Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-05-18

sions. And time lamentably verified hi
surmises.
From that sad day forward he was
broken-down man. His apprehension
of the Hessians became bitter realit,
They regarded him as rebel at hear
but too imbecile for harm. His son. t
avoid arrest for completely with hi
fathers supposed sympathies, fed an
ultimately Joined the patriot army. Hi
wife and daughter, to escape the cor
slant danger of modification and insult
took refuge with relatives on the Hud
son, urging Old Hans to accompan
them. But he could not be induced t
do so, and with few Of his elder servant
rem aimed to abide the devastation of hi
premises, being treated by the usurper
as moping dotard. Everything on tn
once thrifty manor went to ruin. Hes
sian officers were quartered in his man
sion and tenant-houses; his groves an
fences supplied them fuel, and several @
his t-buildings were pulled down an
sent after them. His stock was butchere,
for rations or devoted to other service
his flrniture-some of it the heirloom
OF generations-was banged and battere,
like the fixtures of dram-shop, and al
articles fancied by the rapacious foreign
ers lawlessly appropriated by them. Il
tine, at the close of their seven years
possession, the buildings of the one
prosperous old Dutchman were a wrecl
and his farm desolation.
At length the war closed with the vel
come acknowledgment Of the indepen
dence Of the colonies. After the last red
coat had left the country, those who ha>
been driven from their homes for the SAX,
OF opinion began to return and to gathe
from the general ruin the wherewithal tx
begin anew the struggle for livelihood
Among these were the family Of Old Han'
Getter. With sorrowing hearts they sur
veyed the wrecks of their former pros
perity. OF their whilom abundance no
a thing remained save the bare territory
and the dilapitated buildings. Except
shelter everything necessary to house
hold comfort was as completely wanting
as thong they had been dropped down
IN the midst Of a western prairie. But
by dint of hard work and borrowed money
wherewith to stock the farm to limited
extent, the son, who now assumed con
troll OF affairs, made push for the re.
vlval Of better days. The contrast with
their former opulence rendered this de-
pressing labor, while the old man seemed
to be whelmed in melancholy daze; lis
rare utterances being those Of cheer
less crone, looking for his grave. The
household had always held suspicious
that Hans had robbed himself during his
somnambulistic performances Of years
agone; but the most careful search, far
and near, had failed to substantiate them,
and though present necessities revived
the wish-O, how strongly for the re-
covery Of the needful, all prospect thereof
was as dim as ever.
Toward the close of their first years
struggle with poverty and depression.
the mind of Old Hans seemed suddenly
to burst the crust of hopeless apathy
that had so long overlaid it, and he be-
trayed keener sense of his situation and
surroundings. He once surprised the
family at the breakfast table by the i'm
passioned exclamation to his son. 90.
John; if ye had that crock the cursed
Hessians stole, ye might knock off work
and be nabob!' He farther enlarged
upon its aid in the restoration of their
former status, and from that hour his
thoughts, sleeping or waking, appeared
to be energized over his lost hoard. AT
length, SO completely did his longings
possess him, as to occasion repetition
OF the consequences Of his former anxiety
for it's safety. He again commenced his
nocturnal peregrinations about the prem
ises, of which, as before, he remembered
nothing when awake. On the morning
following one Of these, he told the family
he had dreamed that he had seen the
crock with its contents intact, where, he
remembered meanwhile, himself had be-
slowed ia hint which, corroborating as
it did the opinion his son had always en-
tertaned Of its disposition, was improved
forthwith. His next midnight tour was
awaited with solicitude; nor was it long
delayed. After day of great mental
perturbation, Hans, after smoking his
evening pipe, retired early to his restless
bed. Near midnight he rose, dressed
and went forth, silently followed by his
son. Taking spade from the Toulouse,
the old man moved cautiously across the
paddock into the field beyond and toward
IN oak that once sentineled consider
able grove now laid low by the Hessian
Ike, whose size alone had saved it from
/ similar fate. At it's foot the Sleep
walker stopped and looked furtively
then, removing covering Of
leaves, began digging. The
son, lying down at short distance,
his maneuvres by the dim star
light, with feelings that may be better
imagined than described. It was some
lime ere the spade was laid aside, and
hen the old man knelt down, seemed to
'emove something and to tend inquir-
ngly over the excavation. Next he pro-
'eeded to return the earth, smooth the
ground carefully and deftly replace the
covering of leaves. Then he stole home
ward and back to his bed. The sequel
which his son acted thereupon may be at
'nce sur1nised. Repeating the operation
lie had just witnessed-albeit with more
peed and less cartion-he unearthed the
crock, heavy with treasure, and
ook it to the house. The next morning
Hans told the family that he had again
cen in his dreams the precious treasure,
that he must wake to the dis |
ressful sense of it's loss.
Then followed the joyful denouement.
When the crock was produced, and while
is golden thousands were being counted,
Did Hans laughed for the first time in
many years, and fairly danced with de-
light. Never Paas festival, with it's bois-
erous mery-makings found so happy a
The result m y be antici-
'ated without further description. A
welve- month thereafter saw the build |
ngs and fences renewed or repaired; the !
arm re-stocked with the choicest breeds:
rees reset; helpers and tenants re-
gained; debts paid and the smile of for
ner thrift over all. Hans renewed his
Ige, his flesh and his ease; married his
to nice young Holland neigh
>or, whose buxom sister espoused his |
'wn son, and as the old Dutchman
moked once more his evening pipe on
he veranda, he forgot the Hessians and
miled over his remunerative dream.
Two Words.
from the Golden Rule.]