The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-04-24
A LONG NEW
YEAR CALL
A Story Of New Amsterdam
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
BY F. A. mitchell

New Years day, or the custom OF
making calls, was brought from Hol-
land. Calling on that day was dis.
continued generation ago, and If old
Father Knickerbocker should come
back on Jan. he wouldn't know what
to think.
The housewife was accustomed
once week to open her parlor, scrub
it, sweep it, dust 1t and, having re-
moved every speck Of dirt shut It up,
lock 1t, put away the key and leave
1t till the next cleaning day, when the
process was renewed.
Now, there lived in New Amsterdam
a Dutchman of the name of Heinrich
Van Olden, whose daughter, Annakor
was the pride Of his heart. She was
plump maiden of some eighteen sum-
mers, looking for all the world In her
dozen petticoats like tea bell, her bust
forming the handle and all below the
waist the ringing part. Her mother
was frugal woman who, having mar
rled poor man, found herself obliged
to seek a home in new country in
stead OF living in luxury in an old
one Consequently she arranged a
match between her daughter and Pc
ter Van yrankin, who was thirty-six, !
if he was day, and far too old for
maiden only half his age. For" the
girl reasoned, when l am as old as
i he is now he will twice my age.
+ or seventy-two, and when I am sew
enty-two he will be a hundred and
4 forty-four."
Frau Van Olden was not sufficient
/ " bright to contravert this mathemat-
/ ical demonstration, but she insisted on
+ the match all the same, declaring that
it would be an advantage, since Van
vrankin would likely die long before
his wife, leaving her his property and
years of independence.
The last New Years day before the
4 English relieved the New Amsterdam
Dutchman from governing themselves
and changed the name of the town to
New York was being celebrated as
usual. Every housewives parlor was
open to the friends of the family. and
many bottles of Scheidam schnapps
were set up for callers.
Well. that night, after every Dutch
man in New Amsterdam had called on
every Dutchwoman living under the
shadow of the fort, Frau Ten Eyck
was greatly worried because her son
Heilegar didn't come home. Though
at Q o'clock every light in the town
had been put out, the young man had
not turned up. His father went out
TO ring the fire bell, and when those
sleepy watchmen who responded came,
each with bis bucket, Ten Eyck told
them that his son was missing and he
feared the youngster had fallen in the
pond where the Tombs now stands
or been spirited away by some Indians
who had been drinking schnapps dur
ing the day on the bowling green.
Every Dutchman said "Jah!' and
went back TO bed
For a week the people of New AM
sterdam hunted high and low for young
Ten Eyck The pond was dragged,
the wood beyond that wall which gave
its name to the financial center Of
America was searched, and the slips on
the East and Hudson rivers were
t watched with the expectation that the
body might rise. But no Heilegar Ten
Eyck appeared.
one week from New Years day Frat
Van Olden unlocked the door Of her
parlor and, with broom, brush and
buster, entered it for the purpose oil
giving II the periodical cleaning Over
the banister on the floor above her
daugter, Annake, was looking down
J upon her anxiously. The housewife
was engaged in raising as large a
cyclone of dust as possible. Her
; daughter, listening to the swish OF her
broom and the rolling of the furniture
as il was moved to uncover the dirt,
heard her mother give a shrek.
The cry acted as a spur on the girl.
} who ran down the stairs and into the
t parlor The missing Hellegar Ten
Eyck was crawling out from under
sofa, while the housewife stood, broom
, in hand, regarding him with infinite
, surprise.
"Are you living or dead?' asked
Frau Van 0lden.
The young man looked piteously at
t Annake.
E "Mother," said the girl, 'Heilegar
: was calling here on New Years even
| ing. Just before 0 o'clock l left him
t to 90 for something l wished to give
him. and while l was gone you en-
tered
Z IL hid behind the sofa," interrupted
j the young man. you came In. blew
: out the candles and, going out. locked
: the door. / have been here ever since
| "Why didn't you knock9' asked tho
! frau. How have you lived here a
week without foodT'
81 didn't knock, fearing to start a
scandal. and Annake has let food down
the chimney from the roof"
Really. mother" put In the girl
eve didn't know what TO do. SO we
5 nut off doing anything till now"
, .weIl." said the mother. ''you two