or, The Silver Skates ROT

 
   
 

There were beautiful Fries-
land girls in wooden shoes and
coarse petticoats, with solid gold
crescents encircling their heads,
finished at each temple with a
golden rosette, and hung with
lace a century old. Some wore
necklaces, pendants and ear-
rings of the purest gold. ~ Many
were content with gilt, or even
with brass; but it is not an

 
 
 

uy

Zi

HOLLAND PEASANT-FOLK.

uncommon thing for a Friesland woman to have all the family

treasure in her head-gear. More than one rustic lass displayed

the value of two thousand guilders upon her head that day.
Scattered throughout the crowd were peasants from the

Island of Marken, with sabots, black stockings, and the widest

of breeches ; also women from Marken, with short blue petti-

coats, and black jackets gayly figured in front. They wore red

sleeves, white aprons, and a cap like a bishop’s mitre over

their golden hair.