Hans Brinker; Or, The Silver Skates

canal early the next morning, equipped for their skating journey. "Let me see.

Y

ob P

Y

amin

a-

t van M

Y

out you, as you're the only one who

Y

bert Schimm

ans

t eight o'clock-glorious weather, and the Y is as firm as a rock

by all their lives, considered it the most matter-of-course place in the world. Everything interested Ben; the tall houses with their forked chimneys and gable ends facing the street; the merchants' warerooms, perched high up under the roofs of their dwellings, with long, arm-like cranes hoisting and lowering goods past the household windows; the grand

eparate the cobblestone pavement from the foot-path of brick-and if he rested his eyes half-way, he saw complicated little mirrors [spionnen] fastened upon the outside of nearly ever

then a sled driven over the bare cobblestones (the runners kept greased with a dripping oil rag so that it might run easily); and

e little ones; the intricate mechanical toys that a Dutch youngster tumbles about in stolid unconcern would create a stir in our Patent Office. Ben laughed outright at some of the mimic fishing boats. They were so heavy and stumpy, so like the queer craft that he had seen about Rotterdam. The tiny trekschuiten, however, only a foot or two long, and fitted out, complete, made his heart ach

resolved to keep away from it; he also enjoyed hasty glimpses of the four principal avenues of Amsterdam-the Prinsen gracht, Keizers gracht, Heeren gracht and Singel. These are semicircular in form, and the first three average more than two miles in length. A canal runs through th

mopping and scrubbing form a passion with Dutch housewives, and to soil their spotless mansions is considered scarcely less than a crime. Everywhere a hearty contempt is felt for t

a breath that the lady was at home and that his shoes were not very clean. Without another word, she took the astonished man up by both arms, threw him across her back, carried him through two rooms, set him down a

smoking their pipes so leisurely, and looking as though their hats might be knocked off their heads without their making any resistance, were capable of

well as the men, and formed mock funeral processions through the town, to show the burgomasters that certain new regulations, with regard to burying the dead, wo

ago, the great corn-houses sank down in the mud. They were strong affairs, and set up on good

for Jacob to tell an

d hundred-weight in them?" asked Carl sharp

gestive reply. Rousing himself with an effort,

," said th

adhuis. There are building-piles for you! It is built on nearly fourteen thousand of them, driven seventy feet in

o?" ask

e Belgians, and when he found that they had the better of him and would captu

that Van

ey've a monument to him down at Delft Haven-the

romp? He was a great Du

nd an English one, and then fastened a broom to his masthead to show tha

ber all about it now. He was killed somewhere on the Dutch coast, in an engagement i

t. "Hollo! the others are way ahead of us-all but Jacob. Wh

llander, had been educated near London, and could speak English as fl

! There's t

. In they went, shuffling, as boys will, when they have a chan

the finest works of the Dutch masters are to be seen, b

ight. The plan served them well in viewing a small group by Gerard Douw, called the "Evening School," enabling them to observe its exquisite finish and the wonderful way in which the picture seemed to be

in astonishment, while the captain was giving some

all accounts, the studio itself must have been as close as a band-box. The artist always entered it on tiptoe, besides sitting still, before he commenced work, until the slight dust caused by his entrance had settled. I have read somewhere that his paintings are improved by being viewed through a magnifying glass. He strained his eyes so

nantly, "that was high! What did

them. He was so grateful that he painted a picture of the spectacles for her, case and all, and she

in a loud whisper, "come

essly by the masterpieces of Rembrandt and Van der Helst, and went into raptures over an ugly picture by Van der Venne, representing a sea-fight between the Dutch and English. They also stood spellbound before a pai

e "Feast of Saint Nicholas" next

s face? He looks as if he knows he deserves a whipping but hopes Saint Nicholas may not

he captain, "ten o'cl

ened to t

ready? One, two-ho

gh where

ice not ten yards off. Peter observed it,

ers followe

l looked in; then stared

ole again. All was still. The black water

urned myster

e have a

!" answered Ben,

, he's been taken wit

ing. Peter had the presence of mind to scoop up a cap-full o

There he lay in a recess of the gallery, snoring like a trooper! The chorus o

u beer-barrel, wake up!" and Master Jaco

fortunate cap. While he was stuffing his handkerchief to prevent the already frozen crown from touchin

wide awake at last. The ice was a little rough and b

the canal or the

It will be such fun; they say it is perfect

stantly becam

the canal!

l be," responded the cap

ather a disappointed tone-a

n-we can reach Ha