I Shall never forget my first experience in Holland. How eagerly and laughingly we gazed about us at our new surroundings. Was it, then, possible that land could be as flat as this? At times, I fancied it a smooth green carpet, dotted here and there with windmills which looked like pegs designed to keep tapestry in place; at other times, the country seemed like a gigantic raft, which nothing but the constant efforts of its mariners could keep afloat. In view of this uninterrupted area of level territory, who would be much surprised if the Dutch gov-ernment should stamp upon its coins the motto recently chosen by a youthful bride to ornament her suite of rooms, "God bless our flat "? Rising from such a level foundation, buildings in Holland appear tall and windmills monstrous. Even the cows look larger than those of other lands, and, quite in harmony with their surroundings," have flat horns. They are sleek, handsome creatures, such as the Flemish painters have portrayed so often, and stand in groups upon the velvet turf, whose verdant surface has a glow as soft as that of porcelain. These herds of happy cattle were as sedate as their owners, and made no effort to run away when we approached, but merely gazed in large-eyed wonder at our passing train.

Raii.Way And Canal.

Holland Cows.

Holland is not usually considered a beautiful country, but it possesses one peculiar charm of scenery that I have never seen surpassed. The flatness and extent of its broad, green meadows by the sea permit unusually long perspectives, under the lowering clouds, to the very verge of the horizon, much as the traveler finds them on the ocean. At such a time, the sight of cattle, trees, and windmills etched boldly on the band of light which intervenes between the clouds and the horizon line is wonderfully effective; and I have rarely seen in any landscape more fascinating pictures than Holland can reveal upon a showery afternoon, when, as the clouds drift by, the windmills, cows, and meadows dissolve into a silvery mist, and, a few minutes later, reappear through a pale, shimmering veil of gray and gold. No land has ever been more faithfully portrayed in art than Holland, and many times a day the traveler in the Netherlands sees duplicates of scenes which the old Dutch painters have immortalized.

A Lovely Landscape.

The two most characteristic features of Holland are its windmills and canals.

Tireless Laborers.

The former seem innumerable. In fact, the country often appears to be alive with these revolving monsters, which, when in motion, look like giants turning handsprings on the horizon; and, when at rest, resemble lighthouses above the sea. But " rest" for these industrious slaves is a rare occurrence. Employed for almost every kind of labor, they grind corn, saw wood, pulverize rock, manufacture paper, and cut tobacco into snuff; while their most important duty is to pump out of the marshes into the canals the water which would otherwise submerge the land. Think of an army of ten thousand of these tireless automata working continu-ally, day and night, to raise the liquid of the lowlands high enough to let it find an exit to the sea! The largest windmills, it is said, will, in a fair breeze, lift ten thousand gallons of water per minute to the height of four feet.

Who can refuse unstinted admiration to the persevering Hollanders, who have thus yoked the inconstant wind and forced it not only to work for them, but also to contend with their great enemy, water? It is true, the windmills often look rebellious, and fling their long arms madly round and round, as if in frantic protest at their slavery; but, nevertheless, they faithfully perform their allotted tasks, and are a practical illustration of the rough but wholesome words of Emerson: "Borrow the might of the elements. Hitch your wagon to a star, and see the chores done by the gods themselves." A Hollander's wealth is often estimated, not by bonds and mortgages, but by windmills. "How rich is such a man?" I once asked. "Ten or twelve windmills," was the answer.