News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-08-28
A WIDOW BY PROXY.

Should you wish to know to what
height artistic gardening can be brought
let me advise you to pay a visit to Haar-
lem (in Holland), where near the beau
tiful park filled with deer, which makes
such beautiful walk, you will find the
famous horticulturist, Claereboets. After
he has shown you his astonishing collec-
ton of tulips, hyacinths, carnations,
anemones, crowsfeet, camelias, prim-
roses, cowslips, cactus and peIargonims,
you will be delighted. Try and per-
suade him to allow you to see his six
remaining daughters and you will be
dazzle1.
1t is the story of the seventh, or
rather the first. which 1 am about to
tell you. Just as this worthy man, who
has remained poor, although his con-
servatories are full of treasures, told it
me last year.
At the end of the year 1882 he had
seven daughters on his hands. How
ever, the Misses ClaerebOets were as
virtuous as they were lovely, as sensible
as they were poor, alas and their appe-
tites were only equaled 10y their virtue
One winter evening, at the end Of one
of those meals which absorbed all the
profits of the business, Claereboets
lighted his pipe, and with a mysterious
air drew from his pocket letter with
foreign postmark.
"Guess who has written to me p he
said.
Seven pairs of well-developed shoul-
ders shrugged simultaneously, express
sive of ignorance.
"Wby, Micheels Maassen, the son Of
our former neighbor, the contractor. He
is the cashier of Planter Van Meeruyt
in Java. He wishes to settle down, anc
seeks one of your hands in marriage"
(Which one, papa?" exclaimed five
somewhat trem1lous voices.
cts the same to him. He was clever
years old when he left. He is nov
twenty eight, so you may understand
that he has no choice. 1t is for you t.
decide, and I am going to take you
opinion, beginning at the eldest. Well
Nina, will you marry Micheels p
eyes, papa" replied the eldest Mis-
Claereboets, without hesitation. Sh
was a magnificent blonde, twenty-fou
years old. -,
Around the silent room six discreet.
subdued sighs were heard.
"Right, my child" said the father, a
quietly as if it had been the matter c
delivering hundred hyacinthes
''AIicheels is a good fellow, with exec
lent references. He sends his deed, a
in order, to the lawyer for the marriage
We will avail ourselves of its being ia
to consumate the affair, so that 20
shall not arrive there in the he
weather"
+ Three weeks later Nina had becom
Mrs. Maassen. When say had, it r.
quires some explanation.
The Dutch, the best colonists i'll th
world and the most practical people
know of, have devised an easy means b
which their single friends settled in IL
Antipodes can easily be married in til
metropolis.
To make the bridegroom pass tW
months at sea, thereby to attend IL
registry for ten minutes and the churc
for perhaps donble that time was bal
barity. To send out the intended ws
dangerous. She might find the suite
eaten up by tiger.
To get over this the Dutchman inst
tuted marriage by proxy. For instanc
you may be at Surnatra and you wish
fine looking helpmate. You have not
ing to do but to send to friend at Ro
terdam or Utrecht a power of attorne
to act on your behalf. He marries HI
without charging any commission wha
soever; she carries her title deeds ava
with her. He registers her in the fir
steamer and four or five months aft
the order is given the commission is e.
ecuted and delivered.
Thus the beautiful Nina, who hs
seen many OF her friends married in IL
same way, did not consider the proce
Anything unusual.
She cried a little, however, as 81
embarked on a superb steamer beIon
ing to the "Koninkylke Nederlandscl
stoomboot Maatschappy' and saw b
native land disappearing.
Presently the Batavia got out to s.
and then she was too much otherwi
engaged to be able to find time to or
and she never came out of her stateroo
till they reached Suez. Then awf
storms arose, the shaft broke and th,
reached Colombo by sailing, arrivil
just in time to catch the boat for Sing
poor. Nina was SO i'll as to be uDco
sciou'. She was carried from one. sh
to another again they were at sea, t
only difference she realized being th