The semi-weekly mountain Democrat., 1860-10-17
The Undiseouatea DutsAnan.
BY ). x. PAULDING.

der my own observation day or two since
and, perhapS gave rise to these Specula-
tons. We stopped In the evening to
sleep at the house Of Dutchman, who
kept atraveler's rest, rather, believe, lest
he should be obliged to entertain travellers
for nothing, than from any great desire to
add to the profits Of his farm. It WAS
scene and an evening that made me mel
ancholy, with q fear of some day dying
and leaving world so lovely.
The house was situated on q rising
ground, behind which, and close at hand,
rose majestic mountain, not savage with
rocks and rugged precipiccs, but exhib-
iting q green foliage unbroken to the very
top, whose graceful, waving outline brO't
to the mind nought but images Of peace.
In front was spread the richest little
vale ! ever saw; whose meadows and
cornfelds, the latter rising half q dozen
feet above the fence, and the former spcck.
led with sheep and cattle, succeeded each
other with rich luXuriance. At one ex.
tremity ran branch Of the river Shenan-
doah, half hid amid the high elms and
sycamoreS; and little further on rose
high hill behind which the sun was set.
ting. Everything seen was peace ITSELF
and everything heard was akin to silence,
and only serving to render it still more
striking in the intervals. Sometimes the
cow.bell's s far-off tinkle came flnttering on
a transient tbrceze-sometlnes the ncgro's
sonorous and resounding laugh awakened
the mountain ccho--somctimc his inim-
liable whistle, emulating the fife. and oc-
caSionally his song, which, mclowed by
Al 81. n.l. s,.nlnIsaaaC
As long as live will never forget that
scene.
1t was in truth place for q man to
make his home; and the honest Dutch
man, for such he approved himself not
only by his dialect, but by his invincible
prediction for his rich bottoms, seemed
to think as much; for he actually appear
ed to be contentcd-a rare thing In this
world. In the calm leisure Of the dusk Of
the evening, he and his dame-aDd . jolly
dame she was-good humored aS lark
and round as q dumping, came and sat
with US in the porch he with his pipe
and she with her snuff.box, bearing the
likeness Of Commodore Porter. This
custom is highly cschewed by all ortho-
dox English travellers, but for my part, If
a man be not wilfully obtruSive, and trans
crosses no law of etiquette that he knows
Of, like his company, and can generally
get something amusing or orinstructive from
him.
Mine host seemed such rare comfort
able sort Of dog that determined, If pos
siblc, to learn how he became SO and in
order to cntitic myself to his story, told
hisR aaise beforehand, for country pe0ple
arc q little cautious. The story Of the
burgomaster or justice (Eor 60 be annOun-
ced himsclf) in substance was as follows:
81 married at the age Of twenty.six-
though, perhaps, you won't believe, my
wife was rcckOned beauty In her day
my fortune was q negro man and three
hundred pounds, and my wife brought
me large chest, filled, | suppose, with
six hundred petticoats and short gowns,
which havc lasted till this day. So her
clothing cost me nothing. This was, what
we had TO- commence the world with
Alter looking about little bought this
farm, which, being much worn and cut Of
order, got cheap. What had wAs eat.
flcient for the first payment the rest waS
to be divided into three equal annual In
stalments.
The farm, as said, was then in poor
order, the fields q good deal worn oat, the
fences bad, and the houses very old. But
there was no time to groan, Is the year
was coming about, and tho money must
be paid. So Tom and I, and Oflcn my
wife, turned out early and late, aud work.
cd like horses and, after selling my har-
vest, ! carried my first payment home in
hard dollars.
We'll, continued the Dutch,nan, the next
year went on still better, paid my money
still easier, and at the end Of the third
year the farm was my own. We now
Thought to make ourselves comfortable by
building better home, for We had bat .
poor one before; SO in the spring we set
to work as soon as the frost was out Of the
ground. Iburnt my own bricks and lime,
from my own limestone and clay, and fur
nishcd boards and timber from my own
farm. In the meantime the war came on;
and II Is an ill.wind that blows nobody
good, the number Of wagons passing this
way increased every day, because the pro-
all my produce right at my door, except
my wheat If that was high could af.
ford to send the flour to market; and IL
not, could cut it into shorts, TO feed the
wagoners' horses. by the tine my house
was finished it was paid Tor, and now I
don't know what l shall build next, for
my part. am torty-thrce years old.
have five hundred acres OF as fine bottom
as any in Virginia "A good grist and saw
mill, a tolerably good wife, if l could only
make a tino lady OF hcr-but she sticks
to the old chest like q moth-a decent
house over my head, and owe no man
shilling, except Tom, who by now and
then raising little grain, shooting deer,
and waiting on travellers, has in my hands
enough money TO buy his freedom, but he
is already free, for that matter, and knows
he can go when he pleases.
Pray, said !, did you ever get dis
county
A discount2 what is thatS said the old
Dutchman.
Did you ever borrow money Of bank
and mortgage your land for itP
No, no, said he, wasn't such fool as
that Ny poor neighbOr, whose house
you see over the river yOndCr, with the
windows broke, and no smoke comingout
Of the chimney, played a trick of that
kind, but his farm is soon to be sold Gt
vendue, and I think Of buying it His
family were In great distress though We
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