[Illustration: "Land and water." (_See page 224._)]
[Illustration: "A good road for the bicycle." (_See page 239._)]
A Cheese-making Country--Edam Cheese--A Picturesque Inn--An Interesting Interior--A Thrifty Farmer--At Sunrise--In the Cow Stable--The Pretty Maid--Stall and Parlor--The Cheese Room--The Process of Making Cheese--"I Have Listened and Listened"--A Trip to Volendam--A Fine Country Road--A Charming Day--Muzzled Dogs--The Only Street--A Multitude of Children--Gay Decorations--A United People--As a Hen and Her Brood--Their Wealth is Health--In Sunday Dress--Stalwart Men and Sturdy Women--A Higher Type--"I have enough"--Fishermen--The Anchorage--A Volendam Suit.
To-day we take the train for Edam, of world-wide fame as a cheese-making centre. This town, situated about five miles north of Monnikendam, abounds in beautiful old trees which protect it from the heat of the sun, and render it very attractive. All of these towns seem to possess individual interest, and the traveller is constantly surprised in this region by new and unexpected scenes: but the imprint of truth and honesty upon the faces of the dwellers in every town, village and settlement in Holland is observed as the common bond of union, and leads us to understand the happiness and prosperity for which this region is justly celebrated.
It is hardly necessary to say that many cheese factories are scattered throughout this section of the country. At one of these factories, located on the bank of the canal, we see a large barge being loaded with five thousand of the delicious Edam cheeses, intended for foreign markets. We stop for rest and refreshment at one of the many inns on the way. This house is a fine subject for an artist. The room in which our meal is served is in itself a masterpiece. The floor, composed of large stone flags, is spotlessly clean, and the walls are covered with odd pieces of china, evidently associated with family history: the woodwork is as white as soap and sand can make it, and the windows are as clear as crystal. In a corner stands the old Dutch clock, with the moon, now nearly full, represented above its time-worn face, and on one side is the dark dresser, rich in ancient plates, and other quaint old-fashioned crockery. The table at which we sit is covered with a snowy cloth of homespun linen, and the blue and white dishes with the stories upon them which have been thus told for unknown ages almost charm us into forgetfulness of our luncheon itself, until a healthy cheerful country girl appears, and with deft movements and smiling face places before us the appetizing cheese, delicious bread, freshly churned butter, and new milk as well as buttermilk. For this but a trifling charge is made, but we feel that a glimpse into this quaint old Dutch interior, the sight of these brass-bound chests and claw-footed chairs, and the picture of the cheerful Holland maid are worth many times the cost of the meal.