Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-07-25
5elettc0 1alisfeIIanp.
MY GRANDFATHER's PIPE.

FOR generations my ancestors nau ira
ded from Holland to various countries.
But / pass them all until come down
to my grandfather, by name Jacob Van
dcrheyden My father married his
daughter, and eventually came back to
live in this his native city, for he was a
German. | recollect grandfather Van
derheyden very well, though / was only
seven years of age when he died. He
was an immensely fat old man, weighing
nearly three hundred pounds. and wear
ing big shirt collars that reached up
above his cars. He began life by sail
ing to Japan, and never | believe made
any voyage save to that country. His
ship used TO lay at Boompics in Rotter-
dam. 1t was where he lived.
My grandfather, as you may suppose,
saved up goodly pile of money and was
considered by the people as being well off.
| have often been told that previous to
his last voyage, he had a remarkable
dream, in which lie was informed that
great good was to come to him when he
arrived in port, but that he must never
20 to sea again, for if he did so he would
be overcome with evil. lie accordingly
made all preparations to retire from mari
time life, and sailed away with high hope
in his heart. My mother told me it was
more than two years ere the herring fish
ers at Vaardingen returned to that
port. 1t must have been jolly day
when grandfather jumped ashore at
Boompies. They say he was so much
altered that they could scarcely recog-
nize him. lie had grown enormously
fat, and was yellow as saffron. Well he
was as good as his promise, he gave UP
sailing, and settled down upon the land.
But he brought strange story with him,
which certainly verified his dream. He
was in possession of diamond of most
superb beauty and great value. ! have
heard it said that Count Albert Kaloska
came from Paris, and offered to pay for
ty thousand francs for it, but my grand
father would not sell it, surprising he
could obtain a much greater sum.
My grandfather was peculiar man
he would not trust the possession of the
gem in any bank, perfcrring to keep il
in his own custody. His friends often
told him he would be robbed, for it was
soon noised about that he had The stone
in his house But the old man laughed
when he heard the advice and would moi
! give up the prize to any other custody
There are various stories told as to how
he came to be possessed Of the Jewel, but
I his own version was that certain native
of Japan took refuge in his ship and fec
from the country The unhappy mar
! fell sick unto death and as my grand
father attended him with great kindness
he gave him the treasure before he died
and in this way he became possessor. -
Some ill-naturcd people said that if The
truth was known, it would be found thai
grandfather Vanderhcyden had entered
into compact with the Evil One to Sc
cure the wealth. OF course none bu
supcrstitious old women listened t.
stories like these; and they did not af
feet grandfather's good name in the com
munity. / can see him now, sitting OF
the bench, with his old pipe smoking
away apparently in dream but he wa
never caught mapping when smoking
Inc was too shrcwd man, for you mus
understand the diamond was concealed
in the cavity of the knot in his pipe. My
father and mother were the only ones t.
whom he impaired the secret. He rca
soned this way:
eff" said he, thieves break into my
house they will ransack every nook ane
corner they will think contains valuables
but this old pipe might lay about any
where, and no one would take the trou
bic to carry it off. for you see it is wortl
nothing at all.
And so he concealed the diamond il
his pipe, and made his mind easy. Blu
at length the predictions of his friend
began to prove true. Thrice was hi.
house broken into, and although some
thing valuable carried away each time
the great prize was not discovered =
| Grandfather at length began 10 be worrie,
and saw. when it was too late, that i
would have been more prudent to hav'
kept silent regarding his jewel.
His mind grew uneasy yet with strang
inconsistency. he would not sell the dia
mond, because he could not obtain tn
the price he asked and he considered j
more valuable than il really was