Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-08-04

from this day, toward sunset, l will bring
your father TO 81. Andrews church. 1t
was there that he first saw me, twenty years
ago; there by tho. great carven pulpit,
which you, poor child, have never seen,
but which will delight your eyes. Jan, one
year is not long time, but you have al
ready done much, and perhaps, before
twelve months have passed, you will have
done noble work. Meet us, then, blythe
pulpit in ST. Andrews church in year
from this day, at the sunset hour. Bring
with you some delicate carving as on offer
ing TO him, and at the same time say that
you wish TO return TO ny. Perhaps his
heart will have been softened by your alb
sence ;''-and The good little mother almost
smiled, and looked very wise through her
tears.
"Motherkin," said Jan, "I will obey
you.
Then the poor child began TO tremble at
the thought of going out alone into the
world. But his courage came TO him final
ly, and he kissed his mother again and
again.
"If anything dreadful happens, 1 will let
y
not hear from you, nor see you, until a
year from this day."
Farewell, then, motherkin," said the
child; farewell for long, long year. BY
the carved pulpit in ST. Andrews, in a
twelvemonth."
At nlghtfall, as the barge approached the
lock again, after its station near a market
all day, the mother went on shore TO get
pail Of clear water; old Jan followed her,
storming and threatening, as she knew he
would, because supper for the workmen
was not ready. The boy took the little bag
of clio thes and the money which his moth
er had prepared for him; as the boat graz
ed the side Of the lock, he jumped out, and
was speedily lost to view in the crowd.
Two hours later he had been received al
the house Of Gasker Willems, in the little
street near st. Andrews church. He slept
in an old carven bedstead, whose head
board was pictured history of the destruc-
ton Of Pharaoh's host, whose feet were
griilins' claws; whose curtain posts were
lovely angels with uplined laces-angels
whose very silence seemed e,crnally to
praise God.
CHAPTER II.
year brought sad change TO old Jan
Kan merick. At first, when he learned of
his so ms flight, lie ascrbed it 10 mtddle-
some neighbors, and his rage knew no
b ouLds. He stoutly insisted that he would
never try TO briug back the vagabond wood
h acker. lie would not hear The boys name
spoken. Sometimes, when he saw that the
nj other looked palcr than her wont, and
that she wept silently when she was polish
ing her pots and kettles, his conscience
smoto him. But lie would never have
been really sorry if misfortune had not
come upon him. One of his bargemen,
W hom he had once beaten, scuttled the
barge and fed. Jan and his wife had
narrow escape from drowning, and had II
not been for friendly aid, would have lost
all their pots and kettles. Young Jan had
beon sent away TO Brussels by the good
Gasker Willems, a few days before this,
and knew nothing OF il until many days ar-
terward. lie was busy with his art, ia
which he made astonishing progress.
The next misfortune which befell old Jan
Was the loss Of his little house on the banks
Of the Schedt. A fire burned out the inte-
rior, and cracked out the stone walls. Old
Jan had not money enough 10 rebuild il.
Then his limbs began 10 fail him; they
shook and uembled. The neishbors said:
at is because ho kicked and beat his on r.
And old Jan himself began to he very
much UT their opinion. lie had now only
small barge; was always obliged to live
in il, and was very poor and discouraged.
Sometimes his heart was sonened towards
his patient wife, and he wonld say:
You will be lie first TO he killed by my
poverty. II would have been better for
you if had never seen you in St. An
drews church"
She would answer: mo, indeed! Oar
fortune is yet to come out of that church,
JAM"
She said this so Often, aud with such en-
phasis, that one day lie looked at her curl
ously and said:
why, Amcken, what do you mean?"
ITO morrow" she answered, 1--WE shall
see. Jan, 1t is many year since we have
taken holiday. We are as good as the
rest Of the world; let us 1.-Two our youth
ONSi 4Sl us sldN III AutNetp, anu NJ
sunset 10 morrow let us visit ST. Andrews
church, and stand by the caryen pulpit
where"
"Stuffp' The old man was saying, when
the mother put her hand upon his mouth.
He no longer thl eatened or beat her his
punishment had sobered him his heart
almost yearned for his lost son.
by the carven pulpit" continued the
mother, "where we may say a prayer for
our lost son."
"Well, If you will have it So" Ameken,"
he answered, almost gently.
In the Netherlands there are many old
churches filled with rare aud exquisite
carvings, with altar pieces, shrines, pull
pits, choirs, vestries, fonts and sacristies
laden with wealth Of intricate work, done
in wood by skillful handsj aud in Antwerp
the richest specimens of this curious labor
are to be found. In the great cathedral OF
st. Jacques, where Peter Paul Rubens, the
painter, lies buried, there are hundreds of
rich and fantastic carvings, out of which
the iaucies Of the elder artists peer curious
~ at the prosaic present. Sometimes the
birds are a little too odd to be real, the drag
ons are almost too funny for a cathedral,
aud the flowers aud leaves are not con-
structed strictly in accordance with botany;
l.. Al. HI. IL