Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-06-21
1laiscella
THE DUTCHMAN'S BELLS;
oH, TUE ENGLISH woNAN's DREAMS.

1t was O cold bitter November in the year
Of grace IL. damp iogs hung over the 4
earth like pail The mists rose from the
low lons OF Lincoln and Nottinghamshirc, the /
waters oozed out and inundated the meadows,
carrying malaria in their train. Fields that
in the merry baymaking time children shouted |
through, gardens where grew succulcnt yeget-
ables all now lay passive under the stagnant /
flood. The inhabitants Of these shires had
grown weary Of this state Of things, and had
tried how far digging bitches aud dykes all /
across the face Of the country would alleviate |
thi, annual plague. Their work proved fruit /
less abandoning the effort they sent a call to
the other side Of the ocean, TO the princes Of
drainage. the clever Dutch to come and help
them They came, aud this November grea,
engineering was going on; canals were dug
deep dykes planned, every means of drain.
age these Dutchmen knew was put in use
to redeem the Carrs OF North Lincolnshire
from the dread Winter visitor the wa
tcrs' Square.shouldered, heavy.built Dutch.
men smoked their long pipes and drank their
" Schnapps' in the lodgings Of the small
ueighboring towns. They were silent, steady
men. most Of them had q vrau at home
and sluare.shouldered little children The
Lincolnshire la-,ies could not make many con.
quests aud so the Liuconshire lads having
no cause for jealousy, were very friendly with
these clever foreigners, who were rodceming
their land for them Every morning The
Dutchmcn, rolled up in warm wraps to keep
out the cold rode ont from the towns and yil-
lagos TO the open country to superintend thc
dykes and dams, and stayed there tll the al.
ternoon's waning light warned them to hasten
home, for it was evil travelling at night across
that swampy land.
There was one stawart Dutchman who had
no yrau at home he was better looking
than most of them taller, slightcr aud more
iovial he looked about him more, and had
! noticed Gyorably a daughter Of the land.
This pretty lassie lived in a quaint little viii
age called Grangely super-Alontem, village
whose proud prerogative is to stand not only
g on hill, but on the only hill that exists for
y miles around 1t was pretty steep pull up
4 to the village from every side, and from its
y beacon on a clear day-when so rare n thing
occurred-the spectator could behold a vast
, panorama lying at his feet. They did say
seventy churches and two cathcdrals could be
T., seen from It's summit, but that Lucy Nletcalie
could not certify she was far too impatient
aud frocsomc lass to have patience to
.e count them ALL She might often be seen run.
;, ming up and down the steep hill, playing
= with her young brothers and sisters, ioI
y Lucy was only eighteen, aud full Of you'll
- and health.
T. John Metcalie was respectable farmer
III who sent his daughter to market every weeI
with produce, and no ones eggs and butte
~ were so popular, no ones ducks and chick
"a ems so fat as Lucy Metcafe'si no eye
a. shone more brightly, no hands were NOR
u quick and pretty in taking and giving change
~ no tongue more yiyacious and full Of gay re
~ partee.
= There were several young farmers arounC
- who had an eye on her, and thought what .
u good housewife She would make, hut Lucy
~ tossed her head, and pretended She did no
- see this admiration.
w One day Meiuherr Wilhelm y an der Roos
W thought he would like n duck and som
sausages for his dinner, and wandering int
" the market to buy, he came as far as Lucy
!, 70 stall, aud there became a fixture For hal
nc an hour he stared at her, a contemplative pip
~ between his white teeth for another hal
/ nOuI Ht HNAIth Nv htI MlAuouA llHt--b sur
~ sign that his mind was deeply stirred, an
=. =. then he drew nearer, and touched fat due
= with his large thumb,
- - "Do you want duck, sir l'' asked prett
we Lucy, who, of course, had noticed him ditl
nine minutes before, and had actually foun
"a means to discover that the starer was th
a. superintendent Of the works in the North 1t
u'' Cars, and one of the chiefs OF the Dutch SET
~ y; over.
~ Wilhelm iaucedhe had been quite unobser,
~ ed, but then men are so dense about these thing
~ He found Lucy very pretty, and on neart
Il, inspection her figure was so slim, her hair
'' dark and wayy, her eyes Of so beautiful a blu
and there was so many fat ducks to choo
among, and such a sayoury heap Of sausag
to look at, that his marketing took quite al
other halEhour. Lucy was very patieu
though she used to be sharp enough sometim
to haggling or undecided customers Meil
'o' herr's broken English was very hard to III
'us derstand, and the noise in the market so gre
< that Wilhelm had to come behind the stall
III be comprehended at all.
.er /" How is it your ducks are so iat2' (N
'As will not try you with the Dutehman's bI
us' English you might not be so patient as LuC
an was.)
M 'sn 81 don't know they get better feed th'
Po, PI the others, perhaps
lne :" And how is it you are so much fresh
ny and roster than the other girs?"
as "Oh we get iresher air, you know. Ii
ls isn at Grangely-super-Montem.'
'ne Where That's hard name --Grangc
''u Grange"
se- Lucy laughed merrily, and made him rep,
orc the name till he could say it right that to
., quite ten minutes.
Ahu Aud where is this favored village -
nee Don't you know When you are do
'ue in the Cars, have you not seen a church-tov
'ers on a hill Our tower is beacon for mi
I'LL around"
urn "Ah Yes, of course have; and that
,N,e Grangey y-super-Nlontem. Is your name
VIZ WI hard TO speak ?'
aru Oh, no. 1t is Lucy
'N,v Lucy ah that is not hard, but soft 81
Si'' " as your fat ducks. Lucy-what ?"
Metcalle."
.ne.r Oh, the harsh English | will not
.l hA'. to say it even. will stop at Lucy. A
iner should see you il came to Grangely-sup
or Nlontem
AN, any perhaps you would it depends VIII
y e'I you went to-
| would 90 to the high tower 10 breathe
70 deep draught of the fresh air that makes }
H. ! so rosy. May come to look for youP
is! ioio want to know how to make sausages Il
'I's these they are so good"
rI. But you haven't tasted them yet
iils "Ah but know
@ lorl Cannot your wife, Mrs. Van der Ro