The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-10-01
From mr. Coaatciirm Mirror.
JAN SCIiALkEN 5 HIRE WISHES.

II II llbENns
At small village IN Dutch Flanders there is
still shown the sclte ol At hui nhc4 Us an oh
Icct of much a'trulIon whist II stood. on p ccount
OF q singular legend that relates 10 uSinsi mhu.
baant, kind hearted fellow who depended on
hi, boat tor subsistence, aud his own happy iii.
position for checrfuIncss during every hardship
and priNation -. Thus the story goes -
Ono daik and stormy night IN winter, as Jan
schalkcn was sitting with his good natnred bux-
oin wife by the Ere. he was awakened from a
transient doze, L., a knocking nj The door of the
nut. He STATED up, drew buck the bolt, and
stranger entered He Was tail man but little
could be distinguished either of lis face OF fig
are, as he wuie a ddth oak which he had con-
trsed TO pull over his head after the fashion of
u co"l | AN n Toor traveller, tsald the stran-
ge,,( and want nights lodging. VIII you
grant 1t to me- Aye 10 be sure, (replied
| ochalkcH) but am afraid your cheer will he
nut sorry. HAD You come sooner you would
haNc ialcd bctter--Sit down however. and eat
what lrtt' The traveller took HIM nj his
word, and afterwards retired 10 his humble sleep
roy place. In the morning, as he was about TO
depart be advanced towards Schaken, and Civ
my him lis hRn.l, thus addressed HIM; " IL is
n"oi esS Tor you, nay good friend, To know who
am but of this be assured. that c1u aud will
bc grateful tOr when the rich and po~erful
| turned me last night from their inhospitahlc
/ gates YOU welcomed me as man should wei
come a man, and looked wl'h an eve of pity on
/ the deSoluIc traveller in the storm. grant you
| three wishes BE they what they may those
" ishe. shall be grati6rd" Now Schalken Ger
| tainiy did not put much faith IN these promises,
but stili he thought il The safest plan to make a
trinl of them; aud accordingly began 10 oonSid-
/ er how he should fix his wishes. Jan was a
man who had few no ambitious views and
was CoutcutCdn the way of lie IN which he had
! been bIoug hi up. In fact he VAS SO well satisfi-
ed with his situation, that he had moi the least in
cllnation to lose single day OF his laborous ex-
istenre hut on the contrary. had "A sincere wish
of adding few years 10 those which he was des-
/ tined 10 live. This gave rise 10 wish the first
| " Let my wife aud myself live Che sad) fifty
| yeas longer than nature has designed" Ii
shall be done. cried the stranger. Whilst Schal-
| ken WAS puazIlng hls BRAN tor a second WISH he
/ hethOught him that little peat tree which was
in his lttlc garden, had been frequently dcspoil.
ed of It's fruit, TO the no small detrment of the
said tree, and grievous disappointment OF its
| owner" For my second wish, grant that who.
ever climbs ms pear tree, shall not have pow
eT 10 leave II without my permission be given "
| This was also assened TO. Schakcn vas a
sober man, and liked 10 sit down aud chat with
his wife OF an evening, but she was Il busting DO
dy, and often jumped up in the midst of IA con
! verspton that she had only heard ten OF TIVE ",
times to scrub the table or set their clap platter,
/ in order. Nothing disturbed him so much ms
I rs, and he was determined ifpossible, TO pre
i vent repetition ofthe nuisance With this OBJ
ljeci in view he approached close 10 the stranger