The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1910-06-16
A MUD HOUSE !

poor that he could not choose !
sirable place or a decesH ho.s.
which to live. Indeed, his farm W..
a circular depression. and when !.
much rain came It was flooded a.,
his crops were rored. AS for II.
house. Vt was but hut and was n,..
tered with mud
But Van Wyk had not always liv..
thus. Time was when he had ,ss
well on, and the eldes DANE
Katherine, was educated.
Katherine was comedy Du oh civ,
with blue eyes. fair complexion ana
hair almost white. Her mother d,s
the best she could to keep her r,l
well dressed and. having fabrics tba.
she had worn In better days. mad.
them over 20 successfully that Kan
Especially on Sundays. made yer,
good appearance.
Some distance from the Van Wyt,
lived a prosperous farmer named
Greutner--that Ia he was considered
prosperous for that region. though hi,
farm produced only fair living 70,
himself and his family. He had ,
number OF daughters and but one son.
therefore he was anxious thai hls
children should marry with those WIN
were well to do Hc had saved ,
small dowry for each OF his daughters
and. as for his son Hans. he proposed
to leave him his farm. But he "a
quired from any girl his boy Should
marry dowry equivalent to its value
unfortunately Hans m.t Katherine
at a dance al one OF the ne ghborinx
farmhouses. and one glance al her
pink and milk face. her robins eeg
eyes ard the two hemp colored cables
that hung from the hack Of her head
TO her ankles put all ideas Of his a.
Tiers plan out Of his head. He
danced with her several times durlnx
the evening. and when the two sep
arated theirs was one Of those cases
wherein two young hearts rush togesh
or like couple OF electric sparks.
When Farmer Greutner heard OF bis
sons love affair he called the boy to
him and said:
'Hans, I'm ashamed o. you What
do you mean by making love 10 girl
who lives IN cabin plastered with
mudg You certainly can't marry her.
for n you do | will give this farm %
your sisters, and you and your mud
hut wife viii have nothing 70 1--we
upon
Hans only irritated HIS fa'he- NJ
making no reply. People with vi
we are angry cannot make US more
angry than by listening TO what We
say and giving US no word In return.
Hans went away determined that
nothing should separate him from the
girl he loved. even 20 the SURRENDER.
ing of his inheritance. bw he did na
see how her father could be persuaded
TO give her 10 one who could not sup
rort her So the matter went on. as
such matters usually do. with hard
feeling between Hans and his faiher
and opposition enhancing the attach
nient OF the young couple. Greutner
never lost an opportunity TO sneer .,
the mud cabin In which his sons Be.
loved lived. and since the rest Of the
fsnly considered Hans would demean
h.useif by taking a wife out OF such
home they were constantly tanBting
hIr, about hts mud haired girl who
lived in the mud plastered house.
One day the little Van wyk childral
prusrec;ed the mud plasies1ng io-
playihings. From a part Of 4 that
rad given away they pulled out some
queer looking stones. Whether they
wanted them for jackstones or for
some other childish game. they Ger.
taInly wanted them and did not spare
the Tlastering When their father
came In and Jaw that they had made
rents In the wall he rated them sound.
ly sad asked them why they had done
90. whcreupon they showed him The
stones they had pulled or.
Farmer Van wyk forgps the dam.
age 20 the plastering IN 4he stones
They were rough and did not possess
either ;he appearance Of weight q
eoiniuon stones. He studied over them
a long while. then borrowed a maguf
fy'sg glass and examined them with
Il carefully. Then he called bis wife
and tod her that the plastering Of
their cabin was sprinkled with dia.
monds.
The next day before the dawn had
hardly broken he went TO the place on
his farm where he had taken the clay
to plaster HIS cabin and. digging up
the earth. found that II was full Of the
aamc kind Of stones. lie could not be.
lieye his eyes. Taking one Of the da.
mondr 10 an emery wheel, he ground
one eide Of Il and exposed a whfe
surface. Then he ground different
parts Of u. leaving interpreting planes
and holding the stone up 10 the rising
Sun. PRODUCED flashes Ike the rainbow.
Not long after that Farmer Greuiner
came over 10 Van wyk TO eongratu.
lsic him on his good fortune and 10
say 'fat his son being bent on marry.
:Ly Katherine, he would like to know
wLst foNry her father had for her.
Van ",s had heard from katherine
IRE isunts hcr lover had been obliged
tf, liza, nj lo,lag n Girl uho lived IN