Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1911-04-27
The Wedding Day
A Tale Of New Amsterdam
By HELEN lNGLEHART
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

There lived In the town Of New Am.
sterdam. which is now the great city
of New York, Dutchman-they were
all Dutchmen there then-named Peter
Van Gaasback. Peter had a daughter
Katrina. whose eyes were as blue as
the vault Of heaven. whose cheeks
were like two roses floating in pan
of milk and whose hair bung down her
back like lovely woven flax rope.
Now, there were a people not far to
the east Of New Amsterdam who were
of English extraction and of an entire
ly different makeup from the Dutch.
These were the Yankees. Whenever
the two peoples met for trade-they
never met for anything else except to
6gbt-the .Dutchman invariably went
home with nothing. while the Yankee
had twice az much US he had before
1t Is not to be wondered that the for
mer hated the latter.
| Pardon Langdon. the Yankee who
had won Katrina's young heart. was
|
walked with slouchy gait. drawled
his words and did not appear to know
enough TO go under cover when II
raincd. Nevertheless he was not to
be shaken from his purpose to marry
Katrina despite the refusal of her ia
ther and mother and the principal citi-
zens of New Amsterdam. These prin-
cipal citizens. including her father.
met TO take measures TO prevent the
robbery Of one Of the most beauteous
of their lassies by Yankee and her
transfer to the cabbage fields of Con-
necticut. A great deal of schnapps
was consumed, and many pounds of
tobacco were smoked-for q Dutchman
could not deliberate without both when
the council came to the conclusion that
the best way to prevent Katrina's mar.
rying Yankee was to marry her TO
Dutchman.
! No sooner was this decision reached
than every unmarried man present put
forward claim for the position Of
Katrina's husband. whrreupon her
father announced that she should be
welded TO the man among them who
could show the largest number Of pelt-
rieS-for that was the sole business of
the towD-and old Dietrich Van Grin
Gle. some sixty years old. baidneaded
and with the palsy. having shown that
he owned more skins than any other.
was selected to save Katrina to the
tcom5eao0ettx-S-s y
This was too Inuch for Katrina'S
mother. who from this time sided with
her daughter. But Katrina's mother
was the stupidest woman In New Am.
sterdam. Katrina told Pardon Lang
don all that had happened and that
she was to be forced to marry old Van
Crincle on the fifteenth day of June
coming. Pardon told Katrina to per-
suade her father to promise her that
II she was not married to Dietrich Van
Crincle on the 18th Of June. 1647. she
should not be forced to marry him at
all. but should be permitted to marry
whomsOever she liked. Katrina, aided
by her mother. spent week persist.
entity enueating the old man to grant
this request. and he. worn out BY their
opportunities. finally gave In. But b.
told Van Crincle what he had done
and warned him to surely be on hand
on the appointed day to claim hiE
bride.
When Katrina reported the success.
of her and her mothers work done
| upon her father he told her to tell her
mother to meet him that night at the
base Of the tower wherein was the
town clock. The mother did so, and
Pardon. opening the door for her. told
her to 90 up and set the clock back
twenty.four hours. This was done. and
Pardon instructed her that on the l3tE
of June she should tell her husband
what she had done.
The result of all this was that on
the morning OF the appointed wedding
Peter Van Gaasback called the council
together. told them Of his promise to
his daughter, OF his wife's turning the
| clock back twenty-f0ur hours. and that
Katrina now claimed that the day for
the wedding had passed. What should
he do:
Anthony Ten Broeck, the clearest
headed man in New Amsterdam. arose
and attempted to prove that, though
the clock had been turned back n
day. no day had been lost. hut be
became involved in his OVID argument