anybody would have 
 thought they had known each other all their 
 lives. 
 
 The three young cousins were soon the best 
 of friends ; and as for Theodore, everything 
 was so new and strange to him that he said it 
 was like a big surprise party all the time. He 
 said, too, that he was going to be a real Dutch- 
 
The American Cousin 33 
 
 man while he was with them, and nothing would 
 do but that he must have a suit of clothes just 
 like Pieter's, and a tall cap. How they all 
 laughed the first time he tried to walk in the 
 big wooden shoes ! But it wasn't long before 
 he could run in them as fast as the twins. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE LAND OF DIKES AND WINDMILLS 
 
 Theodore wanted to learn to speak Dutch, 
 and so every morning, after they had eaten 
 their breakfast of coffee, rye bread, and butter, 
 with either herrings or cheese, away he went 
 with the twins across the meadows to the 
 schoolhouse in the centre of the village. 
 
 After dinner Theodore and Pieter helped 
 about in the tulip-gardens, while Wilhelmina 
 and Mevrouw polished and dusted and rubbed 
 things, and made butter in the great wooden 
 and china churn. 
 
 On the weekly holiday the three children 
 would take long walks, or perhaps a ride on 
 the steam street-cars, or trams, which puffed 
 through the village ; or they would ride their 
 
 34 
 
Land of Dikes and Windmills 35 
 
 bicycles, for this is a favourite pastime with 
 the Dutch, whose flat straight roads are always 
 so excellently kept. 
 
 " Where shall we go to-day ? " asked Pieter, 
 as they started out for a walk one afternoon. 
 
 " Theodore has not seen Haarlem yet," 
 said Wilhelmina. " Let's walk there and 
 come back on the steam-tram." 
 
 " That makes me feel as if I were at home. 
 We have a Harlem, too, which is a part of 
 New York City. I suppose it was named 
 after your city. Let's go by all means, and 
 I will take some pictures," said Theodore, 
 slinging his camera over his shoulder, and 
 away they went in high spirits. 
 
 The children were soon walking along a 
 shady road by the side of the canal. As far 
 as they could see, in any direction, stretched 
 the bulb-gardens blazing with colour of 
 all kinds. Dotted everywhere about were 
 windmills of all sizes, their sails gleaming 
 
36 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 white in the sunlight as they went round and 
 round. 
 
 On either side of the road were neat little 
 villas, with trim gardens before them. As 
 Pieter told them, these were the summer 
 homes of the well-to-do people who live in 
 the cities. Everybody who can, has one of 
 these villas, where they can come during the 
 hot weather, and they especially like to have 
 one near Haarlem, because the beautiful gar- 
 dens roundabout make the country seem so 
 gay and bright. 
 
 " This is the one which belongs to Myn- 
 heer Van der Veer," said Wilhelmina. " I 
 think it is the most beautiful of them all." 
 And so it was, according to Dutch taste. The 
 young people stopped to look at it admir- 
 ingly. 
 
 For a Dutch home it was very large, be- 
 cause it had two stories. The entire front was 
 painted in half a dozen different colours to 
 
Land of Dikes and Windmills 37 
 
 represent as many different coloured stones, 
 all arranged in a fanciful pattern. 
 
 The window-blinds were a bright pea-green, 
 and the framework a delicate pink. The door 
 was a dark green with a fine brass knocker in 
 the centre, and a brass railing, shining like 
 gold, ran down on either side of the white 
 steps. The roof was of bright red tiles, which 
 glistened in the sun, and what do you think 
 was on the highest point of the gable? A 
 china cat, coloured like life, and standing with 
 its back up, just as though it were ready to 
 spring upon another cat ! Over the doorway 
 was painted the motto : " Buiten Zorg," which 
 means " Without a Care." 
 
 What really amused the party most were the 
 queer figures which stood around in the garden. 
 
 " See that funny old fellow over by the 
 pond, shaking his head ; you might think he 
 was alive," said Theodore. " He looks like a 
 Turk with a big turban." 
 
38 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 " That," said Pieter, " is an automaton, 
 which can be wound up so as to nod his head. 
 And look, there is another figure near him, — 
 a funny old woman, who keeps turning around, 
 as if she got tired of seeing the gentleman with 
 the turban. Those ducks swimming about on 
 the pond are made to move in the same way." 
 
 The summer villa gardens are usually filled 
 with these queer mechanical contrivances. I 
 suppose it amuses the rich old burghers to 
 watch them as they sit smoking their long 
 pipes and taking their ease in their little sum- 
 mer-houses on the hot days. Mynheer Van 
 der Veer was very proud of his collection and 
 took great care of them. When a shower came 
 up he would put an open umbrella over each 
 one, which made them look funnier still, and 
 when it rained very hard, he would pick them 
 up bodily and carry them into the house ; then 
 when the sun shone again, out would come the 
 funny little figures too. 
 
Land of Dikes and Windmills 39 
 
 " Why is the little summer-house in the 
 corner of the garden built over the canal ? " 
 asked Theodore. 
 
 " I really don't know," said Pieter ; " they 
 always are, and no villa is complete in its ap- 
 pointments without one. There is where 
 Mynheer and Mevrouw sit in the afternoon 
 and have their coffee and 'koejes.' Mynheer 
 sits and smokes and dozes and Mevrouw does 
 embroidery." 
 
 The flower-beds were all arranged in regular 
 shapes ; the walks were made of several kinds 
 of coloured sands which were arranged to form 
 regular patterns. The trees were not allowed 
 to grow as they pleased. Dear me, no ! They 
 were trimmed in shapes and forms too, and 
 some of the tree-trunks were even painted. 
 But all was very clean and proper, and every 
 leaf looked as though it was frequently dusted 
 and washed. 
 
 * c Well, I should not dare to move about in 
 
40 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 that garden for fear I should put something 
 out of order," said Theodore. "It wouldn't do 
 for American children to play in, with those 
 fine patterns in the sand and all the rest. They 
 would certainly disappear in a short time." 
 
 "So they would here, as well," laughed 
 Pieter. " But they are kept up only for show, 
 and everybody uses a side-entrance except on 
 grand occasions." 
 
 "Oh, there is a family of storks on that 
 house ! " called out Wilhelmina ; "look, Pieter, 
 aren't they lucky people who live there? " 
 
 Sure enough, on the top of the chimney 
 was a mass of straw, and in the midst of it stood 
 two tall storks. This was their nest, and Papa 
 and Mamma Stork were waiting for the young 
 Stork family to come out of their shells. Papa 
 Stork stood on one leg and cocked his head 
 down to the children as much as to say : " Don't 
 you wish that we were living at your house ? " ; 
 for storks must know as well as anybody how 
 
Land of Dikes and Windmills 41 
 
 much they are thought of in Holland. The 
 good people of that country build little plat- 
 forms over their chimneys just so that a stork 
 couple that are looking for a place to begin 
 housekeeping will see it and say to themselves : 
 " Here's a nice flat place on which to build 
 our nest." 
 
 It is considered very lucky indeed for a stork 
 family to come to live on one's chimney-top. 
 
 " We thought one was coming to live at our 
 house last year," said Wilhelmina, " but they 
 must have made up their minds to go else- 
 where, and I was so sorry." 
 
 " And they build on churches, too," cried 
 Theodore. " Look, there's a nest on the roof 
 of that church. I had been thinking that it 
 was a bundle of sticks, and wondering how 
 it got up there." 
 
 "The storks have built there for many 
 years, and they seem to like the highest places 
 they can find," said Pieter. " There is a law 
 
42 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 to protect the storks, and to forbid any injury 
 being done to them, so you see they can have 
 a better time than most birds." 
 
 " Look, Pieter, there are big ships over 
 there in the middle of that green meadow ; 
 how ever did they get there ? Bless my stars ! " 
 said Theodore, " I do believe they are sailing 
 over the grass." 
 
 " Oh, Theodore, you are so funny ! " laughed 
 Wilhelmina ; " of course they are on the water ; 
 there is a canal over there where you are 
 looking." 
 
 "Well, I can't see it," persisted Theodore, 
 who thought his eyes were playing him tricks. 
 
 " That's because our canals are higher than 
 the land about them," said Pieter. " You 
 must know that we are very economical wit' 
 our dry land ; there is nothing we prize su 
 much, because we have so little of it ; and 
 there is no people in the world who have 
 worked so hard for theirs as the Dutch, not 
 
Land of Dikes and Windmills 43 
 
 only to get it in the first place, but to keep it 
 afterward. 
 
 " Once all this country about here was either 
 a marsh or covered by water. The land could 
 not be allowed to go to waste like that, and 
 so great walls of mud and stone, called dikes, 
 were built. Canals were run here, there, and 
 everywhere, and the waters which covered the 
 lowlands were pumped into these canals and 
 so drained off. The new land was practically 
 a new area added to the small territory of Hol- 
 land, and where once was nothing but salt 
 marsh and water-flooded meadows are now 
 cities and towns and houses and lovely gardens. 
 
 " As one walks along many of the canal 
 banks in Holland, one is often overlooking 
 the roof-tops of the houses below. " 
 
 " Why," said Theodore, " if we tried, we 
 might look right down that man's chimney, 
 and see what they are cooking for dinner ; the 
 road is on a level with the roof." 
 
44 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 " Yes, our roads, too, are often built on 
 dikes ; this keeps them hard and dry," said 
 Pieter. " You may judge as to how wide some 
 of these dikes are, for on this particular one 
 there is not only a road, but a row of trees on 
 either side of it as well. Some are so broad 
 that there are houses, and even villages, on 
 top of them. The reclaimed lands lying 
 between the dikes are called c polders/ and 
 thousands of acres of the richest part of Hol- 
 land have been made in this way. Some day, 
 too, it is planned that the whole of the Zuyder 
 Zee will be planted and built over with gar- 
 dens and houses." 
 
 " That is just like finding a country," said 
 Theodore, " but hasn't it all cost a lot of 
 money? " 
 
 " Yes, indeed," answered Pieter, " and not 
 only that, but millions of 'gulden' have still 
 to be spent every year to fight the waters back 
 again." 
 
Land of Dikes and Windmills 45 
 
 Pieter also told Theodore that many of the 
 great windmills which he saw were used to 
 pump off the surplus water which drained 
 through from the canals. So many of these 
 canals are there in Holland that the country is 
 cut up by them like a checker-board. They 
 are of all sizes, from a tiny ditch to others big 
 enough for large ships to sail upon. 
 
 There are not only these inland dikes, 
 which protect the canals and the lands lying 
 between, but there are great sea-walls of sand 
 and rock to keep the sea itself in place, other- 
 wise it would come rushing over the lowlands 
 and drown half the country. Even that is not 
 the end of the matter. Thousands and thou- 
 sands of men have to watch these dikes day 
 and night, for one little leak might be the 
 means of flooding miles of country, and wash- 
 ing away many homes and lives. When the 
 cry is heard, " The dike is breaking ! " every 
 man, woman, and child must go and help 
 
46 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 do their share toward fighting back the 
 water. 
 
 " Well, I am proud of my Dutch blood," 
 said Theodore ; " they are a splendid little peo- 
 ple to work as they do, and they have had a 
 hard fight to keep their heads above water. I 
 wonder if that saying didn't first come from a 
 Dutchman ! " 
 
 " Perhaps that is the reason that we Dutch 
 people talk so little," said Pieter ; " we have to 
 think and work so hard all the time to keep 
 what we have." 
 
 " Well," said Theodore, " Holland is a won- 
 derful country ; it is wholly unlike any other 
 place." 
 
 " Tell the story, Pieter," said Wilhelmina, 
 " of the time when the people cut the dikes 
 and let in the water to save themselves from 
 the enemy." 
 
 " That's a long story, and we must save it 
 for another time," said Pieter, " until after 
 
Land of Dikes and Windmills 47 
 
 Theodore has seen Leyden, for it was there 
 that it happened. " 
 
 This talk on Dutch history came to a sud- 
 den stop as Pieter called out : " Look out, 
 Theodore, or you will get drenched," and the 
 children had only time to dodge a big bucket 
 of water that a fat Vrouw was tossing up on her 
 windows. " You have not yet learned, Theo- 
 dore, that a Dutch woman will not stop her 
 washing and cleaning for any one," laughed 
 Pieter, as they left the angry Vrouw shaking 
 her mop at them. 
 
 " I have seen Vrouw Huytens, our neigh- 
 bour," said Pieter, " scrubbing her house-front 
 in a heavy rain, holding an umbrella over her- 
 self at the same time." 
 
 I suppose the idea of cleanliness comes from 
 the fact that the Dutch have so much water 
 handy ; they say that when a Dutch Vrouw 
 cannot find anything else to do, she says, " Let's 
 wash something." 
 
48 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 It was Saturday, the great cleaning day, and 
 the housewives were washing down the doors 
 and blinds and the sides of the houses with big 
 mops, until everything shone brilliantly in the 
 sunlight ; the white door-steps, and even the 
 tree-trunks and the red brick walks were not for- 
 gotten. They would dip up the water from the 
 canals and dash it over the pavements with a 
 reckless disregard for passers-by. 
 
 As the children entered the town matters 
 grew worse. Everywhere were happy Dutch 
 folk of all ages, swashing clean water about 
 over everything, until Theodore finally said : 
 cc The next time I come out on cleaning-up 
 day I shall wear a waterproof. I wonder the 
 Dutch people don't grow web-footed, like 
 ducks. 
 
 cc You don't know how strange it looks to 
 me to see carts drawn by dogs," he continued. 
 " I'm going to snap-shot one of them with my 
 camera." 
 
"'I'm going to snap-shot one of them with my 
 
 CAMERA ' i7 
 
Land of Dikes and Windmills 49 
 
 All along the road rattled the little carts 
 drawn by dogs, for dogs are used a great deal 
 in both Holland and Belgium in place of 
 horses. 
 
 " Don't you have them in America ? " asked 
 Wilhelmina, in curious wonderment. 
 
 " No, indeed," said Theodore. " How people 
 would stare to see the baker deliver his bread 
 in one of our cites or towns from a little cart 
 drawn by dogs." 
 
 " Most of the vegetables from the farms 
 roundabout are brought into town in this way," 
 said Pieter. 
 
 " And there is a man and a dog pulling side 
 by side ; what would they say to that at home, 
 I wonder," said Theodore. 
 
 cc Yes, some of our poor c boers,' or farmers, 
 have only one dog, and he must be helped. 
 But there is a vegetable-cart with three fine 
 dogs harnessed to it. Often there are four or 
 five dogs to a cart," said Pieter, " and they can 
 
5o Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 draw big loads, too, I can tell you ; and they 
 are as intelligent as human beings. 
 
 " You see that big black dog knows that the 
 brown one is not doing his share of the work, 
 so he keeps his eye on him and gives him a 
 sharp bite every once and again to keep him 
 up to the mark." 
 
 " Is that a milk-cart ? " asked Theodore, as 
 he sighted a sort of a chariot with three great 
 polished brass cans in it, all shining, like every- 
 thing else that is Dutch. " See, while the 
 master is serving his customer, the dog just 
 lies down in his harness and rests ; that is 
 where he is better off than a pony would be 
 under the same circumstances. Think of a 
 pony lying down every time he stopped." 
 
 At this speech of Theodore's, Wilhelmina 
 was much amused. 
 
 cc A pony could not shield himself from the 
 sun by crawling under the cart, either," said 
 Pieter. " See, there is one who has crawled 
 
Land of Dikes and Windmills 51 
 
 under his cart while he is waiting, and is taking 
 a comfortable nap. You may be sure, how- 
 ever, if any stranger attempted to take anything 
 from his cart, he would become very wide 
 awake, and that person would be very sorry for 
 it, for the dogs guard their master's property 
 faithfully." 
 
 By this time our party was well into town. 
 They saw the " Groote Markt," or big mar- 
 ket-place, and the Groote Kerk. Every Dutch 
 town has a great market-place, and generally 
 the Groote Kerk, or big church, stands in it, as 
 well as the town hall. It is here, too, that the 
 principal business of the town is transacted. 
 
 The children walked along the canals, which 
 are the main streets in Dutch towns and cities, 
 and Theodore never grew tired of looking at 
 the queer houses, always with their gable ends 
 to the street. 
 
 " What on earth does that mean ? " said 
 Theodore, stopping to read a sign on the 
 
52 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 cellar-door of a small house, — " Water and 
 Fire to Sell." 
 
 " Oh," said Pieter, " that is where the poor 
 people can go and buy for a tiny sum some 
 boiling water and a piece of red-hot peat, with 
 which to cook their dinner. It is really cheaper 
 for them than to keep a fire all the day in 
 their own houses. Peat is generally sold for 
 this purpose instead of coal or wood, for it is 
 not so costly." 
 
 By this time the young cousins were quite 
 ready to take the steam-tram home, and were 
 hungry enough for the good supper which they 
 knew Mevrouw Joost had prepared for them. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE KERMIS 
 
 "Isn't it nice that Theodore has come in 
 time for the Kermis?" said Wilhelmina, as 
 the cousins were packing the flowers into the 
 big baskets for the market, early one morn- 
 ing. 
 
 " What is a Kermis ? " asked Theodore, all 
 curiosity at once. 
 
 " It is a great fair, and generally lasts a 
 week," said Pieter. 
 
 These fairs are held in many of the Dutch 
 
 towns and cities. Booths are put up in the 
 
 Groote Markt and on the streets, where the 
 
 sale of all kinds of things is carried on. There 
 
 are games and merrymakings, and dances, and 
 
 singing, and fancy costumes, and much more 
 
 53 
 
54 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 to make them novel to even the Dutch them- 
 selves. 
 
 " There is to be a Kermis at Rotterdam 
 shortly,'* said Pieter, "and the father has 
 promised to take us all." 
 
 For a time the children talked about noth- 
 ing but the Kermis, until at last the great day 
 came, and they all found themselves on the 
 train which was taking them to Rotterdam. 
 
 As they drew near the city it was easy to 
 see that everybody was going to the Kermis, 
 and was thinking of nothing else. The roads 
 were crowded with all kinds of queer vehicles 
 and gay costumes. There were the big coun- 
 try wagons, of strange shapes, and painted in 
 bright colours. In them were piled the whole 
 family, — grandparents, mother, father, aunts, 
 uncles, and cousins. There were the dogs, 
 too, drawing their little carts, and trying to 
 keep up with the big wagons, panting bravely 
 along with their tongues hanging out, as much 
 
The Kermis 55 
 
 as to say, " We are not going to let the horses 
 get there first, just because we are little." 
 
 There were men and women on bicycles, — 
 the women with their caps and streamers flap- 
 ping in the wind like white wings, and their 
 half-dozen skirts filling out like a balloon, as 
 they pedalled rapidly along. 
 
 It was just twelve o'clock as our party left 
 the station, and the bells were ringing gaily, 
 which was the signal for the opening of the 
 Kermis. 
 
 " My, but isn't this a jam ! " gasped Theo- 
 dore, who found himself wedged in between 
 the market-baskets of two fat Vrouws. 
 
 " It is, indeed," said Mynheer Joost, " and 
 we must not lose sight of one another. Now, 
 Wilhelmina, you keep between Theodore and 
 Pieter, while the mother and I will go ahead 
 to open the way." 
 
 There was no use trying to hurry, — Dutch 
 folk do not hurry, even to a Kermis, — so our 
 
56 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 party just let themselves be pushed slowly 
 along until they reached the Groote Mark*. 
 
 Here things were really getting lively. All 
 around the great square were booths or stalls, 
 where one could buy almost anything they were 
 likely to want. Flags were flying everywhere, 
 and from booth to booth were stretched gar- 
 lands of flowers and streamers of ribbons. In 
 the centre of the market-square a band of music 
 was playing, and couples were trying to dance 
 in spite of the rough cobblestone pavement 
 and the jostling of the crowd which was watch- 
 ing them. 
 
 "You can see now, Theodore, just how 
 your Dutch cousins really look, for there are 
 folk here from all over the country, and all in 
 their best holiday dress," said Mynheer Joost. 
 " That group of little girls, with those high 
 sleeves that come nearly to the tops of their 
 heads, and with extra large skirts, are from Zea- 
 land." 
 
The Kermis 57 
 
 " I see a woman with two or three caps on 
 her head, and a big, black straw hat on top of 
 them," said Theodore. 
 
 " She is from Hindeloopen ; and there, too, 
 are a number of flsherwomen, wearing huge 
 straw hats, which look like big baskets. " 
 
 There were other women wearing beautiful 
 flowered silk shawls, and the sun glistened on 
 the gold ornaments which dangled from their 
 white caps as their owners danced up and 
 down between the long lines of booths, holding 
 each others hands. 
 
 People were already crowding around the 
 booths, buying their favourite dainties to eat, 
 which at once reminded the young people that 
 they, too, were hungry. 
 
 "What will you have, Theodore, 'pofTer- 
 tjes' or c oliebollen ' ? " asked Pieter. 
 
 " Oh, what names ! " laughed Theodore. 
 " How can I tell ? Show them to me first." 
 
 " Of course Theodore must eat the ( poffer- 
 
58 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 tjes,' for that is the real Kermis cake/' said 
 Mynheer Joost, and led the way to a booth 
 where a woman with a big, flapping cap and 
 short sleeves was standing, dipping ladlefuls 
 of batter from a big wooden bowl, and dropping 
 them into hollowed-out places in a big pan, 
 which was placed on an open fire before 
 her. 
 
 As soon as they were cooked, another woman 
 piled them nicely up, one on top of another, 
 with butter and sugar between, and, with a 
 smile, set a big plateful before the children^ 
 who made them disappear in short order. 
 
 " Why, they are buckwheat cakes, just like 
 ours at home ! " said Theodore, in the midst of 
 his first mouthful ; " and they are fine, too. 
 Now let us try the other thing with the funny 
 name," he continued. 
 
 " There they are, in that box," said Pieter, 
 as he pointed to some fritters, made in the 
 shape of little round balls. 
 
The Kermis 59 
 
 " Oh, c oliebollen ' aren't half so nice as 
 waffles ; let us have them instead," said Wil- 
 helmina. 
 
 " I think I agree with Wilhelmina," said 
 Theodore ; " the f oliebollen ' seem to be tak- 
 ing a bath in oil," he continued, shaking his 
 head doubtfully. 
 
 " Oh, try one, anyhow," said Pieter. " You 
 must not miss any of the Kermis cakes." 
 
 " Well, they taste better than they look," 
 said Theodore, as he swallowed one of the 
 greasy little balls. 
 
 " How would you like a raw herring, now, 
 to give you an appetite for your dinner ? " 
 asked Pieter, as they passed the fish-stalls, 
 which were decorated with festoons offish that 
 looked, at a little distance, like strings of white 
 flags waving in the breeze. 
 
 " Not for me, thank vou," answered his 
 cousin, " but just look at all those people eat- 
 ing them as if they enjoyed them ; and dried fish 
 
60 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 and smoked fish, too, and all without any 
 bread." 
 
 After the waffles had been found and eaten, 
 the young people became much interested in 
 watching a group of men trying to break *a 
 cake. The cake was placed over a hollowed- 
 out place in a large log of wood, and whoever 
 could break the cake in halves with a blow of 
 his stick won the cake, or what was left of it. 
 The thing sounds easy, but it proved more dif- 
 ficult than would have seemed possible. 
 
 cc Let us eat an c ellekoek ' together, Pieter ; 
 there they are," and Wilhelmina pointed to 
 what looked like yards and yards of ribbon 
 hanging from one of the booths. The children 
 forthwith bought a length, which was measured 
 off for them just as if it really were ribbon, and 
 Wilhelmina put one end in her mouth and 
 Pieter the other end in his. The idea is to eat 
 this ribbon cake without touching it with the 
 hands or without its breaking. This Wilhel- 
 
AT THE KERMIS 
 
The Kermis 61 
 
 mina and Pieter managed to do in spite of 
 much laughter, and gave each other a hearty 
 kiss when they got to the middle of it. 
 
 "Well," said Theodore, "I should think 
 that a Kermis was for the purpose of eating 
 cakes." 
 
 The market-place became gayer and gayer. 
 A crowd of people would lock arms and form 
 a long line, and then go skipping and dancing 
 along between the booths, singing and trying 
 to capture other merrymakers in order to 
 make them join their band. 
 
 " Look out, Theodore, or this line will catch 
 you," laughed Pieter, who jumped out of the 
 way, pulling Wilhelmina after him. 
 
 The first thing Theodore knew, a gay crowd 
 had circled around him and made him a pris- 
 oner, calling out to him to come and keep 
 Kermis with them. But Theodore was not to 
 be captured so easily ; he had not become pro- 
 ficient in gymnastics for nothing, so he simply 
 
62 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 ran up to a short little fellow, and putting his 
 hands on his shoulders, vaulted clean over 
 him, to the amazement of the crowd and the 
 delight of the twins. 
 
 The fun lasted long into the night, but 
 Mynheer Joost took his little party to their 
 hotel early in the evening, for the fun was 
 growing somewhat boisterous ; besides, they 
 had a long day ahead of them for the morrow. 
 
 Mevrouw and Jan were going back by the 
 train, but Mynheer and the children had 
 brought their bicycles with them, and were 
 going to cycle back a part of the way. The 
 children were looking forward to this with as 
 much pleasure as they had to any feature of 
 the Kermis. And so they went to bed and 
 dreamed of cakes, miles long, that wiggled 
 about like long snakes. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE BICYCLE RIDE 
 
 "Be up bright and early," Mynheer Joost 
 had said the night before, and it was a little 
 after seven when the young people finished 
 breakfast. A Dutch breakfast is a big thing; 
 besides nice coffee, there was rye bread and 
 and white bread, rolls and rusks, half a dozen 
 kinds of cheeses, as well as many kinds of cold 
 sausages cut into thin slices. 
 
 After seeing Mevrouw and Jan off on the 
 train, the children mounted their wheels, and, 
 in company with Mynheer, went bumping over 
 the big round cobblestones with which Rotter- 
 dam is paved. 
 
 " Our city streets are not as good as our 
 
 country roads, but we will soon be out in the 
 63 
 
64 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 open country," said Mynheer, as they turned 
 into the " Boompjes." 
 
 " Do you remember, Theodore," he contin- 
 ued, " your steamer landed you just at that 
 dock opposite." 
 
 The " Boompjes " is a great quay alongside 
 of which are to be seen all manner of steam- 
 ships, from those which trade with the ports of 
 Great Britain and Germany, to the little craft 
 which ply up and down the rivers and canals 
 of Holland, and the long barges and canal- 
 boats with their brown sails. 
 
 Our bicycle party crossed many bridges over 
 little and big canals. By the side of many of 
 these canals the great tall houses seemed to 
 grow right up out of the water, queer old 
 houses with gables all twists and curves. At 
 last they passed through the " Delftsche Poort," 
 one of the old gateways of Rotterdam, and then 
 out on to the smooth country road, still running 
 by the side of the canal. 
 
The Bicycle Ride 65 
 
 "Ah, this is better," said Pieter, as he gave 
 a sigh of relief. 
 
 " No wonder cycling is popular in Holland; 
 you have such fine, flat roads," said Theodore. 
 " Just look at this one all paved with tiny 
 bricks ; why, it's like riding on a table- 
 top." 
 
 " They are called c klinkers/ and many of 
 our roads are paved this way ; but do you see 
 that town just to the left, Theodore?" said 
 Mynheer Joost, as he pointed to a jumble of 
 houses, windmills, and masts of ships not far 
 away. " That is Delfshaven ; you know what 
 happened there once long ago, do you not ? " 
 
 " Oh, it was from there that the Pilgrim 
 Fathers sailed for America," cried Theodore. 
 
 cc But I thought they sailed from Plymouth, 
 England," said Pieter. 
 
 " They did put into Plymouth, on account 
 of a storm, but their first start was from Delfs- 
 haven. Can't we go and see the place where 
 
66 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 they went on board ship, Cousin Joost ? " said 
 Theodore, who nearly tumbled off his wheel 
 in his effort to see the town. 
 
 " I am afraid the spot could not be found 
 now/' smiled Mynheer. " Delfshaven has 
 grown to be a big town since then ; but you 
 can see the church where they worshipped be- 
 fore they set sail." 
 
 So they turned on to the road into the 
 town. The old church seemed plain and bare 
 to Theodore, as he stood in it and looked at 
 its simple white walls, and it was hard for him 
 to realize that the history of New England 
 began here. 
 
 " I must write Henry all about Delfshaven ; 
 he'd give a lot to be in my shoes, now," said 
 Theodore, as they rode away again. 
 
 " Who is Henry ? " asked Wilhelmina. 
 
 " He is a chum of mine and lives in Bos- 
 ton. You see his people came over with the 
 Pilgrims, just as mine came over later from 
 
ON THE ROAD TO DELFSHAVEN 
 

The Bicycle Ride 67 
 
 Holland, and he is always talking a lot about 
 the Mayflower and all that. 
 
 " But just see that woman pulling that big 
 boat, and the two children helping her — 
 think of it ! " and Theodore forgot all about 
 the Pilgrims in the strange sight before 
 him. 
 
 " Those are barge-people ; let us stop and 
 rest awhile, and you can see them better," 
 said Mynheer, who set the example by jump- 
 ing off his wheel. 
 
 It did look like hard work, too, as the 
 woman came slowly along, panting and strain- 
 ing at one end of a long rope. There was a 
 loop in the rope which passed over her chest, 
 and the other end was made fast to the prow 
 of the barge, or " tjalk." Behind her were a 
 little girl and a boy, not more than ten or 
 twelve years old, each of them, like the mother, 
 tugging away at the heavy load. 
 
 " Think of those little children helping to 
 
68 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 move that great heavy boat ! I don't see how 
 they do it," said Wilhelmina. 
 
 " It must be hard work, but they don't 
 seem to mind it," said her father. 
 
 It looked as if the children did not, for they 
 were plump and round, and as they passed, 
 they smiled shyly and said " Good morning," 
 and kept looking back with grins of amuse- 
 ment. 
 
 " The father is the one who has the easy 
 time," said Pieter ; " see, he sits comfortably 
 beside the big tiller, to which he only gives 
 a slight turn once and again, for the canals 
 are so straight that the * tjalk ' does not 
 require much steering. He is quite content 
 to let the Vrouw and the little ones tow the 
 1 tjalk ' while he smokes and dozes on 
 deck." 
 
 " Well, it grows c curiouser and curiouser,' 
 as Alice in Wonderland said. Your roads are 
 of water, and your wagons are boats, and your 
 
The Bicycle Ride 69 
 
 people do the work of horses. Why don't they 
 use horses ? " demanded Theodore. 
 
 " Well the c tjalks ' really depend upon the 
 wind to carry them along," said Mynheer. 
 "You see this one has a big sail, and it is only 
 when there is no wind that they have to tow 
 the boats. Once they used dogs for the tow- 
 ing, but now the people who live on board do 
 the work, and if it is slow, why, nobody seems 
 to mind." 
 
 The barge was painted red and blue, and in 
 the great rounded bow there were two round 
 openings through which the anchor-chains 
 passed, and which looked like big staring eyes, 
 particularly at night, when a ray of light often 
 shot through them. 
 
 " Of course some one is washing things, as 
 usual," said Theodore ; " even the barges don't 
 escape a continual ( spring cleaning.' And 
 sure enough, there was another woman splash- 
 ing pailfuls of water over everything, even over 
 
jo Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 the drowsy Mynheer at the tiller. He was 
 probably used to this, however, for he didn't 
 take the slightest notice. 
 
 " Yes, indeed, the ' tjalk ' owners take a 
 great pride in the spick and span appearance 
 of their boats," said Mynheer Joost. "You 
 must remember that the c tjalk ' is their home. 
 They are born on it, and often live and die 
 there, as did their fathers and grandfathers 
 before them, for many of these boats are very 
 old. The little cabin on the poop is all the 
 house they ever have, and they are just as 
 proud of it as if it were a fine villa like that 
 of Mynheer Van der Veer. 
 
 " You see," he continued, " they have their 
 little garden, too. There are tulips planted in 
 a box before the door, and a tiny path out^ 
 lined with shells." 
 
 " And a little garden-gate, too," cried Wil- 
 helmina ; " isn't it funny ? " 
 
 "Yes," said her father, "they like to think 
 
The Bicycle Ride 71 
 
 that they have everything that goes with a 
 house on land." 
 
 " There is a cage of birds, also," said Wilhel- 
 mina again, " and a little china dog sitting by 
 the side of the tulip-bed, who seems to be 
 watching them." 
 
 " I suppose if there were room enough in 
 the garden there would be a summer-house, 
 too," said Pieter, 
 
 There is no doubt but what the " bargees " 
 enjoy their lives, and nothing would make 
 them so unhappy as to have to live on dry 
 land. There are thousands and thousands 
 of these " tjalks " in Holland, and most 
 of the merchandise of all kinds which is 
 transported about the country is carried by 
 them. 
 
 " Time to be on the road," said Mynheer to 
 his young party ; and before long they were all 
 riding into the old town of Delft. 
 
 " Listen to those bells," cried Theodore, 
 
72 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 £f they are playing one of our popular Ameri- 
 can marches. Where are they ? " 
 
 " Those are the chimes you hear ringing in 
 the belfry," said Pieter. " They must be play- 
 ing the march in your honour, Theodore." 
 
 Each town in Holland has its chime of bells, 
 usually hung in the tower of the principal 
 church. The chimes are played by means of a 
 wonderful mechanical keyboard, and the Dutch 
 are very fond of hearing them ring out the 
 popular tunes of the day. 
 
 " It was in this place that long ago the 
 famous blue and white Delftware was made, 
 like that the mother has at home," said Myn- 
 heer. " There is Delftware made now, but it is 
 not prized like the old kind. 
 
 " But we must not linger, children, if we are 
 to reach The Hague for dinner," and he mar- 
 shalled the young people again upon the road. 
 
 Soon they were skimming over the smooth, 
 flat roadway, and came almost at once on to 
 
The Bicycle Ride 73 
 
 fine boulevards lined with handsome houses, 
 so they knew they were at The Hague 
 itself. 
 
 The twins were as interested as their Ameri- 
 can cousin in the sights of their capital city, 
 and Wilhelmina wanted to know at once if there 
 would be a chance of their seeing the queen. 
 You see she was named after Queen Wilhel- 
 mina, so she felt as if she had a right to see 
 her, even more than other little Dutch girls, 
 though indeed they are all fond of their young 
 ruler, who not so very long ago was a young 
 girl like Wilhelmina herself. 
 
 Wilhelmina had among her treasures at home 
 a picture of Queen Wilhelmina, taken when 
 she was a little girl, and dressed in the pretty 
 Frisian costume, one of the prettiest of the 
 national costumes of Holland. 
 
 " I can't say," smiled her father, in answer 
 to Wilhelmina' s question, " but we can go out 
 to the ' Huis ten Bosch/ and maybe we shall 
 
74 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 be fortunate enough to meet her out driving in 
 the park." 
 
 After our friends had done justice to a good 
 dinner at one of the famous hotels of The 
 Hague, they left their bicycles at the hotel, 
 and took the steam-tram to the " Huis ten 
 Bosch/' which is Dutch for " House in the 
 Wood." It is one of the royal palaces of Hol- 
 land and is situated in the midst of a beautiful 
 wood. The forests of Holland are very much 
 prized because there are so few of them, and 
 so this " House in the Wood " is one of the 
 favourite royal residences. 
 
 Though Wilhelmina did not see her queen, 
 she saw the next best thing, for they went 
 through the state apartments of the palace, and 
 saw the beautiful Chinese Room and the Japa- 
 nese Room, each of them entirely filled with 
 beautiful things from the Orient. 
 
 " Now shall we go to Scheveningen, or are 
 you too tired ? " asked Mynheer. 
 
The Bicycle Ride 75 
 
 " Tired ! " The children laughed at the 
 idea. They were out for a holiday, and were 
 going to see as much as possible ; and away 
 they went again on another steam-tram to a 
 fishing-town a few miles from The Hague, 
 called Scheveningen, which is a big mouthful 
 of a word, isn't it ? This is where the fisher- 
 folk live who go out in their stubby boats, 
 called " pinken," to fish in the North Sea. 
 
 " I don't see the ocean," said Pieter, look- 
 ing about him as they walked through the 
 town, with its rows and rows of neat little 
 houses of brick where the fishermen live. 
 
 " Climb up to the top of those sand-dunes 
 and you will," said his father. " These dunes 
 or banks of sand have been blown up by the 
 wind and sea until they form a high wall or 
 breakwater. There are many such all along 
 the coast of Holland, and to keep the wind 
 from blowing the loose sand back inland, over 
 the fields and gardens, these banks of sand, or 
 
76 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 dunes, are planted over in many places with 
 grasses and shrubs, which bind the sand to- 
 gether and keep it in place." 
 
 "There is a fish auction going on over 
 there : let's go down and see it," called out 
 Pieter. 
 
 A boat-load of fish had just been landed on 
 the beach, and a crowd of fishermen and women 
 were standing around it. The women had 
 big basket-shaped hats over their white caps, 
 and the men wore baggy trousers and tall 
 caps. 
 
 The fish were being auctioned off in the 
 Dutch fashion, which is just the reverse of the 
 usual auctioneering methods. A market price 
 is put upon the fish, and the purchaser bidding 
 the nearest thereto takes them. 
 
 " What are those things on the sands over 
 there that look like big mushrooms, Cousin 
 Joost ? " asked Theodore, pointing to a spot 
 half a mile or so farther on. 
 
The Bicycle Ride 77 
 
 " They do look something like mushrooms, 
 Theodore," said his uncle, " and they come 
 and go about as quickly. They are the 
 straw chairs and shelters in which visitors sit 
 when they are taking the fresh air on the 
 sands." 
 
 These chairs are closed in on all sides but 
 one, and have a sort of roof over them, so as 
 to protect the occupant from the wind and 
 rain. Scheveningen, besides being one of the 
 largest fishing-towns in Holland, is the great 
 seaside resort of the Dutch people. Here the 
 well-to-do burghers and merchants come with 
 their Vrouws and sit in the big basket-chairs, 
 while the children dig miniature canals and 
 build toy dikes in the sand, modelled after 
 those which surround their homes. 
 
 When our tourists got back to The Hague 
 they walked around and looked at the fine 
 houses of the city. They saw, too, the storks 
 in the market-place, around which were many 
 
78 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 fisherwomen with their wares spread out for 
 sale. The storks are well fed, and are kept 
 here at the expense of the city, for good luck, 
 perhaps. 
 
 The children thought they had cycled quite 
 enough for one day, so they put their wheels 
 and themselves in the train for Leyden, and 
 were soon tooting into one of the oldest cities 
 of Holland. 
 
 £C Are we there already ? " asked Theodore, 
 amazed at the shortness of the journey. 
 
 "Yes, everything is close together in our 
 little Holland," said Mynheer. 
 
 The Dutch are very proud of Leyden for 
 many reasons, but especially for the brave 
 defence the city made against the Spaniards at 
 the time when the sturdy Dutch were fighting 
 to free themselves from the rule of Spain. 
 The city was besieged for nearly a year, but 
 the plucky burghers never gave in. The city 
 was finally saved by cutting the dikes, and 
 
The Bicycle Ride 79 
 
 letting in the waters, so that the Dutch fleet 
 could sail right up to the city walls and thus 
 drive off the enemy. It is said that to reward 
 the people of Leyden for their bravery and 
 courage, the government afterward offered to 
 either free them forever from all taxes, or to 
 give them a university. They wisely chose 
 the latter, and this same University of Leyden 
 has always ranked among the great institutions 
 of learning throughout the world, and many 
 great men have studied within its walls. 
 
 "Your friend Henry would like to see 
 Leyden, also," said Mynheer. " It was here 
 that the Pilgrim Fathers lived for many years 
 before they finally set sail for the New World. 
 The city gave them a safe shelter, when they 
 were persecuted and driven from other lands, 
 and for this reason alone Leyden should 
 always be remembered by our American 
 cousins." 
 
 " Don't you feel as if you had been up two 
 
80 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 whole days ? " asked Theodore of Pieter, as 
 he gave a big yawn ; but Pieter and Wilhel- 
 mina were already fast asleep as the train 
 whirled them on toward Haarlem. 
 
 None of the children talked much either 
 while they ate the hot supper Mevrouw 
 Joost had ready for them, and soon they 
 were tucked away in their beds. But the 
 next day you should have heard the three 
 tongues wag, and Mevrouw and Baby Jan 
 had to hear all the adventures over again 
 many times. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 WHERE THE CHEESES COME FROM 
 
 " What a jumble of ships and houses ! I 
 shouldn't think you would know whether you 
 were going into a house or aboard ship, when 
 you open the front door," said Theodore, one 
 fine summer's day, when the cousins were 
 strolling about Amsterdam, on their way to 
 pay the promised visit to Mynheer Van 
 der Veer. 
 
 Others besides Theodore might think the 
 
 same thing, for Amsterdam really grew up 
 
 out of the water. The houses are, for the 
 
 most part, built on wooden piles ; and there 
 
 are as many canals as there are streets, and 
 
 big ships move about between the buildings in 
 
 the most wonderful manner. 
 81 
 
82 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 They found Mynheer Van der Veer smok- 
 ing his meerschaum pipe at his warehouse on 
 one of the principal canals. He was glad in- 
 deed to see his little friends of the tulip- 
 garden, as he called them, and showed them 
 all around the big establishment They saw 
 the big ships that were anchored right at his 
 door, and the bales and boxes being loaded 
 into their holds from the very windows of the 
 warehouse itself. He showed them the coffees 
 and sugars and spices which other ships had 
 brought from the Dutch East Indies, which as 
 you all know are around on the other side of 
 the world. Holland owns some of the richest 
 islands in the world, many of them larger than 
 Holland itself. One of these islands is Java, 
 where the fine Java coffee comes from, and 
 this is one of the reasons why the Dutch always 
 have such good coffee, and drink so much 
 of it. 
 
 Mynheer gave them all nice spices to taste, 
 
Where the Cheeses Come from 83 
 
 and was amused at the faces they made at 
 some hot peppery things they were eager 
 to try. 
 
 After this he took them to his fine, tall 
 house that faced on another canal, where there 
 were long rows of other tall houses, all built of 
 tiny bricks and as neat as pins. All of them 
 were as much alike, in their outside appearance 
 at least, as a row of pins, too. Here the 
 children met the portly Mevrouw Van der 
 Veer in her rustling silk dress, who gave them 
 a warm welcome. 
 
 She had just come in from a walk, and on the 
 top of her beautiful lace cap with its gold or- 
 naments she wore a very fashionable modern 
 hat. 
 
 " Oh," thought Wilhelmina, " why does she 
 spoil her fine cap like that?" But you see 
 many Dutch ladies who combine the old and 
 the new styles in just that way. 
 
 They all sat in Mevrouw's fine parlour, with 
 
84 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 its shining waxed floor, which was filled with 
 beautiful things from all parts of the world. 
 There was furniture of teak-wood from India, 
 wonderfully carved, and rare china and porce- 
 lain from China and Japan. Exquisite silk 
 curtains hung at the windows, and embroidered 
 screens cut off any possible draughts. 
 
 These rare things had been brought from 
 time to time in Mynheer's ships, as they were 
 homeward bound from these far-off countries. 
 
 Mevrouw sat before a little table laden with 
 silver and fine china, and poured coffee for 
 them from a big silver coffee-pot, and gave 
 them many kinds of nice Dutch cakes to eat ; 
 and when she said good-bye she promised Myn- 
 heer Joost that she would come some day and 
 see his tulip-garden herself. 
 
 cc Why was that small looking-glass fastened 
 outside of one of the upper windows?" asked 
 Theodore, as they left Mynheer Van der Veer's 
 house. 
 
Where the Cheeses Come from 85 
 
 " Many of these Dutch houses have these 
 little mirrors fastened before the windows at 
 such an angle that by merely looking in it from 
 the inside, one may see who is at the front 
 door," said his cousin ; " and then, too, the 
 ladies can sit by the window, sewing or reading, 
 and can amuse themselves by watching what is 
 going on in the street below, without troubling 
 to look out of the window." 
 
 " I should hate to have to wear a dress like 
 that," said Wilhelmina, looking at two young 
 girls who were passing by. It did look strange, 
 for one half of their dress was red and the other 
 half black. 
 
 " They are the girls from the orphanage, and 
 this is the uniform that they all must wear," 
 said Mynheer Joost. 
 
 " Now Theodore must see some of the pic- 
 tures of our great painters," he continued, as he 
 led the young folks toward the splendid pic- 
 ture-gallery, where they strolled through what 
 
86 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 seemed to them miles of rooms and corridors* 
 all hung with beautiful and valuable pictures, 
 for little Holland has had some of the greatest 
 artists the world has ever known, and some 
 day, if you care about pictures, — and you cer- 
 tainly should, — you will want to go there and 
 see them for yourself. 
 
 After this they did a great deal more sight- 
 seeing, and Mynheer showed them the " Ex- 
 change/' where the business of the city is 
 carried on, and told them that there was one 
 week in the year when the boys of Amsterdam 
 were allowed to use the " Exchange " for a 
 playground. 
 
 This was a reward for the good deed of some 
 brave boys of long ago, when the Spaniards 
 were plotting to capture the city. The boys, 
 it seems, first discovered the secret, and 
 went and informed the authorities, who were 
 thus able to defend their city from attack. 
 
 " This," said Mynheer, " was the case when 
 
Where the Cheeses Come from 87 
 
 I was young, and I suppose the boys are still 
 allowed the same privilege." 
 
 Our little folk were glad enough to take their 
 seats on the deck of the little steamboat which 
 was to take them to Alkmaar, the centre of 
 the cheese-trade of North Holland. 
 
 " Whew ! but we have done a lot of tramping 
 about to-day ; oh, my poor feet ! " said Pieter, 
 as he stretched himself out on a bench. 
 
 " Father, haven't you got something for us to 
 eat in your pocket ? " asked Wilhelmina, coax- 
 ingly. 
 
 Mynheer smiled, and from away down in 
 the depths of his pocket, he drew forth a big 
 loaf of gingerbread. The children munched 
 away at this favourite Dutch delicacy, and 
 amused themselves by watching the people 
 who were making the journey with them. 
 
 There were two fat old women, sitting side 
 by side and knitting away as if for their lives. 
 They nodded their heads every time they 
 
88 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 spoke, which made their long gold corkscrew 
 ornaments in their caps bob up and down, and 
 each had her feet on a little foot-stove as if it 
 were midwinter. There were two little girls 
 with their father, who looked like little dolls, 
 in short red dresses, with dark green waists and 
 short sleeves, and pretty aprons embroidered 
 in many coloured silks, and many gold chains, 
 and earrings reaching nearly down to their 
 shoulders. They had a solid gold head-piece 
 under their caps. The man had on velvet 
 knickerbockers, nearly as broad as they were 
 long, and two great silver rosettes fastened in 
 his belt. There were big silver buttons on his 
 jacket, and his cap must have been over a foot 
 high. 
 
 The little girls were very shy, but when 
 Wilhelmina offered them some of her ginger- 
 bread they soon made friends, and the three 
 were soon chatting away like old acquaint- 
 ances* 
 
Where the Cheeses Come from 89 
 
 "Aren't they gorgeous?" whispered Pieter. 
 " They are from the little island of Marken, 
 near here, in the Zuyder Zee, and have on 
 all their holiday clothes." 
 
 The island of Marken is like a big bowl, 
 Mynheer told them, for all of it but the rim is 
 lower than the waters which surround it. The 
 rim is a high stone wall which was built to 
 keep the water out. Everybody who lives 
 there keeps a boat tied to their gate or door in 
 order that they may have some means of 
 escape if the wall should ever break. 
 
 "Just think of it ! I should never sleep 
 nights, if I lived there, for fear of waking up 
 and finding myself floating about in the water. 
 I should think the Dutch would be the most 
 nervous people in the world, instead of the 
 most placid," said Theodore. 
 
 " That danger does not often happen," said 
 Mynheer. " But look how beautifully carved 
 their shoes are. The men do it themselves 
 
90 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 during the long winter evenings, and take great 
 pride in their work." 
 
 The little steamer puffed along the North 
 Sea Canal, by which the big ships come right 
 up to Amsterdam. All kinds of queer tublike 
 boats, with big brown sails, tanned to preserve 
 them from the damp, passed them, and soon 
 they turned into the river Zaan. 
 
 " There is Zaandam," said Mynheer ; " they 
 say that most of the people who live there are 
 millionaires. It is a wealthy little town." 
 
 "You would not think so from the looks 
 of the houses," remarked Pieter ; " they seem 
 mostly to be small brick cottages of one story, 
 with a tiny yard in front." 
 
 As the steamer glides along, between green 
 meadows as flat as one's hand, they could see 
 on all sides innumerable windmills. The boys 
 tried to count them, but soon gave up the task. 
 It is said that there are over six hundred of 
 them in this one short stretch of country. 
 
Where the Cheeses Come from 91 
 
 "Why are some of the windmills built on 
 top of the houses?" asked Theodore. 
 
 " For the reason that they are made to turn 
 the machinery which is situated in the build- 
 ings below," said Mynheer ; " not all the wind- 
 mills are used for pumping water, by any 
 means." 
 
 They were now in the midst of the cheese 
 country, one of the richest sections of Holland. 
 There were everywhere to be seen trim little 
 villas and neat farmhouses, while the meadows 
 were full of the curiously marked black and 
 white cows called " Holsteins." These are the 
 favourite cows throughout Holland for furnish- 
 ing the milk for the famous butter and cheeses 
 of the country. 
 
 They were at Alkmaar before they knew it. 
 The two old women, who had never stopped 
 knitting for a moment, picked up their little 
 foot-stoves and waddled off; Wilhelmina bade 
 her little Marken friends good-bye ; and Myn- 
 
92 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 heer's party hurried off to a little inn on the 
 market-place, for the sun was setting and the 
 children said they were nearly starved, in spite 
 of the gingerbread which they had eaten. 
 
 Outside the inn was a row of fat, sleepy- 
 looking old men sitting on a long bench, 
 watching a game of " skittles " which was 
 going on in the square, for both " grown-ups " 
 and children usually play their games in the 
 village square. Each had his long pipe and a 
 glass of " schnapps " just under his part of the 
 bench, and when he wanted a drink all he had 
 to do was to reach down and get it. Not one 
 of them said a word ; they just sat there and 
 looked, and smoked and drank. 
 
 In a cosy room, with a floor of red bricks, 
 neatly covered with sand, a rosy-cheeked girl 
 soon set out a real Dutch supper for our 
 hungry little travellers. 
 
 There was cold sausage, potato salad, fresh 
 herrings, and a strange dish made of buttermilk 
 
Where the Cheeses Come from 93 
 
 and buckwheat-flour, all boiled together and 
 flavoured with green herbs. The Joost family 
 thought it delicious, but Theodore said that 
 it would take him some time to get used to it, 
 and preferred the big loaves of rye-bread filled 
 with raisins. As for cheeses, there was no end 
 to the different kinds — and all of them excel- 
 lent ; while to wind up with, there was a 
 delicious hot gingerbread and good coffee. 
 Did it keep them awake? No, indeed, they 
 dropped off to sleep in a moment, inside their 
 big cupboard-beds, that had doors to them, 
 instead of curtains, which made them look 
 more like boxes than ever. 
 
 " Just come and look out the window, 
 Theodore," said Pieter early the next morning. 
 He was at the window and Theodore was out 
 of bed in a moment and beside him. 
 
 " Why the whole square is filled with 
 cheeses," he cried. So it was, for this was 
 market-day, when the farmers — " boeren," 
 
94 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 they are called — from all the country round- 
 about bring in their cheeses to sell them in 
 the market-place. 
 
 The boys scrambled into their clothes, and 
 in a few minutes were walking among the 
 great piles of cheeses. There were all kinds 
 and shapes and sizes, — cheeses that looked like 
 great red balls, yellow cheeses, white cheeses, 
 green cheeses, flat, round, square and all sizes. 
 
 " I didn't suppose there were as many 
 cheeses in the world," said Theodore, looking 
 around him. £C And the wagons, too, aren't 
 they fine ; they look as gay as circus wagons." 
 
 And so they did, for they were painted 
 every colour under the sun ; some of them 
 even had flowers painted upon them ; and 
 they were all shapes, too ; some were curved 
 like shells, and others looked not unlike a boat 
 on wheels. 
 
 " Let us see what is going on over there, 
 where there is such a crowd of people," said 
 
Where the Cheeses Come from 95 
 
 Pieter, as he led the way to the other side of 
 the square. 
 
 Here was the Weighing-House, where the 
 cheeses were being weighed on funny old-fash- 
 ioned scales, which looked as though they had 
 been in use hundreds of years. The buyers, 
 too, were testing the cheeses. They would 
 taste a cheese and cut a small plug out of it to 
 see if it were of good quality, and then they 
 would put the plug back in place again, when 
 the cheese, to all appearances, looked as it did 
 before. 
 
 The bargaining over the cheeses took a long 
 time, for the farmers are very careful to make 
 a good deal for themselves, and they will not 
 be hurried ; and generally, when they are on 
 their way home again, they look very well sat- 
 isfied with themselves, and as contented as the 
 portly Vrouw sitting beside them, or the 
 " kinder," as they call the children, playing 
 about in the bottom of the wagon. 
 
96 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 " I don't suppose you boys have given up 
 eating breakfast," a voice behind them said, 
 and turning they saw Mynheer Joost. 
 
 " Wilhelmina and I have already had ours, 
 so hurry up with yours, and then come down 
 to the canal ; we are going to see the cheeses 
 loaded on to the boats. " 
 
 Along the canal were drawn up the boats, 
 with their brown sails, and steamers and barges 
 and all kinds of craft. When the boys ap- 
 peared again, they all stopped to watch a 
 pile of round, red cheeses which were piled up 
 like shot, ready to be loaded. 
 
 A man picked one up in either hand and 
 tossed them to another man, who was standing 
 beside the ship's hatch ; and he, in turn, tossed 
 them to another who was down in the hold 
 and who was stacking them up in neat rows. 
 
 " I'd like to play that kind of ball ; it looks 
 as easy as can be," said Pieter. 
 
 " It's not as easy as you think," said his 
 
Where the Cheeses Come from 97 
 
 father ; "just pick up one of these cheeses, and 
 try its weight." 
 
 Pieter tried and so did Theodore ; but they 
 thought better of it as a game, and the cheese 
 man himself laughed at their unsuccessful ef- 
 forts to grasp a cheese in one hand. 
 
 " Just look at our hands," exclaimed Theo- 
 dore, after they had finished handling the 
 cheeses ; " they are quite red." 
 
 " That is the red colouring matter which is 
 put on the outside to preserve them," said 
 Mynheer. 
 
 " Now we will take a walk around the town, 
 and then make our way back to Amsterdam," 
 said Mynheer Joost; "and we will stop by 
 the way at Edam, and you can see the little 
 town which gives the name to these red 
 cheeses." 
 
 During the dinner at Edam, a happy idea 
 struck Mynheer Joost. " Children," he said, 
 " how would you like to have a ri ie in a 
 
98 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 c trekschuit,' or passenger barge ? There is 
 one leaving here for Volendam in half an hour, 
 the landlord of the inn tells me, and if you are 
 ready, we will go out and hunt it up." 
 
 " Oh, that will be great fun/' cried the twins 
 in one breath. 
 
 There are few of these old-time conveyances 
 left in Holland, and it was as much a novelty 
 for them as for Theodore. 
 
 You will see from the picture what an odd 
 sort of a passenger craft the " trekschuit " really 
 is. There is one man pulling it, while another 
 walks behind and steers it by the big tiller, 
 which he handles from the shore in the same 
 manner that he would if he were on board. 
 
 The children stood in the bows among the 
 big brass milk-cans and butter baskets of the 
 market-women, and said they knew just how 
 comfortable the fat Dutchmen feel, as they sit 
 on their cc tjalks," and let their women and 
 children draw them about. 
 
11 THE CHILDREN STOOD IN THE BOWS 
 
Where the Cheeses Come from 99 
 
 The next day found our little friends home 
 again, planning other good times. 
 
 Soon the time came, however, when Theo- 
 dore must leave his Dutch cousins and go back 
 to America. The twins were nearly broken- 
 hearted at the very idea of it ; for they had 
 become as fond of Theodore as if he were a 
 brother. Wilhelmina wept, and said she didn't 
 see why Theodore could not stay for St. Nicho- 
 las ; and Pieter himself had to wink hard to 
 keep back the tears. 
 
 But Theodore consoled them by telling them 
 that he would come again and spend a winter 
 with them, so as to see a real Dutch Christmas, 
 which, strange to say, is celebrated on the feast 
 of good St. Nicholas, which comes on the sixth 
 of December. Then they would have skating 
 and all kinds of winter sports together, which, 
 to tell the truth, are the favourite amusements 
 of our little Dutch cousins. 
 
 THE END. 
 
THE LITTLE COUSIN SERIES 
 
 The most delightful and interesting accounts possible 
 of child life in other lands, filled with quaint sayings, 
 doings, and adventures. 
 
 Each one vol., 1 2mo, decorative cover, cloth, with six or more 
 full-page illustrations in color. 
 
 Price per volume $0.60 
 
 By MARY HAZELTON WADE {unless otherwise 
 indicated) 
 
 Our Little African Cousin 
 
 Our Little Alaskan Cousin 
 
 By Mary F. Nixon - Roulet 
 
 Our Little Arabian Cousin 
 
 By Blanche McManus 
 
 Our Little Armenian Cousin 
 Our Little Brown Cousin 
 
 Our Little Canadian Cousin 
 
 By Elizabeth R. Macdonald 
 
 Our Little Chinese Cousin 
 
 By Isaac Taylor Headland 
 
 Our Little Cuban Cousin 
 
 Our Little Dutch Cousin 
 
 By Blanche McManus 
 
 Our Little English Cousin 
 
 By Blanche McManus 
 
 Our Little Eskimo Cousin 
 
 Our Little French Cousin 
 
 By Blanche McManus 
 
 Our Little German Cousin 
 Our Little Hawaiian Cousin 
 
 Our Little Hindu Cousin 
 
 By Blanche McManus 
 
 Our Little Indian Cousin 
 
 Our Little Irish Cousin 
 Our Little Italian Cousin 
 Our Little Japanese Cousin 
 Our Little Jewish Cousin 
 
 Our Little Korean Cousin 
 
 By H. Lee M. Pike 
 
 Our Little Mexican Cousin 
 
 By Edward C. Butler 
 
 Our Little Norwegian Cousin 
 
 Our Little Panama Cousin 
 
 By H. Lee M. Pike 
 
 Our Little Philippine Cousin 
 Our Little Porto Rican Cousin 
 Our Little Russian Cousin 
 
 Our Little Scotch Cousin 
 
 By Blanche McMamr 
 
 Our Little Siamese Cousin 
 
 Our Little Spanish Cousin 
 
 By Mary F. Nixon -Roulet 
 
 Our Little Swedish Cousin 
 
 By Claire M. Coburn 
 
 Our Little Swiss Cousin 
 Our Little Turkish Cousin 
 
THE GOLDENROD LIBRARY 
 
 The Goldenrod Library contains stories which appeal 
 alike both to children and to their parents and guardians. 
 
 Each volume is well illustrated from drawings by 
 competent artists, which, together with their handsomely 
 decorated uniform binding, showing the goldenrod, 
 usually considered the emblem of America, is a feature 
 of their manufacture. 
 
 Each one volume, small i2mo, illustrated . . $0.35 
 
 LIST OF TITLES 
 
 Aunt Nabby's Children. By Frances Hodges White. 
 
 Child's Dream of a Star, The. By Charles Dickens. 
 
 Flight of Rosy Dawn, The. By Pauline Bradford Mackie. 
 
 Findelkind. By Ouida. 
 
 Fairy of the Rhone, The. By A. Comyns Carr. 
 
 Gatty and I. By Frances E. Crompton. 
 
 Helena's Wonderworld. By Frances Hodges White. 
 
 Jerry's Reward. By Evelyn Snead Barnett. 
 
 La Belle Nivernaise. By Alphonse Daudet. 
 
 Little King Davie. By Nellie Hellis. 
 
 Little Peterkin Vandike. By Charles Stuart Pratt. 
 
 Little Professor, The. By Ida Horton Cash. 
 
 Peggy's Trial. By Mary Knight Potter. 
 
 Prince Yellowtop. By Kate Whiting Patch. 
 
 Provence Rose, A. By Ouida. 
 
 Seventh Daughter, A. By Grace Wickham Curran. 
 
 Sleeping Beauty, The. By Martha Baker Dunn. 
 
 Small, Small Child, A. By E. Livingston Prescott. 
 
 Susanne. By Frances J. Delano. 
 
 Water People, The. By Charles Lee Sleight. 
 
 Young Archer, The. By Charles E. Brimblecom. 
 
COSY CORNER SERIES 
 
 It is the intention of the publishers that this series shall 
 contain only the very highest and purest literature, — 
 stories that shall not only appeal to the children them- 
 selves, but be appreciated by all those who feel with 
 them in their joys and sorrows. 
 
 The numerous illustrations in each book are by well- 
 known artists, and each volume has a separate attrac- 
 tive cover design. 
 
 Each i vol., i6mo, cloth .... $0.50 
 
 By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON 
 
 The Little Colonel. (Trade Mark.) 
 
 The scene of this story is laid in Kentucky. Its hero- 
 ine is a small girl, who is known as the Little Colonel, 
 on account of her fancied resemblance to an old-school 
 Southern gentleman, whose fine estate and old family 
 are famous in the region. 
 
 The Giant Scissors. 
 
 This is the story of Joyce and of her adventures 
 in France. Joyce is a great friend of the Little Colonel, 
 and in later volumes shares with her the delightful ex- 
 periences of the " House Party " and the " Holidays." 
 
 Two Little Knights of Kentucky. 
 
 Who Were the Little Colonel's Neighbors. 
 
 In this volume the Little Colonel returns to us like an 
 old friend, but with added grace and charm. She is 
 not, however, the central figure of the story, that place 
 being taken by the " two little knights." 
 
 Mildred's Inheritance. 
 
 A delightful little story of a lonely English girl who 
 comes to America and is befriended by a sympathetic 
 American family who are attracted by her beautiful 
 speaking voice. By means of this one gift she is en- 
 abled to help a school-girl who has temporarily lost the 
 use of her eyes, and thus finally her life becomes a busy 
 happy one. 
 
L. C. PAGE AND COMPANY'S 
 
 By ANNTE FELLOWS JOHNSTON {Continued} 
 
 Cicely and Other Stories for Girls. 
 
 The readers of Mrs. Johnston's charming juvenile! 
 will be glad to learn of the issue of this volume for 
 young people. 
 
 Aunt 'Liza's Hero and Other Stories. 
 
 A collection of six bright little stories, which will 
 appeal to all boys and most girls. 
 
 Big Brother. 
 
 A story of two boys. The devotion and care of 
 Steven, himself a small boy, for his baby brother, is the 
 theme of the simple tale. 
 
 Ole Mammy's Torment. 
 
 "Ole Mammy's Torment" has been fitly called "a 
 classic of Southern life." It relates the haps and mis- 
 haps of a small negro lad, and tells how he was led by 
 love and kindness to a knowledge of the right. 
 
 The Story of Dago. 
 
 In this story Mrs. Johnston relates the story of Dago, 
 a pet monkey, owned jointly by two brothers. Dago 
 tells his own story, and the account of his haps and mis- 
 haps is both interesting and amusing. 
 
 The Quilt That Jack Built. 
 
 A pleasant little story of a boy's labor of love, and 
 how it changed the course of his life many years after 
 it was accomplished. 
 
 Flip's Islands of Providence. 
 
 A story of a boy's life battle, his early defeat, and hid 
 final triumph, well worth the reading. 
 
COSY CORNER SERIES 
 
 By EDITH ROBINSON 
 
 A Little Puritan's First Christmas. 
 
 A Story of Colonial times in Boston, telling how 
 Christmas was invented by Betty Sewall, a typical child 
 of the Puritans, aided by her brother Sam. 
 
 A Little Daughter of Liberty. 
 
 The author introduces this story as follows : 
 " One ride is memorable in the early history of the 
 American Revolution, the well-known ride of Paul 
 Revere. Equally deserving- of commendation is another 
 ride, — the ride of Anthony Severn, — which was no les? 
 historic in its action or memorable in its consequences." 
 
 A Loyal Little Maid. 
 
 A delightful and interesting story of Revolutionary 
 days, in which the child heroine, Betsey Schuyler, 
 renders important services to George Washington. 
 
 A Little Puritan Rebel. 
 
 This is an historical tale of a real girl, during the 
 time when the gallant Sir Harry Vane was governor of 
 Massachusetts. 
 
 A Little Puritan Pioneer. 
 
 The scene of this story is laid in the Puritan settle- 
 ment at Charlestown. 
 
 A Little Puritan Bound Girl. 
 
 A story of Boston in Puritan days, which is of great 
 interest to youthful readers. 
 
 A Little Puritan Cavalier. 
 
 The story of a " Little Puritan Cavalier " who tried 
 with all his boyish enthusiasm to emulate the spirit and 
 ideals of the dead Crusaders. 
 
 A Puritan Knight Errant. 
 
 The story tells of a young lad in Colonial times who 
 endeavored to carry out the high ideals of the knights 
 of olden days. 
 
L. C. PAGE AND COMPANY'S 
 
 By OUIDA {Louise de la Ramie) 
 
 A Dog Of Flanders : A Christmas Story. 
 Too well and favorably known to require description. 
 
 The Nurnberg Stove. 
 
 This beautiful story has never before been published 
 at a popular price. 
 
 By FRANCES MARGARET FOX 
 
 The Little Giant's Neighbours. 
 
 A charming nature story of a "little giant" whos* 
 neighbours were the creatures of the field and garden. 
 
 Farmer Brown and the Birds. 
 
 A little story which teaches children that the birds 
 are man's best friends. 
 
 Betty of Old Mackinaw. 
 
 A charming story of child-life, appealing especially to 
 the little readers who like stories of " real people." 
 
 Brother Billy. 
 
 The story of Betty's brother, and some further ad- 
 ventures of Betty herself. 
 
 Mother Nature's Little Ones. 
 
 Curious little sketches describing the early lifetime, 
 or " childhood," of the little creatures out-of-doors. 
 
 How Christmas Came to the Mul- 
 vaneys. 
 
 A bright, lifelike little story of a family of poor chil- 
 dren, with an unlimited capacity for fun and mischief. 
 The wonderful never-to-be forgotten Christmas that 
 came to them is the climax of a series of exciting inci- 
 dents. 
 
COSY CORNER SERIES 
 
 By MISS MULOCK 
 
 The Little Lame Prince. 
 
 A delightful story of a little boy who has many ad- 
 ventures by means of the magic gifts of his fairy god- 
 mother. 
 
 Adventures of a Brownie, 
 
 The story of a household elf who torments the cook 
 and gardener, but is a constant joy and delight to the 
 children who love and trust him. 
 
 His Little Mother. 
 
 Miss Mulock's short stories for children are a constant 
 source of delight to them, and " His Little Mother," in 
 this new and attractive dress, will be welcomed by hosts 
 of youthful readers. 
 
 Little Sunshine's Holiday. 
 
 An attractive story of a summer outing. " Little Sun- 
 shine " is another of those beautiful child-characters for 
 which Miss Mulock is so justly famous. 
 
 By MARSHALL SAUNDERS 
 
 For His Country. 
 
 A sweet and graceful story of a little boy who loved 
 his country ; written with that charm which has endeared 
 Miss Saunders to hosts of readers. 
 
 Nita, the Story of an Irish Setter. 
 
 In this touching little book, Miss Saunders shows how 
 dear to her heart are all of God's dumb creatures. 
 
 Alpatok, the Story of an Eskimo 
 Dog. 
 
 Alpatok, an Eskimo dog from the far north, was stolen 
 from his master and left to starve in a strange city, but 
 was befriended and cared for, until he was able to re- 
 turn to his owner. 
 
I. C. PAGE AND COMPANY'S 
 
 By WILL ALLEN DROMGOOLE 
 
 The Farrier's Dog and His Fellow. 
 
 This story, written by the gifted young Southern 
 woman, will appeal to all that is best in the natures of 
 the many admirers of her graceful and piquant style. 
 
 The Fortunes of the Fellow. 
 
 Those who read and enjoyed the pathos and charm 
 of "The Farrier's Dog and His Fellow" will welcome 
 the further account of the adventures of Baydaw and 
 the Fellow at the home of the kindly smith. 
 
 The Best of Friends. 
 
 This continues the experiences of the Farrier's dog and 
 his Fellow, written in Miss Dromgoole's well-known 
 charming style. 
 
 Down in Dixie. 
 
 A fascinating story for boys and girls, of a family of 
 Alabama children who move to Florida and grow up in 
 the South. 
 
 By MARIAN W. WILDMAN 
 
 Loyalty Island. 
 
 An account of the adventures of four children and 
 their pet dog on an island, and how they cleared their 
 brother from the suspicion of dishonesty 
 
 Theodore and Theodora. 
 
 This is a story of the exploits and mishaps of two mis- 
 chievous twins, and continues the adventures of the 
 interesting group of children in " Loyalty Island." 
 
COSY CORNER SERIES 
 
 By CHARLES G. D. ROBERTS 
 
 The Cruise of the Yacht Dido. 
 
 The story of two boys who turned their yacht into a 
 fishing boat to earn money to pay for a college course, 
 and of their adventures while exploring in search of 
 hidden treasure. 
 
 The Young Acadian. 
 
 The story of a young lad of Acadia who rescued a 
 little English girl from the hands of savages. 
 
 The Lord of the Air. 
 
 The Story of the Eagle 
 
 The King of the Mamozekel. 
 
 The Story of the Moose 
 
 The Watchers of the Camp=fire. 
 
 The Story of the Panther 
 
 The Haunter of the Pine Gloom. 
 
 The Story of the Lynx 
 
 The Return to the Trails. 
 
 The Story of the Bear 
 
 The Little People of the Sycamore, 
 
 The Story of the Raccoon 
 
 By OTHER AUTHORS 
 
 The Great Scoop. 
 
 By MOLL Y ELLIOT SEA WELL 
 
 A capital tale of newspaper life in a big city, and 
 of a bright, enterprising, likable youngster employed 
 thereon. 
 
 John Whopper. 
 
 The late Bishop Clark's popular story of the boy who 
 fell through the earth and came out in China, with a 
 new introduction by Bishop Potter. 
 
L. C. PAGE AND COMPANY 
 
 The Dole Twins. 
 
 By KATE UPSON CLARK 
 
 The adventures of two little people who tried to earn 
 money to buy crutches for a lame aunt. An excellent 
 description of child-life about 1812, which will greatly 
 interest and amuse the children of to-day, whose life is 
 widely different. 
 
 Larry Hudson's Ambition. 
 
 By JAMES OTIS, author of "Toby Tyler," etc. 
 
 Larry Hudson is a typical American boy, whose hard 
 work and enterprise gain him his ambition, — an educa- 
 tion and a start in the world. 
 
 The Little Christmas Shoe. 
 
 By JANE P. SCOTT WOODRUFF 
 A touching story of Yule-tide. 
 
 Wee Dorothy. 
 
 By LAURA UPDEGRAFF 
 
 A story of two orphan children, the tender devotion 
 of the eldest, a boy, for his sister being its theme and 
 setting. With a bit of sadness at the beginning, the 
 story is otherwise bright and sunny, and altogether 
 wholesome in every way. 
 
 The King of the Golden River: a 
 
 Legend of Stiria. By JOHN RUSK IN 
 Written fifty years or more ago, and not originally 
 intended for publication, this little fairy-tale soon be- 
 came known and made a place for itself. 
 
 A Child's Garden of Verses. 
 
 By L. R. STEVENSON 
 
 Mr. Stevenson's little volume is too well known to 
 need description. 
 
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 
 THE LITTLE COLONEL BOOKS 
 
 (Trade Mark) 
 
 By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON 
 Each i vol., large i2mo, cloth decorative, per voi $1 50 
 
 The Little Colonel Stories. 
 
 (Trade Mark) 
 
 Illustrated. 
 
 Being three " Little Colonel " stories in the Cosy 
 Corner Series, " The Little Colonel," " Two Little Knights 
 of Kentucky," and " The Giant Scissors," put into a 
 single volume. 
 
 The Little Colonel's House Party. 
 
 (Trade Mark) 
 
 Illustrated by Louis Meynell. 
 
 The Little Colonel's Holidays. 
 
 (Trade Mark) 
 
 Illustrated by L. J. Bridgman. 
 
 The Little Colonel's Hero. 
 
 (Trade Mark) 
 
 Illustrated by E. B. Barry. 
 
 The Little Colonel at Boarding 
 
 (Trade Mark) 
 
 School. 
 
 Illustrated by E. B. Barry. 
 
 The Little Colonel in Arizona. 
 
 (Trade Mark) 
 
 Illustrated by E. B. Barry. 
 
 The Little Colonel's Christmas Va- 
 
 (Trade Mark) 
 
 cation. 
 
 T llustrated by E. B. Barry. 
 
 The Little Colonel, Maid of Honour. 
 
 (Trade Mark) 
 
 Illustrated by E. B. Barry. 
 
L. C. PAGE AATD CO MP A NTS 
 
 The Little Colonel. 
 
 (Trade Mark) 
 
 Two Little Knights of Kentucky. 
 The Giant Scissors. 
 Big Brother. 
 
 Special Holiday Editions 
 Each one volume, cloth decorative, small quarto, $1.25. 
 New plates, handsomely illustrated, with eight full- 
 page drawings in color. 
 
 u The books are as satisfactory to the small girls, who find 
 them adorable, as for the mothers and librarians, who delight 
 in their influence." — Christian Register. 
 
 These four volumes, boxed as a four volume set . $5.00 
 
 In the Desert of Waiting: the legend 
 
 of Camelback Mountain. 
 
 The Three Weavers : a fairy tale for 
 
 Fathers and Mothers as Well as for Their 
 Daughters. 
 
 Keeping Tryst. 
 
 The Legend of the Bleeding Heart. 
 
 Each one volume, tall i6mo, cloth decorative . $0.50 
 
 Paper boards 35 
 
 There has been a constant demand for publication 
 in separate form of these four stories, which were orig- 
 inally included in four of the " Little Colonel " books. 
 
 Joel: A Boy of Galilee. By Annie fel 
 
 lows Johnston. Illustrated by L. J. Bridgman. 
 New illustrated edition, uniform with the Little Colonel 
 Books, 1 vol., large i2mo, cloth decorative . $1.50 
 A story of the time of Christ, which is one of the 
 author's best-known books. 
 
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 Asa Holmes j or, at the cross-roads, a 
 
 sketch of Country Life and Country Humor. By 
 Annie Fellows Johnston. With a frontispiece by 
 Ernest Fosbery. 
 Large i6mo, cloth, gilt top . . . $1.00 
 
 "'Asa Holmes; or, At the Cross-Roads' is the most de- 
 lightful, most sympathetic and wholesome book that has been 
 published in a long while." — Boston Times. 
 
 The Rival Campers; or, the adventures 
 
 of Henry Burns. By Ruel Perley Smith. 
 Square 121110, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50 
 
 Here is a book which will grip and enthuse every boy reader. 
 It is the story of a party of typical American lads, coura- 
 geous, alert, and athletic, who spend a summer camping on an 
 island off the Maine coast. 
 
 "The best boys' book since ' Tom Sawyer."' — San Fran- 
 cisco Examiner. 
 
 The Rival Campers Afloat; or, the 
 
 Prize Yacht Viking. By Ruel Perley Smith. 
 Square i2mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50 
 This book is a continuation of the adventures of " The 
 Rival Campers " on their prize yacht Viking. An accidental 
 collision results in a series of exciting adventures, culminat- 
 ing in a mysterious chase, the loss of their prize yacht, and 
 its recapture by means of their old yacht, Surprise. 
 
 The Rival Campers Ashore. By ruel 
 
 Perley Smith, author of " The Rival Campers," 
 
 » The Rival Campers Afloat," etc. 
 
 Square i2mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50 
 
 "The Rival Campers Ashore " deals with the adventures 
 of the campers and their friends in and around the town of 
 Benton. Mr. Smith introduces a new character, — a girl, — 
 who shows them the way to an old mill, around which the 
 mystery of the story revolves. The girl is an admirable ac- 
 quisition, proving as daring and resourceful as the camper* 
 themselves. 
 
L. C. PAGE AND COMPANY'S 
 
 The Young Section-Hand ; or, the ad- 
 ventures of Allan West. By Burton E. Ste- 
 venson, author of " The Marathon Mystery," etc. 
 Square i2mo, cloth decorative, illustrated by L. J. 
 
 Bridgman $i-5o 
 
 Mr. Stevenson's hero is a manly lad of sixteen, who is given 
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 whose experiences are as real as they are thrilling. 
 
 The Young Train Dispatcher. By bur- 
 ton E. Stevenson, author of " The Young Section- 
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 Square i2mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1-50 
 
 The young hero has many chances to prove his manliness 
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 discharge of his duty. 
 
 Captain Jack Lorimer. By winn stan- 
 
 DISH. 
 
 Square i2mo, cloth decorative, illustrated by A. B. 
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 Jack is a fine example of the all-around American high- 
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 his fondness for clean, honest sport of all kinds will strike a 
 chord of sympathy among athletic youths. 
 
 Jack Lorimer's Champions; or, sports 
 
 on Land and Lake. By Winn Standish, author of 
 
 " Captain Jack Lorimer," etc. 
 
 Square i2mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $i-5o 
 
 All boys and girls who take an interest in school athletics 
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 Captain Jack's Champions play quite as good ball as do 
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 Jack Lorimer and his friends stand out as the finest ex- 
 amples of all-round American high school boys and girls. 
 
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 Beautiful Joe's Paradise ; or, the island 
 
 of Brotherly Love. A sequel to " Beautiful Joe." 
 By Marshall Saunders, author of " Beautiful Joe." 
 One vol., library i2mo, cloth, illustrated . $1.50 
 
 " This book revives the spirit of ' Beautiful Joe ' capitally. 
 It is fairly riotous with fun, and as a whole is about as unusual 
 as anything in the animal book line that has seen the light. It 
 is a book for j uveniles — old and young. " — Philadelphia Item. 
 
 'Tilda Jane. By Marshall Saunders. 
 
 One vol., i2mo, fully illustrated, cloth decorative, $1.50 
 
 " It is one of those exquisitely simple and truthful books 
 that win and charm the reader, and I did not put it down 
 until I had finished it — honest! And I am sure that every 
 one, young or old, who reads will be proud and happy to 
 make the acquaintance of the delicious waif. 
 
 " I cannot think of any better book for children than this. 
 I commend it unreservedly." — Cyrus Townsend Brady. 
 
 The Story of the Qraveleys. By mar- 
 shall Saunders, author of " Beautiful Joe's Para 
 dise," " 'Tilda Jane," etc. 
 
 Library i2mo, cloth decorative, illustrated by E. B. 
 Barry $1.50 
 
 Here we have the haps and mishaps, the trials and triumphs, 
 of a delightful New England family, of whose devotion and 
 sturdhiess it will do the reader good to hear. 
 
 Bom to the Blue. By Florence Kimball 
 Russel. 
 i2mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . . $1.25 
 
 The atmosphere of army life on the plains breathes on 
 every page of this delightful tale. The boy is the son of a 
 captain of U. S. cavalry stationed at a frontier post in the 
 days when our regulars earned the gratitude of a nation. 
 
L. C. PAGE AND COMPANY'S 
 
 In West Point Gray. By Florence Kim 
 
 BALL RUSSEL. 
 
 121X10, cloth decorative, illustrated . . $1.25 
 West Point forms the background for the second volume 
 
 in this series, and gives us the adventures of Jack as a cadet. 
 
 Here the training of his childhood days in the frontier army 
 
 post stands him in good stead ; and he quickly becomes the 
 
 central figure of the West Point life. 
 
 The Sandman : His Farm Stories. 
 
 By William J. Hopkins. With fifty illustrations by 
 
 Ada Clendenin Williamson. 
 
 Large i2mo, decorative cover . . . $1.50 
 
 " An amusing, original book, written for the benefit of very 
 small children. It should be one of the most popular of the 
 year's books for reading to small children." — Buffalo Ex- 
 press. 
 
 The Sandman : More Farm Stories. 
 
 By William J. Hopkins. 
 
 Large i2mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50 
 
 Mr. Hopkins's first essay at bedtime stories met with such 
 approval that this second book of " Sandman " tales was 
 issued for scores of eager children. Life on the farm, and 
 out-of-doors, is portrayed in his inimitable manner. 
 
 The Sandman: His Ship Stories. 
 
 By William J. Hopkins, author of " The Sandman : 
 
 His Farm Stories," etc. 
 
 Large i2mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50 
 
 " Mothers and fathers and kind elder sisters who put the 
 little ones to bed, and rack their brains for stories, will find 
 this book a treasure." — Cleveland Leader. 
 
 " Children call for these stories over and over again," — 
 Chicago Evening Post. 
 
BOOK'S FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 Pussy-Cat Town. By Marion Ames tag- 
 
 GART, 
 
 Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco- 
 rated in colors $1.00 
 
 " Pussy-Cat Town " is a most unusual delightful cat story. 
 Ban-Ban, a pure Maltese who belonged to Rob, Kiku-san, 
 Lois's beautiful snow-white pet, and their neighbors Bedelia 
 the tortoise-shell. Madame Laura the widow, Wutz Butz the 
 warrior, and wise old Tommy Traddles, were really and truly 
 cats. 
 
 The Roses of Saint Elizabeth. By jane 
 
 Scott Woodruff, author of " The Little Christmas 
 Shoe" 
 
 Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco- 
 rated in colors by Adelaide Everhart . $1.00 
 
 This is a charming little story of a child whose father was 
 caretaker of the great castle of the Wartburg, where Saint 
 Elizabeth once had her home. 
 
 Gabriel and the Hour Book. ByEvA- 
 
 leen Stein. 
 
 Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco- 
 rated in colors by Adelaide Everhart . $1.00 
 
 Gabriel was a loving, patient, little French lad, who assisted 
 the monks in the long ago days, when all the books were 
 written and illuminated by hand, in the monasteries. 
 
 The Enchanted Automobile. Trans 
 
 lated from the French by Mary J. Safford. 
 Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco- 
 rated in colors by Edna M. Sawyer . . $1.00 
 
 The enchanted automobile was sent by the fairy god- 
 mother of a lazy, discontented little prince and princess to 
 take them to fairyland, where they might visit their story 
 book favorites. 
 
L. C. PAGE AN*. COMPANY'S 
 
 The Red Feathers. By Theodore Roberts, 
 author of " Brothers of Peril," etc. 
 Cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.50 
 
 " The Red Feathers" tells of the remarkable adventures of 
 an Indian boy who lived in the Stone Age, many years ago, 
 when the world was young, and when fairies and magicians 
 did wonderful things for their friends and enemies. 
 
 The Wreck of the Ocean Queen. By 
 
 James Otis, author of " Larry Hudson's Ambition," 
 
 etc. 
 
 Cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.50 
 
 This story takes its readers on a sea voyage around the 
 world ; gives them a trip on a treasure ship ; an exciting ex- 
 perience in a terrific gale ; and finally a shipwreck, with a 
 mutineering crew determined to take the treasure to compli- 
 cate matters. 
 
 But only the mutineers will come to serious harm, and 
 after the reader has known the thrilling excitement of lack of 
 food and water, of attacks by night and day, and of a hand-to- 
 hand fight, he is rescued and Drought safely home again,— 
 to realize that it's only a story, but a stirring and realistic 
 one. 
 
 Little White Indians. By Fannie e. 
 
 OSTRANDER. 
 
 Cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.25 
 
 The " Little White Indians " were two families of children 
 who " played Indian " all one long summer vacation. They 
 built wigwams and made camps ; they went hunting and 
 fought fierce battles on the war-trail. 
 
 A bright, interesting story which will appeal strongly to 
 the " make-believe " instinct in children, and will give them a 
 healthy, active interest in " the simple life." 
 
THE LIBRARY OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 Elizabeth Preston Ward 
 in memory of 
 
 Jean Versf elt Preston 
 
 School of ■■ 
 
 HAY 1 1 20QT 
 

 
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