Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-05-18

OCcaSlOned some alarm IN the household,
and prompted watch upon his move
ments. But when it was found that they
resulted only in harmless peregrinations
about the premises, and then return to
bed, close observation was relaxed and
the circumstance settled into matter of
course affair. He never remembered
these nocturnal rambles, but occasional
ly mentioned dreaming of inspections of
the plantation and the transfer of his
crock to another place of security.
At length news came of the landing of
the enemy. Then followed the battle
portion of it on his own farnl-the re-
suit of which gave the British possession
of the island. At its close body of the
dreaded Hessian cormorants encamped
In grove not O mile from his own door,
and Immediately appropriated one of his
fat beeves for their supper without so
much as saying "by your leave" The
crisis had come. Old Hans was terribly
excited that evening, talked much of his
treasure, ate little, and yielded to the
entreaties of his family to take an ano-
dyne and go early to bed. AS usual, he
rose during the night, but SO silently as
not to disturb his wife at his side. His
return toward morning, however, awoke
her, and she noticed that he seemed
wearied as though from extra exertion.
But sound sleep thereafter and later
rising put him into 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 oil It's precious con-
tents, was missing! CONSERVATION i'm
mediately pervaded the household, and
Old Hans seemed absolutely stunned.
When capable of expressing an opinion,
it was, that some Hessian burglar had
invaded his deposit, and that the act was
only preliminary to further operations
of the red right hand upon his posses
sions. And time lamentably verified his
surmises.
From that sad day forward he was
broken-down man. His apprehensions
of the Hessians became bitter reality.
They regarded him as rebel at heart,
but too imbecile for harm. His son, to
avoid arrest for completely with his
fathers supposed sympathies, fed and
ultimately joined the patriot army His
wife and daughter, to escape the con-
slant danger of modification and insult,
took refuge with relatives on the Hud-
son, urging Old Hans to accompany
them. But he could not be induced to
do so, and with few Of his elder servants
rem aimed to abide the devastation of his
premises, being treated by the usurpers
as moping dotard. Everything on the
once thrifty manor went to ruin. Hes
sian officers were quartered in bis man
sion and tenant-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 ratlons or devoted to other service.
his furnlture-sOme of it the heir-looms
Of generatiOns-wa banged and battered
Like the fixtures of dram-shop, and all
articles fancied by the rapacious foreign
ers lawlessly appropriated by them. In
fine, at the close of their seven years
possession, the buildings of the once
prosperous old Dutchman were wreck
and his farm desolation. ~ a..,s
Atlength the war closed with the well
come acknowledgment of the indepen-
dence of the colonies. After the last red
coat had left the country, those who had
been driven from their homes for the sake
of opinion began to return and to gather
from the general ruin the wherewithal to
begin anew the struggle for livelihood.
Among these were the family of Old Hans
Getter. With sorrowing hearts they sur
veyed the wrecks of their former pros
perity. OF their whilom abundance not
thing remained save the bare territory
and the dilapitated buildings. Except
shelter everything necessary to house.
hold comfort was as completely wanting
as though 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 q limited
extent, the son, who now assumed con-
troll of affairs, made push for the re-
vival of better days. The contrast with
their former opulence rendered this a de-
pressing labor, while the old man seemed
to be whelmed in melancholy daze; his
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 needIul, all prospect thereof
was as dim as ever.Gf. .ygfer.g n sI
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, go,
John; if We had that crock the cursed
Hesslans stole, ye might knock off work
and be nabobl" He farther enlarged
upon it's aid In the restoration of their
former status, and from that hour his
thoughts, sleeping or waking, appeared
tc 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 IFS safety He AGAIN commenced biu