The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1911-07-21
A LONG NEW
YEAR CALL
A Story ct New Amsterdam
By r. A. Mitchell
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

NcW AcdI . Ody, OF tue CUSTOM Ol
making calls, was brought from Hol-
land. Calling ON that day was dis
continued a generation ago. and II old
Father Knickerbocker should come
hack on Jan. he wouldn't know what
to think.
The housewife was accustomed
once a week to open her parlor. scrub
1t, sweep it, dust 1t and. having re-
moved every speck Of dirt, shut it up,
lock it, put away the key and leave
1t till the next cleaning day, when the
process was renewed.
Now, there lived in New Amsterdam
q Dutchman Of the name Of Heinrich
Van Olden. whose daughter, Annake.
was the pride Of his heart. She was a
plump maiden Of some eighteen sum-
mers, looking for all the world in her
dozen petticoats like ten bell, her bust
forming the handle and all below the
waist the ringing part. Her mother
was frugal woman who, having mar
ried a poor man, found herself obliged
to seek home in a new country in
stead of living in luxury in. an old
one. Consequently she arranged a
match between her daughter and Pc
ter Van Vrankin, who was thirty-six,
If he was a day. and far too old for a
maiden only half his age For" the
girl reasoned, when am as old as
he is now he will twice my age,
or seventy-two, and when l am sew
enty-two he will be hundred and
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
1t 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
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 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 his 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 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
watched with the expectation that the
body might rise. But no Heilegar Ten
Eyck appeared.
One week from New Years day Frau
Van Olden unlocked the door of her
parlor and, with broom. brush and
buster. entered 1t for the purpose Of
giving 1t the periodical cleaning. Over
the banister on the floor above her
daugter, Annake. was looking down
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 it was moved to uncover the dirt,
heard her mother give shrek.
The cry acted as a spur on the girl.
who ran down the stairs and into the
parlor The missing Hellegar Ten
Eyck was crawling out from under a
sofa, while the housewife stood, broom
In hand. regarding him with Infinite
surprise.
"Are you living or deadT' asked
Frau Van Olden.
The young man looked piteously at
Annake.
Mother" said the girl, "Heilegar
was calling here on New Years even.
Ing. Just before 8 o'clock I left him
to go for something 1 wished to give
him, and while was gone you en-
tered
II hid behind the sofa" interrupted
the young man. You came In, blew
out the candles and, going out, locked
the door. I have been here ever since"
why didn't you knockT' asked the
frau. How have you lived here a
week without foodT
II 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,
I'VE didn't know what to do, SO We.
put of doing anything till now" r
well" said the mother "von fpA