A WELLINGTON GIRL IN BELGIUM

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2252, 11 September 1914, Page 2

A WELLINGTON GIRL IN BELGIUM

AN INTERESTING LETTER. , Writing from the Hotel de L'Europo, at Antwerp, on July 19 (just two weeks before the war broke out), to Miss Dorothy Flockton, of Wellington, Miss Jiva W'anden, formerly a resident of Wellington, writes:—"We havo had.a month, iu Belgium, and to-morrow are leaving for Dover. We eujoyed our holiday immensely, everything was so different —language, customs, style, etc. When we first came over we took a fiat at Ostend,- a very beautiful wateringplace, with unrivalled sands, and a marvellous promenade. It is very fashionabfe, and fronting tho promenade are crowds of large hotels and fiats, and at one end is ihe Kursaal, which contains a huge concert room and casino. It is really a wonderful place inside. From Ostend we took several excursions inland, one to Bruges, a very quaint old town, which nourished in the fifteenth century, and which now slumbers in a calm, unruffled fashion very soothing to people with raw nerves or overworked brains. The journey there is very interesting, although the country is very flat. The placid canals, which cut the country up into great districts, are beautiful with their borders of tall poplars, and the' land all round being very fertile, is-utilised to the last yard. They were' harvesting 'as we travelled through.

In Bruges. At Bruges we saw more picturesque canals, many an ancient market piac'o (one being tho Bellfroi, about which Tennyson wrote a poem). It is very old, and constructed of brick, and has a remarkable tower. From the marketplace we went into another square, on which is situated the Hotel de Villo (Town Hall), Guildhouses, Palais de Justice, and an old, old church. The interior of the church is lovely with oaken plaquet work, wonderful pictures, old tapestries, sculptures, and stained glass windows, gorgeous in colour and design. Wβ saw many pictures of the great Van Eyck, who was born in the town. The old church has a wonderfu) carved exterior, and we were actually in one of the crypts that was erected in the year 8-10. There we heard all about the Holy Blood -(every church is Roman Catholic), and were shown the jewelrbcset silver casket, in which it is carried in high procession onco a year. Around certain statues of tho Virgin Mary in this and other 'churches therewere curious things hanging which, on closer inspection, turned out to be replicas of parts of the human body, done in wax. Our guide informed us'that it was the custom if anyone had an accident to an arm or leg or finger, to present a wax repliea to the Virgin, as intercession for the damaged member:; .The Palais de Justice 'is a lovely edifice, too, with its great banqueting hall and priceless artistic treasures. Down in the back quarters of the city wo saw the women sitting at their doors working -laco with an. action as quick- as lightning. Dogs in Belgium very' often do the work of horses. They draw all tho milk and vegetable carts (which aro supervised by womeu). '

Beautiful Brussels. "I must tell you a little about Brussels. It is a most beautiful city, crossed with great boulevards alivo with cafes., , All the people sit outside little marble ' tables drinking ■ their' beer': (for the water, is not fit, to drink). ' First and foremost come- the Palace of' Justice, built on a hill (for Brussels is fairly hilly), and overlooking the town. Its architecture is bewildering' in its beauty—such a 'maze of marblo columns aiid floors, statues, and paintings. All the court rooms are magnificently de l corated and fitted, and even the seats are works of art, venerable with ago and associations.': Tho Town Hall is another architectural wonder.. Its : facade is adorned with the statues of countless Dukes of Burgundy (who were great fellows in their day), and the interior is of tho dignity and luxury of a palace. The banqueting hall is immense. Its walls aro decorated with tapestries representing all tho ancient crafts of Brussels, and the ceiling is aglow with allegorical paintings. Brussels is famous for its art galleries, and in them we saw many paintings by Michael Angelo, Rubens, Van Dyck, and Van Eyck. Wo also saw the King's Palace—the King wo had seen in Ostend. There are beautiful parks (with lakes and chalets), city squares, gallant with bronze and marble statuary, which give the place a refined and dignified air. , Field of Waterloo. "I must now pass on to the battlefield. Everything there is just as it was a hundred years ago. There we entered an immense circular gallery, on the walls of which is painted, the scene of the great battle. In the foreground aro men and horses,. lifesize, and in the background is depicted Napoleon on his white horse advancing to a position opposite tho Duke.,'of Wellington. There was the farmhouse where tho Prussians had ' their headquarters—wo were- in the. . farmyard. Everything was so real-in this galjery that sometimes we thought we were in the open. Outside, and quite near, is a huge mound, crowned with the Belgian lion, made out of the metal of tho French cannon.. At a little distance stands a column to tho memory of Colonel Gordon, Wellington's aide-de-camp. ■ . , '

"From there we went on to the Ardennes, the Belgian Switzerland, at Remouchamps, and had the luck to see the Princess of Luxemburg and her sisters. The scenery is indescribably beautiful—gently flowing rivers running , along the foot of forest-clad hills, with liero and there a cascade plashing in the shadow of some old chateau, built on tho stony heights around the deep river beds. ,Tlie chateau of Remouchamps, with its numerous minarets rising above .tho trees, is a very fine cxamplo of the medieval castle of the Continent. The Chateau do Walzin is labelled dangerous, as tho cliff on which it rests is 'seamed with great cracks-. Nearby, on the cliffs, are the remains of old abbeys and convents, slowly crumbling into dust. At Waulsort, on the Meuse, there is a lovely abbey. At Honget we went to a chateau built' by Leopold 11. It is'now an hotel. The charges for boarders is enormous, but the furnishings are superb; The din-ing-room is vieux-de-rose> and white, the furnituro is • .artistic, and the carpets are good enough for thp Prophet. As soon as we entered a little page came running towards us with two little footstools to rest our weary feet upon. It was very quaint and amusing. The grounds beggar description. ■'AVo also visited Diriant, Spa, Namur, and Liege, but , it would take ages to tell you about them all. Antwerp, too, is very fine. Our rooms nro a stone's thtow from tho Cathedral, tho chimes of which aro tho sweetest /I have ever heard. Wo wont up tho towers—s4o feet high—6l6 steps. At tho top we got a splendid view of the groat city and the silvery Scheldt. A month before n man jumped over the balcony, and naturally suffered from tho consequences of his madness. Near by is tho house where Van Dyck was born, wo saw the house whero Rubens lived."

HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY. Which would you rather pay ? Eißhteenpence for a small bottle'of cough mixture that lasts almost no time —or 2/- for seven to eight times as much ? Of course no argument is necessary. . One bottle of Hean'sEssence will make in your own home a very large bottle of cough, cold and sore throat- remedy, and save at least 9/- for your pocket. You can prove this statement any moyou like to try Hoan's Essence. Hoan's Essence is sold by chemists and stores, or post free on receipt of price 2/-, from G. W. Hean, Family Chemist! Wanganui. 26