Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-12-14

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, 50 he thought he
would play trick upon Wilholmina,
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 as q
dover and 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 a
merry Christmas, and said she would
soon he 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 50 | brought
it out here, thankful to have even such
a gift, and | Immediately commenced
to prepare it for our Christmas dinner.
After | had singed it placed it on the
table, for it was very heavy, and when
} / thrust the knife into it something
J hard was hit. | made a long incision,
} and then lifted the goose up to see
r what strange thing had struck the
g knife, when out flowed not golden eggs,
/ but all these heaps Of golden coins, an'
S so st. Nicholas has answered your
prayer; and I'll soon be married"
t Now, to end this true Christmas
e legend, which happened in old New
n York two hundred and thirty-twC
ID years ago, it must be told how this
rs goose came TO give the shower of goll
~ | for WiIheImina and made her tn,
I happy bride Of the young Amsterdam
v merchant. 1t happened in this wise
on that Christmas eve, Jacobus Van
echteh mad succeeded in chartering a
ship, and had received a large advance
IN gold on his stock of furs from tbe
old Dutch skipper who commanded the
cr"ll' ana Jacobus thought he would
give the Old miser, ,Andreas Van TerwiI-
ieger' genuine surprise, and so he
bought the biggest govse lie could find
IN all New Amsterdam, and when he
had had it killed and drawn. he stuffed
u iull Of gold coins, covering the
amount he owed the old money-Iender
and then neatly sewed it up and sent
II TO him with the pretended MESSAGE
that 1t was a gift from st. Nicholas
Supposng that when the old fellow
discovered the trick lie would have
good laugh. The sequel shows there
were surprises all around, and the de
Scendants of Peter Van Arsdale who
I'VE IN New York to this day, tell the
story of the beautiful ancestress WI.
helmlna, 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 a cock, as
seen on the weather-vane of the St
Nicholas hotel, should be a big. fat
Golden Goose