Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-10-11
q S&lett&b Story.
DUTCH AN N A.

It was shortly after the outbreak of the
French Revolution that the humble heroine
of this story made her appearance in my na-
tive village. Dutch Anna (for so she was
called BY the country people, was, as the
name implies, native of Holland, and at
that time she might be about twenty five
wears of age. She was of the middle size,
stoutly and firmly built, round, good humor-
ed face, dark hair, clear, honest'looklng
hazel eyes, a-d mouth which, though wide,
was expressive of decision and frmness.-
At the time speak of, the prejudice enter
tanned by the mass of the people against for
eigners was much greater than in the pres
ent day. Anna was, therefore, for time, re-
garded with suspicion and jealousy, for the
yery reason which ought to have command
ed the sympathy and goodwill of her neigh
bors, "that she was stranger in the lane"
Her mode of life perhaps increased the pre-
iudice against her. Respecting the reason
of her voluntary exile she preserved stud,
led silence; though I afterwards learned
that the persecution she endured from her
own family on the subject of religion was
the principal cause.
Our village adjoined populous manufac-
turing district, and Anna, having been &C.
customed to such occupation, soon obtained
employment. Being person of peculiar
" reserved and serious turn of mind, she
could not endure the thought of living IN
lodgings and as she was not able to furnish
or nav the rent of cottage, she hired for
trifing sum an old, lonely barn belonging
to my father, who was a small farmer, and
with the labor of her own hands managed to
nut it into habitable condition. The fur
niture of this rude dwelling was simple
enough, consisting of bed of clean straw,
a round deal table and two three-legged
stools. The white.washed walls were orna'
mented with colored prints op Scripture sub
iects, framed and glazed and a small look
ing.glass, placed in position to secure the
best light afforded by the little window, COM
pleted the decorations.
Various were the conjectures formed by
the villagers respecting this inofensive,
though singular woman ; and many we're the
stories circulated, all tending to keep alive
the prejudice her ecceutricities we're calcu-
lated 10 excite.
A casual circumstance, which led to my
becoming obliged to Anna, at length enabled
me to overcome the suspicion and dislike
with which our neighbor was regarded
Our acquaintance speedily ripened into
friendship; for I felt as though could neV-
er sufficiently compensate for my former in.
Justice towards her Often in an evening l
would put on my bonnet, and taking my
work with me, 60 to spend leisure hour
with Dutch Anna and on these occasions
she generally entertained me with descrlp-
tions of her own country, and of the Gus
toms and manners of its inhabitants, or with
striking anecdotes and incidents, never fail
ing to draw some useful moral, or illustrate
some important truth from what she related
Her powers of observation we're extremely
acute, and her memory reteutive; but what
struck me as her most remarkable cbarac
teristics were her sincere and unaffected
piety, her undertaking truthfulness, and her
extraordinary decision and fearlessness.
After Anna had resided some years in
this country, during which time she had
gained the esteem of all who knew her, she
became anxious to pay visit to her native
land and as the accommodations for travel
ing at that period, besides being few, were
costly, she obtained letters of recommends
ton from her employers and other gentle
men in the place, to friends residing in diff
ferent towns on her route, and set out, In
tending to perform the greater part of her
land Journey on foot At the end of seve-
raj mouths she returned and quietly resum.
ed her former mode of life. Not till fully
q year after this period did she relate to me
an adventure which had occurred to her on
her journey homewards, and which lshali
now transcribe:
It was at the close of an autumn day that
Anna, who had been walking since early
morning, found herself, in spite of her ca
psbility of enduring fatigue, somewhat
footsore and weary on arriving at the town
of As she passed along the streets
she observed an unusual degree of hustle
and excitement, aud on inquiring the cause
found that large detachment of soldiers,
on their way to the continent, had arrived in
the town that afternoon, and that some diff