The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1870-10-08
rnE "THIsias vRow I.


DUTCH sronT.
saturday isa notable DAY In Amstef
dam. II was the ame a hundred and
hfy years Ago.. Spinning wheels then.
the sewing machines now, we're put aside
for the Day, the snood and overskirt were
exchanged for the clcse oaul and yellow
petticost, and womfn, old and young,
rose into full activity with mop and
broom. Floors and stairs, windows and
doors, porches and sidewalks were deluged
with water, and husbands and brothers
sought refuge In the warehouse or beer
shop tn the time OF the evening meal.
Gods meal" they called Il, that Satur.
1ay night supper, when the weekly
thanksgiving ~ hurghers, and burga.
masters, was offered for the losses and
g~ains-Duich piety counting both 10 be
Gods wages-of the siz working days
since Sunday.
The year was 1903. The street, Skip
per's lane. The house. Antony Van Stra.
lens. The day, May 90, at 8 O'Clock In
the evening. The parlor, with It's en-
bossed leather walls, where window stills
and washboards were white as sand could
AhN tuNftt Was lkuhtN WIN " ElUklO WA
candle, and around the tile stove, where's
fire Of wood had been lighted n kill the
damp, sat Antony, his three daughters,
Karl Hoofdt, his partner in more prosper
GUS days, and Joan Hoofdt, looking like a
fourth and younger sister. An aged aunt
was more than half asleep in her chair in
the chimney corner, and standing beside
the table, spread with napery of spotless
white, preparing the supper Of buttered
bread, toasted cheese. and beer, was the
good mother Vrow Van Stralen, in whom
neither gray hairs nor poverty had altered
the cheerful look, or dsmped the hopeful
heart. Dame Van Stralen, the "Frisisn
Vrow," as the neightors called her, be-
cause she had come 10 Holland an orphan
girl from West Friesland, Antsny had
married without a dowry. He was
deemed rich at that dsy-the misfortunes
which broke the firm of Stralen, Hoofdt &
Co, coming from the loss of the Fraulien
at sea long afterward-but his partner al.
WAYS said that had Hoofdt taken Peter
Tffeman's daughter, whom he might have
had for the asking, her fortane would
have saved the old house from coming to
grief. But Karl's soul was purblind. The
money trusting man did not understand
the wisdom in which the good Tristan
Vrow had bought up 'Antony's children,
nor the sunshine which, in spite of losses
and failures, her presence had made In
his home for more than thirty years.
The feast waited for Antony son, Auke
Stralen. His vessel had dropped anchor
that morning in the Amstel after a six
months voyage. Sailors wives and
mothers know what makes a red letter
day in their calendar. Dame Stralen's
heart was large enough to care for all her
children, but her thoughts were most with
the boy who had braved the perils Of the
deep. She knew, too, that her love was
returned, as did his messmates, who used
good naturally to wager that Auber's first
question to the pilot would be "Is my
mother wellf" He had been seven years
at sea, ever since he was fifteen. His
earnings had been the support of the
family. He had climbed through every
grade of seamanship, from reefing the
foresail to walking the quarterback, and
as he now entered the parlor, shaking
hands with the seniors, saluting each of
his sisters and the grand aunt with a kiss,
and bashfully greeting the pretty neigh
Dor, his long and hearty embrace was
given to his mother. =.
at is Gods meal tonight, my boy"
said the vrow, her hand in both OF his
and her blue eyes beautiful in their ex.
preston of matronly pride and love. "You
have not forgotten ?"
"Mitherkin Dear Mitherkin !" replied
the boy, raising her hand to his lips, and
bending his head over hers, al have
never forgotten, not once, that Gods work
pays sure wages"
Auke was still a boy" to her, whom
he addressed by that tenderest name,
Mitherkin-a word for which we have no
synonym; but his bronzed face and sturdy
frame gave him almost the look Of middle
age. As he sat there in his sailors dress
of canvas, with his Danish pipe in full
play, he might have passed for one OF
those old-time seamen from whom "Skip-
per lane" had been named.
There was q time when Karl Hoofdt
had speculated on q match between his
partners son and his own and only
daughter, and the young folks did not
think that event even impossible yet, But
Karl was thinking otherwise. Auke made
good wages, to be sure, He was temper
ate and industrious. II it were not for
his fathers large family, he might lay by
something, but as it was he would never
be worth a silver. "Joan must do better
than that" was the conclusion TO which
he was coming, when the news Auke was
telling his mother over the beer turned
his musings to another channel.
The captain and owner of the "Zuyder
Zee,' in which craft Auke had always
sailed, was Jacob S~teavanson, wholly Car
rying cheese and gin TO the Baltic towns,
and at fish back 10 Amsterdam, had re.
allied sufficient gains to open a trade with
England. Its late King had been Hol-
lands stakeholder, and London had a mar
ket for tea and Chinese silks, OF which
Amsterdam wa the emporium. But the
Zuyder Zee would not suit English trade,
and he had offered to sell her to Auke, to
be paid for in yearly installments, with in
terest at five per cent.
"Take herl" said Karl, " and l will use
all my interest with the Schneidsms and
cheese. buyers to get up the first cargo"
"But she is q slow ssiler and rough in
the rigging" replied Auke, skillfully Ia
king the cautious side.
"She'H go well enough before the wind,
won't she and she ladies' better than any
craft in the river. You had better close
the bargain with Jacob, aud give her a
coat of paint, and call her Hammerman
Van H~arderhold, after our East India Di-
rector. I'll 20 the first trip with you
Auke."
"That's all very well" replied Auke
"Ttl take the Zuyder Zee and paint her
and you, Mynheer Karl, may freight her
But she is my ship, and as long as ! sal
her she goes only by one name, ana Una
is the Tristan Vrow,' from my mother
For many weeks Auke and Karl, thu
one at the ship and the other at the cargo
were busy getting ready. Everything
sped. Neighbors furnished yentureso Of lin
en-. Country folks brought in their cheese
~Schnapps in bottles, Holland In DELFT, ana
gin in barrels and ~hogshcadA, were care
fully slowed away in the good ships hold
Her bottom was newly coppered, a new
fgure-hesd, presented by Jason Keet 70
good luck, set gracefully under her bow