The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-05-17
A STORY OF OLD TIMES.

T rsonages of whom | am about to write
: bave long since been gathered to their
: kthers, there dwelt in New York, on
, the banks of the East river retired mer-
! chant, of the name of Harmann Brinker-
Z hOf. He had been very prosperous ia
business, and the fruits of his industry
J snd enterprise were his 'bowerie," or
country seat, with its farm of twenty
acres (now worth millions), some eighty
thousand dollars, part of it in good gold,
safely locked in an iron stroDg-box set
into the wall of what would now be
termed his study, and the remainder in
bonds and notes, convertible at maturity
into solid cash for in the benighted
days of which I write there were no
fancies," or railroad stocks paying
ten per cent. one day and minus
nothing the next, none of those
brilliant investments that make
every teath man in our times a
millionaire on paper. ''Slow and
sure" was the humiliating motto OF
those high days of fogydom. A man of
great consideration then was Hartmann
Brinkerhof Two or three times a week
be entered q sort of Noah's ark upon
wheels, drawn by two heavy Flanders
horses, that did the ploughing on his
place, and driven by sn cid wnite~hesded
negro slave, temporarily elevated from
the corn>field to the coach>box, made q
sort of royal progress INFO town, where
even the school boys would recognize his
majestied three~cornered hat, his awful
/ wig: his purple velvet coat, gold headed
cane and ruffies, and the tidings ran from
mouth to mouth that Z" Hsrmann Brink
/ erhof had come to town" After a visit
to some OF the principal haunts of Plutus,
and gossip with come old cronies of his
own age and standing, he would return
to his mansion, a vainer and prouder man
than ever.
At home he was perfect autocrat.
His will was law and his frown was
fate" His sway over his household was
absolute as that Of Alexander H. over
his countless vassals. His wife never
thought of contradicting him and his
servants stood in most wholesome awe of
his august displeasure.
He had but one child, son, named
after the patron saint of the Manhattan
ese-Nicholas. Young Brinkerhoff was
as unlike his father as possible. Mild
and gentle, almost to effeminacy, he re.
sembled his stern sire in nothing but
commercial ability; and even in his bus
iness transactions he exhibited mona of
the harshnesJ OF the old man. While
serving at his mercantile apprenticeship
he resided at home, aud rode to and from
the city on horseback; ; but when he at
tanned his majority he gave 80 many ex-
cellent reasons for establishing himselfin
Boston, that old Brinkerhoff, with great
reluctance consented that he should
remove thither, though he entertained J
an hereditary and mortal haired of the |
Yankees, and only gave in to the arrange /
ment from the secret hope that his son
would crafty his prejudice by overreach- |
ing them in all his dealings.
According he lent him, not gave him, /
money to establish himself in trade in |
Boston, but he exacted notes for his adj !
vances, and required a monthly state /
ment of mis- transactions and his prospects. !
Nicholas was very sorry to part with his |
mother, but his satisfaction at escaping |
from the iron rule of the homestead could |
could hardly be concealed.
For time he was very regular in his /
correspondence but at list his letters |
became very brief, and finally for a long
time he was silent. Old BrinkerhofF |
stormed and wrote furious letters, but he |
got no reply. At last one morning Mrs. |
Brinkerhoff entered her husbands private |
room, after going through the ceremony |
of knocking at the door, and receiving !
permission TO come in, with an open
letter in her hand; her eyes showed traces
of tears
What is the matter with you, Mrs,
Brinkerhoff2'' asked her lord and mastes.
sternly.
The poor woman essaYed to speak, but |
the forbidding expression, of the iron face |
she gazed upon, froze the words upon her |
lips. She trembled and handed the letter
to her husband. Hastily thrusting his
gold bowed spectscles upon his nose, the
msgnate read as follows:
my DEAR MOTHER :--You will be |
surprised to hear that I am married 1
but such is the case. Ny young
wife is the most charming creature in
the world, and ! should be per-
fectly happy if you were only
with us. Pray break this matter to my
father; assure him that though have
married poor girl, she belongs to one of
the first New England families, and will |
do no dlscredit to her name. As soon as
I can possibly leave my business, / shall |
come on with my wife to pay respects to
my father and yourself"
clam sure, Harmann," faItered Mrs.
Brinkerhof, laying her hand upon her
husbands shoulder, " though this match |
was sudden, and though Nicholas did |
wrong in marrying without consulting
you, you will not be hard upon the poor
bcy. l am sure Nicholas loves you, |
and"
She stopped suddenly. terrified at the |
expression of the old mans countenance.
Leave the room, Gertrude" he cried
harshly. 90 If it had MT been for your
perting and encouraging him, he would |
no. have dared to do this. Begone |
don't stand lingering there am busy"
Mrs Brinkerhoff fed in terror The |
old man turned to his writing desk, and |
indicted brief letter to his Boston cor
respondent, lawyer, directing him to
nresent his demands on his son for imme-
date payment. A servant was de-
spatched to the city to mail the docu-
meut. A few days afterwards the mail |