390 Hans Brinker.

CONCLUSION

UR story is nearly told. Time passes in Holland just
as surely and steadily as here: in that respect, no
country is odd.
To the Brinker family it has brought great changes. Hans
has spent the years faithfully and profitably, conquering obsta-
cles as they arose, and pursuing one object with all the energy
of his nature. If often the way has been. rugged, his resolu-
tion has never failed. Sometimes he echoes, with his good
old friend, the words said long ago in that little cottage near

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Broek, “Surgery is an ugly business;” but always in his
heart of hearts lingers the echo of those truer words, “It is
great and noble: it awakes a reverence for God’s work.”

Were you in Amsterdam to-day, you might see the famous
Dr. Brinker riding in his grand coach to visit his patients; or,
it might be, you would see him skating with his own boys and
girls upon the frozen canal. For Annie Bouman, the beauti-
ful, frank-hearted peasant-girl, you would inquire in vain: but
Annie Brinker, the vrouw of the great physician, is very like
her; only, as Hans says, she is even lovelier, wiser, more like
a fairy godmother, than ever.

Peter van Holp, also, is a married man. I could have told
you before that he and Hilda would join hands, and glide
through life together, just as, years ago, they skimmed side
by side over the frozen, sunlit river.