The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1889-02-15

| into MS nl6LOrys OOlpu frankly UOlO nun
his course Of life, his severe medica
studies, his little proficiency and hi
very dubious prospects. The Heer wa
shocked to find that such amazing tai
ents and accomplishments were to bt
cramped and buried under q DOCTOR
wig. He had sovereign contempt f0l
other physician than the butcher. HI
bore q mortal grudge to ali kinds o.
study also, ever since he had been tiogget
about an unintelligible book when HI
was boy. But to think that young
fellow like Dolph, Of such wonderful
abilities, who could shoot, fish, run
Jump, ride and wrestle should be obliged
to roll pills and administer juleps for 9
living-twas monstrous! He told Dolph
never to despair, but to "throw physic to
the dogs" for young fellow Of his
prodigious talents could never fail tc
make his way. "As you seem to have
no acquaintance in Albany" said Heer
Antony, "you shall 60 home with me,
and remain under my roof until you can
look about you, and in the meantime we
can take an occasional bout at shooting
and fishing, for it is pity such talents
should lie idle"
Dolph, who was at the mercy Of chance,
was not hard to be persuaded. Indeed,
on turning over matters in his mind,
which he did very sagely and deliber-
ately, he could not but think that An
tony Wander Heyden was, 'somehOw or
other" connected with the story of the
Haunted House; that the misadventure
in the highlands, which had thrown
them SO strangely together, was, ''some-
how or other" to work out something
good; in short, there is nothing SO con-
venient as this somehow or other" way
of accommodating ones self to circum-
stances; it is the mainstay of needless
actor, and tardy reasoner, like Dolph
Heyliger, and he who can, in this loose,
easy way, link foregone evil to antici-
pated good, possesses a secret Of happi-
ness almost equal to the philosophers
stone.
On their arrival at Albany, the sight
of Dolph's companion seemed to cause
universal satisfaction. Many were the
greetings at the river side and the salu-
tations in the streets; the dogs bounded
before him. the boys whooped as he
passed, everybody seemed to know An
tony Wander Heyden. Dolph followed
on in silence, admiring the neatness Of
this worthy burg; for in those days Al
bany was in all its glory, and inhabited
almost exclusively by the descendants Of
the original Dutch settlers, for it had not
as yet been discovered and colonized by
the restless people of New England.
Everything was quiet and orderly, every
thing was conducted calmly and leis-
urely; no hurry, no hustle, no struggling
and scrambling for existence. The grass
grew about the unpaved streets and re-
ieved the eye by its refreshing verdure.
The tall sycamores or pendant willows
shaded the houses, with caterpillars
swinging by long silken strings from
their branches or moths huttering about
like coxcombs in joy at their gay trans
formation The houses were built in the
old Dutch style, with the gable ends
towards the street. The thrifty house
wife was seated on bench before her
door. in close crimped cap, bright flow
cred gown and white apron, busily en-
ployed in knitting. The husband smoked
his pipe on the opposite bench, and the
little pet negro girl, seated on the step
at her mistress feet, was industriOusly
plying her needle. The swallows sported
about the caves or skinned along the
streets and brought back some rich
booty for their clamorous young, and
the little housekeeping wren flew in and
out of Liliputian house or an old hat
nailed against the wall. The cows were
coming home, lowing through the
streets, to be MIXED at their owners
door; and if, perchance, there were any
loiterers, some negro urchin with a long
goad was gently urging them home
wards.
AS Dolph's companion passed on he re-
ceived tranquil nod from the burgers,
and a friendly word from their wives,
all calling him Familiarity by the name of
Antony; for it was the custom in this
stronghold of the patriarchs, where they
had all grown up together from child
hood, to call every one by the Christian
name. The Heer did not pause to have
his usual jokes with them, for he was
impatient to reach his home At length
they arrived at his mansion. 1t was of
some magnitude, in the Dutch style, with
large iron figures on the gables that gave
the date of its erection and showed that
it had been built in the earliest times of
the settlement.
The news of Heer Antony s arrival had
preceded him, and the whole household
was on the lookout. A crew of negroes.
large and small, had collected in front of
the house to receive him. The old, white
headed ones, who had grown gray in his
service, grinned for joy and made many
awkward bows and grimaces, and the
little ones capered about his knees. But
the most happy being in the household
was little, plump, blooming lass, his
only child and the darling of his heart.
She came bounding out of the house, but
the sight of strange young man with
her father called up, for a moment, all
the bashfulness of a homebred damsel
Dolph gazed at her with wonder and de-
light never had he seen, as he thought,
so comely in the shape of
woman. She was dressed in the good
old Dutch taste, with long stays and full,
short petticoats, SO admirably adapted to
show and set off the female form. Her
hair, turned up under small round cap,
displayed the fairness of her forehead;
she had fine, blue, laughing eyes, trim,
slender waist, and soft swell-but, in a
word, she was a little Dutch divinity,
and Dolph, who never stopped half way
in a new impulse, fell desperately in love
with her.
Dolph was now ushered into the house |
with hearty welcome. In the interior
was mingled display of Heer Antony's |
taste and habits and of the opulence of |
his predecessors. The chambers were |
furnished with good old mahogany, the |