sophy; with regard to the beer, they are fonder of it than ever. But they are a good, kindly people. I love every one of them, from the philosopher who smokes oftener than he washes, to the maid-servant who wont learn that a man ought to lie on a feather-bed, and not under it. Ah, my boy! Procrustes' bed was nothing to the shake-downs in store for you; a small wooden box-that's all you'll get. Ah! what a lunge. It's a splendid sca; look at those waves. I'm afraid my Herr Professor there will have to leave off nutcracking before long."

We then went on deck. It rained in torrents, and the grey sky and mud-coloured sea looked dreary enough. However, anything was better than the saloon, which, as all the cabins opened on it, resounded with groans and pathetic cries for the stewardess. The professor had borrowed an oilskin wrapper from the sailors, and, looking like a very fat carpet-bag on legs, walked up and down untiringly. Uncle John faced the rain and wind in a first-rate manner, and kept saying to every one

"Citizens make Jack Tars as well as country folks. I assure you I never felt better in my life."

As if any one had accused him of not feeling well. Even an hour later, when he seemed rather anxious to keep near the edge of the vessel, he still continued to avow his good state of health.

The night was dismal enough, and I certainly began to think that after all, travelling was not so delightful as remaining at home. The wind roared like thunder; the beams of the vessel creaked with every tremendous lunge she gave: and whenever there came a quiet moment I could hear the merchant bewailing his unhappy fate.

The captain had informed us that we should cross the bar

by midnight, and about that time we were comforting ourselves with the idea of speedily losing our troubles in the Maas, when all at once we were nearly jerked out of our berths by a great shock, accompanied with a grating sound as if the Leo had stuck in the mud. Now we knew that the bar was a rise of sand at the mouth of the Maas, where at low tide there was sometimes but seven feet of water, and that a vessel had foundered in crossing it some weeks since. This alone was not pleasant to think of, but when all the passengers rushed out of their cabins, we too emerged from our cribs, looking frightened enough, to keep the rest in company.

"This is fun!" said Mil, nothing daunted, and poking my ribs in the extreme of his enjoyment. "Uncle Harry's last pantomime was nothing to it."

What a scene it was! Some of the passengers had stopped to put on a make-believe day-dress; the professor, for instance, who wore a long great-coat, buttoned tight over his night-shirt, and a tall Irish lady who had hastily slipped a short red petticoat over a white one, surmounting both by a cloak turned bottom upwards, and a gentleman's wideawake she had picked up on the way. Another lady held up an umbrella, as if by that means to hide all imperfections. Perhaps the most ludicrous figure of all was papa. had scrambled into a pair of my trousers, which reached about two inches below his knees, and on his shoulders he wore a short grey jacket of Midsie's, and a white muslin scarf.

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Oh, to tink dat de window of cabin was not fast bolt on a night like dis," said the mamma merchant," and our poor children to be drowned alive."

"Drowned alive, my dear madam," cried papa; "how

very peculiar! Do you mean to say that the little people you speak of are jumping in the sea like lively tadpoles, never to live again on dry land?"

She couldn't help laughing, in spite of her discomfitures, and continued

"And not one dry shirt have we to put over their leathers : surely they will all die of cold fever and tooth pains before long."

"I desire to have the captain called without delay," continued the umbrella lady; "if he intends us to find watery graves, at least he will favour us with the knowledge of his intentions."

Come, my good lady, be of any use to your There are two or three

"Stuff and nonsense," exclaimed my old rosy-faced friend. "Go to your berths, good folks, and be very well assured that the captain will take care of us. if the contents of my carpet-bag will children you are welcome to them. guernseys that might answer the purpose of night-shirts for the little boys, and some warm worsted socks which would admit a baby apiece after a little stretching. Will you have 'em ?"

Papa now volunteered his services, and taking up one of the poor little drenched things, stripped off its wet clothes, and rocked it to sleep in his warm rug; Midsie, though she was very ill, foraged up some of Jessie's night-gowns for the elder children; the Chinese nursemaid with the orange face, and the stewardess, soaked up the water in the cabin, and aired some dry sheets; lastly, the captain came down to inform us that we were now fairly in the Maas, and every one retired to their berths. Being thoroughly tired I slept soundly, till Mil woke me with the information that we had no time to lose if we wished to breakfast on board.

The examination of our luggage at the custom-house was

the funniest thing in the world. Solemn-looking men, who looked as if they felt quite sure we were smuggling and would have to pay dearly for it, opened our carpet-bags, dived first down one side and then the other with such haste that they had not the slightest possible chance of discovering any contraband article supposing it to be there, then handed us our keys with the air of men who had done great things.

Now Uncle John had packed in his portmanteau a superb plum-cake, made by the hands of Aunt Susan, and this cake gave him endless terror whenever any custom-house officers came in the way. He seemed to fancy that it was a state crime to carry British-made cake abroad; whatever papa or Mil could say was of no avail: there was no peace in poor Uncle John's bosom till the cake had been eaten.

All the ladies were no less frightened at the idea of having their boxes inspected, and made long speeches in self-defence, not a word of which could the officers understand. Uncle John, who always rose up a champion in defence of the unprotected and weak, tried to interpret, but as his knowledge of the language consisted in a few names of meats, drinks, and places, he could not effect much.

I do not know what I imagined a Dutch city would be like, but we English are so absurdly proud that we fancy everything at home must be better than its fellow abroad. It is a pity to travel with that notion, and when I get back I will tell all the boys at Queen Elizabeth's school that the Dutch, Belgian, German, and Swiss are just as good as ourselves. Certainly we cannot boast to them about fine buildings, handsome churches, useful manufactures, and lovely pictures, since they have so many.

"Well, we must make the best of our time, girls and

boys," cries papa ; we have only two hours in which to see all there is to be seen-Dutch women with wooden shoes, dykes, dams, dolls, and all.”

"I want to see the dolls and to buy a real Dutch cheese to take home to nurse," says Jessie.

"Of course we must visit the dockyard, Harry," puts in Uncle John; "when we get home we shall be expected to have seen all these things, you know.”

"To walk through the streets will afford me ample amusement," adds Mil, loftily.

"And me too,” cries papa; 66 we don't see a town every day, Midsie, in which each street has a canal for its next door neighbour, and you can't call on your friends over the way without singing, 'Over the water to Charlie.' Come, children-dams, dykes, dolls, and all, now for them."

Certainly we shall have plenty to talk of at home, and you, my dear married sister Edith, for whom this omnium gatherum diary is to be written, will find it full of novelties, however drily we write them.

What would old nurse say

to a city where all the streets are quays, and handsome

Will she believe that the

quays too, bordered with trees? people who make Dutch dolls, and spend fortunes on tulips, live in far finer houses than those of our grand terrace at Eastbeach? or that they pay visits in boats with gilded prows and brightly coloured sides, like those in our old Cuyp hanging up in papa's study? Then the ingenious way by which the Dutch ladies contrive to see all that is going on in the street without showing their curiosity! Would not you like two of their little looking-glasses placed outside your window, Edith, so that you might spy and not be spied? Dear old Doctor Witworth will think me very lucky in having seen "Hæc est parva domus magnus qua