Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-12-13
much as to say that he ivan Terwille


ger) was goose, it occurred to him at
the instant to give 1t to Peter Van
Arsdale as present from st. Nicholas
rs he knew he prayed to the saint; and
so the goose, which was big, fat one,
indeed, was duly transferred to the
possession Of Peter Van Arsdale, who
accepted it with words Of true thanks.
Peter was so overioyed with his good
luck that after purchasing some stuff
Tor gown for Wilhelmina and some
trlnkets for his wife, and after partak-
ing hearty supper at the Half-Moon
tavern, the night being cold and clear,
he trudged homeWard. When he
reached his cabin he was almost ready
to fall down with fatigue for the goose
was the heaviest he had ever carried
lie found that his wife and daughter
were fast asleep, SO he thought he
would play a trick upon Wilhelmina,
and instead of putting the stuff for the
gown near her stocking, which she had
hung up at the chimney corner for St
Nicholas to fill, he placed the goose
there, and wrote on slip of paper,
'St. Nicholas sends this goose rs a
dover and a merrie Christmas for
Wilhelmina," and with amerry twinkle
in his eye and happy heart, after
thanking st. Nicholas for the goose, he
quietly slipped into bed, and was soon
IN a blisSful sleep, and knew nothing
again until the early dawn, when he
heard the merry voice of Wilhelmina
calling him to come Immediately and
see the dover st. Nicholas had sent
her, and her light laughter was such
as he had never heard before. So he
soon arose with his good wife, and
Wilhelmina ran and embraced them
and kissed them. and wishing them
merry Christmas, and said she would
soon be married, for st. Nicholas had
at last answered her fathers prayers,
and conducting her parents to the
kitchen she pointed to the great, fat
goose lying on the table, completely
surrounded by immense heaps of gilt.
tering, gold coins
Peter Van Arsdale gazed in confused
wonderment at the sight. as though in
a dream, while Wilhelmina explained:
81 found the goose this morning, with
st. Nicholas note, and so | brought
it out here, thankful to have even such
a gift, and l Immediately commenced
to prepare it for our ChriotndS dinner.
After / had singed it l placed it on the
table, for it was very heavy, and when
l thrust the knife into it something
hard was hit. made a long incision,
and then lifted the goose up TO see
what strange thing had struck the
knife, when out flowed not golden eggs,
but all these heaps of golden coins, and
SO st. Nicholas has answered your
prayer; and III soon be married"
Now, to end this true Christmas
legend, which happened in old New
York two hundred and thirty-two
years ago, it must be told how this
goose came to give the shower of gold
for Wilhelmina and made her the
happy bride of the young Amsterdam
merchant 1t happened in this wise:
On that Christmas eve, Jacobus Van
Vechten had succeeded in chartering a
ship, and had received large advance
in gold on his stock of furs from the
old Dutch skipper who commanded the
craft, and Jacobus thought he would
give the old miser, Andreas Van Terwil-
leger, genuine surprise, and SO he
bought the biggest goose he could find
in all New Amsterdam, and when he
had had it killed and drawn, he stuffed
it full of gold coins, covering the
amount he owed the old money-lender
and then neatly sewed 1t up and sent
it to him with the pretended message
that it was a gift from st. Nicholas
supposing that when the old fellow
discovered the trick he would have a
good laugh. The sequel shows there
were surprises all around, and the de-
scendants of Peter Van Arsdale, who
live in New York to this day, tell the
story of the beautiful ancestress, Will
helmina, and the golden goose, and the
legend has passed into the truthful
Dutch history of New Amsterdam,
only the insignia of the Society Of ST.
Nicholas, instead of being cock, as
seen on the weather-vane of the st.
Nicholas hotel, should be big, fat
Golden Goose
FCur and Twenty RIackhirdE