The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-05-18

Wnen tnc DrltiSn SHIPS OF war mp
peared off the island, threatenin
invasion and another kind of occu
pants. Visions of devastation leercr
from the smoke of his pipe an,
troubled his slumbers. As he non
dered the subject, his anxiety deep
ened into chronic detection his ap
petite dwindled; his days were dole
fiil, his sleep fitful and his reasol
seemed nearly unhinged
At length he began walking in hi
sleep-an occurrence which at frs
occasioned some alarm in his house
hold, and prompted watch upol
his movements. But when it wa
found that they resulted only il
harmless peregrinations about tn
premises and then a return TO bed
close observation was relaxed ant
the circumstance settled into a mat
ter of course affair.
Tic never remembered these noe
turnal rambles. but occasionally
mentioned dreaming of inspection
of the plantation and the transfer o
his crock TO another place of securi
( ty.
/ At length news came of the land
ing of the enemy. Then followed
the battle-a portion of it on hi:
own farm-the result of which gave
the British possession OF the island
At its close a body Of the dreaded
Hessian cormorants encamped in /
grove not mile from his own door
and Immediately appropriated ont
of his fat beeves for their supper
without so much as saying: :: BY
your leave" The crisis had come
Old Hans was terribly excited thai
evening, talked much of his treasure
ate little, and yielded to the entreat-
les OF his family to take an anodyne
and 60 early to bed. As usual ht
rose during the night, but sosilently
as not to disturb his wife at bis side
His return toward morning, how
ever. awoke her, and she noticed
that he seemed wearied as though
from extra exertion. But a sound
sleep thereafter and later rising
put him into a more cheerful frame
than he had worn of late His daily
visit shortly after to his subterranean
treasury revealed the astounding
fact that the crock, with all its pre-
cious contents, was missingl Con-
sternation Immediately pervaded the
household, and Old Hans seemed
absolutely stunned. When capable
of expressing an opinion, it was
that some Hessian burglar had in
vaded his deposit, and that the act
was only a preliminary TO further
operations of the red right hand upon
his possessions. And time lamenta-
bly, verified his surmises.
From that day forward he was a
broken-down man. His apprehen-
sions of the Hessians became a sad
reality. They regarded him as a
rebel at heart, but too imbecile for
harm. His son, to avoid arrest for
completely with his father'ssupposed
sympathies fed, and ultimately
joined the patriot army. His wife
and daughter, TO escape the constant
danger of modification and insult,
took refuge with relatives on the
Hudson, urging cid Hans 10 accom-
pany them. But he could not be
induced to do so, and with a few OF
his elder servants remained to abide
the devastation of his premises, be-
ing treated by the usurpers as a
moping dotard, Everything on the
once thrifty manor went to ruin.
Hessian officers were quartered in
his mansion and tcnant-houses his
groves and fences supplied them
fuel, and several of his out-buildings
were pulled down and sent after
them. His stock was butchered for
rations or devoted to other service.
His furniture-some of it the heir
looms of generations-was banged
and battered like the fixtures of a
dram-shop, and all articles iancied
by the rapacious foreigners lawless-
ly appropriated by them. In fine,
at the close of their seven years pos
session, the buildings of the once
prosperous old Dutchmen were Il
wreck ank his farm a desolation.
At length the war closed with the
welcome acknowledgement of the
of the colonies. After
the last red-coat had left the coun-
try, those who had been driven from
their homes for opinions sake be-
gan to return and TO gather from the
general ruin the wherewithal to be-
gin anew the struggle for liveli
hood. Among these was the family
of old Hans Getter. With sorrow
ing hearts they surveyed the wrecks
of their former prosperity. OF their
whole abundance nothing remained
save the bare territory and the di-
lapidated buildings. Except shelter
everything necessary to household
was as completely wanting
as though they had been dropped
down IL the midst of a western prai
RE. But by dint of hard work and
borrowed money, wherewith to re-
stock the farm to limited extent.
the son, who now assumed control
of affairs, made push for the re-
vival of better days. The contrast
with their former opulence rendered
this depressing labor, while the
old man seemed to be whelmed in
melancholy daze his rare uttrances
being those of i cherries crone,
looking for his grave. The house
hold had always held suspicious
that Hans had robbed himself dur
ing his sonambulistic performances
of the years agone but the most
careful search, far and near, had
failed to substantlate them, and
though present necessities revived
the wish-O how strongly for the
recovery of the needful, all prospect
thereof was as dim as ever.
Toward the close of their first
years struggle with poverty and de-
preston, the mind of old Hans
seemed suddenly to burst the crust
of hopeless apathy that had so long
overlaid it. and he BETRAYED a keen