done for her without delay. The Dominie, therefore, put up prayers for
her on Sunday, in which all the congregation joined most heartily.
Even Cobus Groesbeck, the alderman, and Mynheer Milledollar, the great
Dutch merchant, stood up in their pews, and did not spare their voices
on the occasion; and it was thought the prayers of such great men
could not but have their due weight. Doctor Knipperhausen, too,
visited her professionally, and gave her abundance of advice gratis,
and was universally lauded for his charity. As to her old friend,
Peter de Groodt, he was a poor man, whose pity, and prayers, and
advice could be of but little avail, so he gave her all that was in
his power--he gave her shelter.
To the humble dwelling of Peter de Groodt, then, did Dolph turn his
steps. On his way thither, he recalled all the tenderness and kindness
of his simple-hearted parent, her indulgence of his errors, her
blindness to his faults; and then he bethought himself of his own
idle, harum-scarum life. "I've been a sad scape-grace," said Dolph,
shaking his head sorrowfully. "I've been a complete sink-pocket,
that's the truth of it!--But," added he, briskly, and clasping his
hands, "only let her live--only let her live--and I'll show myself
indeed a son!"
As Dolph approached the house, he met Peter de Groodt coming out of
it. The old man started back aghast, doubting whether it was not a
ghost that stood before him. It being bright daylight, however, Peter
soon plucked up heart, satisfied that no ghost dare show his face in
such clear sunshine. Dolph now learned from the worthy sexton the
consternation and rumour to which his mysterious disappearance had
given rise. It had been universally believed that he had been spirited
away by those hobgoblin gentry that infested the haunted house; and
old Abraham Vandozer, who lived by the great button-wood trees, at the
three-mile stone, affirmed, that he had heard a terrible noise in the
air, as he was going home late at night, which seemed just as if a
flight of wild geese were overhead, passing off towards the northward.
The haunted house was, in consequence, looked upon with ten times more
awe than ever; nobody would venture to pass a night in it for the
world, and even the doctor had ceased to make his expeditions to it in
the day-time.
It required some preparation before Dolph's return could be made known
to his mother, the poor soul having bewailed him as lost; and her
spirits having been sorely broken down by a number of comforters, who
daily cheered her with stories of ghosts, and of people carried away
by the devil. He found her confined to her bed, with the other member
of the Heyliger family, the good dame's cat, purring beside her, but
sadly singed, and utterly despoiled of those whiskers which were the
glory of her physiognomy. The poor woman threw her arms about Dolph's
neck: "My boy! my boy! art thou still alive?" For a time she seemed to
have forgotten all her losses and troubles, in her joy at his return.
Even the sage grimalkin showed indubitable signs of joy, at the return
of the youngster. She saw, perhaps, that they were a forlorn and
undone family, and felt a touch of that kindliness which
fellow-sufferers only know. But, in truth, cats are a slandered
people; they have more affection in them than the world commonly gives
them credit for.
The good dame's eyes glistened as she saw one being, at least, beside
herself, rejoiced at her son's return. "Tib knows thee! poor dumb
beast!" said she, smoothing down the mottled coat of her favourite;
then recollecting herself, with a melancholy shake of the head, "Ah,
my poor Dolph!" exclaimed she, "thy mother can help thee no longer!
She can no longer help herself! What will become of thee, my poor
boy!"
"Mother," said Dolph, "don't talk in that strain; I've been too long a
charge upon you; it's now my part to take care of you in your old
days. Come! be of good heart! you, and I, and Tib, will all see better
days. I'm here, you see, young, and sound, and hearty; then don't let
us despair; I dare say things will all, some how or other, turn out
for the best."
While this scene was going on with the Heyliger family, the news was
carried to Doctor Knipperhausen, of the safe return of his disciple.
The little doctor scarcely knew whether to rejoice or be sorry at the
tidings. He was happy at having the foul reports which had prevailed
concerning his country mansion thus disproved; but he grieved at
having his disciple, of whom he had supposed himself fairly
disencumbered, thus drifting back, a heavy charge upon his hands.
While he was balancing between these two feelings, he was determined
by the counsels of Frau Ilsy, who advised him to take advantage of the
truant absence of the youngster, and shut the door upon him for ever.
At the hour of bed-time, therefore, when it was supposed the recreant
disciple would seek his old quarters, every thing was prepared for his
reception. Dolph, having talked his mother into a state of
tranquillity, sought the mansion of his quondam master, and raised the
knocker with a faltering hand. Scarcely, however, had it given a
dubious rap, when the doctor's head, in a red night-cap, popped out of
one window, and the housekeeper's, in a white night-cap, out of
another. He was now greeted with a tremendous volley of hard names and
hard language, mingled with invaluable pieces of advice, such as are
seldom ventured to be given excepting to a friend in distress, or a
culprit at the bar. In a few moments, not a window in the street but
had its particular night-cap, listening to the shrill treble of Frau
Ilsy, and the guttural croaking of Dr. Knipperhausen; and the word
went from window to window, "Ah! here's Dolph Heyliger come back, and
at his old pranks again." In short, poor Dolph found he was likely to
get nothing from the doctor but good advice--a commodity so abundant
as even to be thrown out of the window; so he was fain to beat a
retreat, and take up his quarters for the night under the lowly roof
of honest Peter de Groodt.
The next morning, bright and early, Dolph was at the haunted house.
Every thing looked just as he had left it. The fields were grass-grown
and matted, and it appeared as if nobody had traversed them since his
departure. With palpitating heart, he hastened to the well. He looked
down into it, and saw that it was of great depth, with water at the
bottom. He had provided himself with a strong line, such as the
fishermen use on the banks of Newfoundland. At the end was a heavy
plummet and a large fish-hook. With this he began to sound the bottom
of the well, and to angle about in the water. He found that the water
was of some depth; there appeared also to be much rubbish, stones from
the top having fallen in. Several times his hook got entangled, and he
came near breaking his line. Now and then, too, he hauled up mere
trash, such as the skull of a horse, an iron hoop, and a shattered
iron-bound bucket. He had now been several hours employed without
finding any thing to repay his trouble, or to encourage him to
proceed. He began to think himself a great fool, to be thus decoyed
into a wild-goose-chase by mere dreams, and was on the point of
throwing line and all into the well, and giving up all further
angling.
"One more cast of the line," said he, "and that shall be the last." As
he sounded, he felt the plummet slip, as it were, through the
interstices of loose stones; and as he drew back the line, he felt
that the hook had taken hold of something heavy. He had to manage his
line with great caution, lest it should be broken by the strain upon
it. By degrees, the rubbish that lay upon the article which he had
hooked gave way; he drew it to the surface of the water, and what was
his rapture at seeing something like silver glittering at the end of
his line! Almost breathless with anxiety, he drew it up to the mouth
of the well, surprised at its great weight, and fearing every instant
that his hook would slip from its hold, and his prize tumble again to
the bottom. At length he landed it safe beside the well. It was a
great silver porringer, of an ancient form, richly embossed, and with
armorial bearings, similar to those over his mother's mantel-piece,
engraved on its side.
The lid was fastened down by several twists of wire; Dolph loosened
them with a trembling hand, and on lifting the lid, behold! the vessel
was filled with broad golden pieces, of a coinage which he had never
seen before! It was evident he had lit on the place where Killian
Vander Spiegel had concealed his treasure.
Fearful of being seen by some straggler, he cautiously retired, and
buried his pot of money in a secret place. He now spread terrible
stories about the haunted house, and deterred every one from
approaching it, while he made frequent visits to it on stormy days,
when no one was stirring in the neighbouring fields; though, to tell
the truth, he did not care to venture there in the dark. For once in
his life he was diligent and industrious, and followed up his new
trade of angling with such perseverance and success, that in a little
while he had hooked up wealth enough to make him, in those moderate
days, a rich burgher for life.
It would be tedious to detail minutely the rest of this story:--to
tell how he gradually managed to bring his property into use without
exciting surprise and inquiry--how he satisfied all scruples with
regard to retaining the property, and at the same time gratified his
own feelings, by marrying the pretty Marie Vander Heyden--and how he
and Heer Antony had many a merry and roving expedition together.
I must not omit to say, however, that Dolph took his mother home to
live with, him, and cherished her in her old days. The good dame, too,
had the satisfaction of no longer hearing her son made the theme of
censure; on the contrary, he grew daily in public esteem; every body
spoke well of him and his wines, and the lordliest burgomaster was
never known to decline his invitation to dinner. Dolph often related,
at his own table, the wicked pranks which had once been the abhorrence
of the town; but they were now considered excellent jokes, and the
gravest dignitary was fain to hold his sides when listening to them.
No one was more struck with Dolph's increasing merit, than his old
master the doctor; and so forgiving was Dolph, that he actually
employed the doctor as his family physician, only taking care that his
prescriptions should be always thrown out of the window. His mother
had often her junto of old cronies, to take a snug cup of tea with her
in her comfortable little parlour; and Peter de Groodt, as he sat by
the fire-side, with one of her grandchildren on his knee, would many a
time congratulate her upon her son turning out so great a man; upon
which the good old soul would wag her head with exultation, and
exclaim, "Ah, neighbour, neighbour! did I not say that Dolph would one
day or other hold up his head with the best of them?"
Thus did Dolph Heyliger go on, cheerily and prosperously, growing
merrier as he grew older and wiser, and completely falsifying the old
proverb about money got over the devil's back; for he made good use of
his wealth, and became a distinguished citizen, and a valuable member
of the community. He was a great promoter of public institutions, such
as beef-steak societies and catch-clubs. He presided at all public
dinners, and was the first that introduced turtle from the West
Indies. He improved the breed of race-horses and game-cocks, and was
so great a patron of modest merit, that any one who could sing a good
song, or tell a good story, was sure to find a place at his table.
He was a member, too, of the corporation, made several laws for the
protection of game and oysters, and bequeathed to the board a large
silver punch-bowl, made out of the identical porringer before
mentioned, and which is in the possession of the corporation to this
very day.
Finally, he died, in a florid old age, of an apoplexy, at a
corporation feast, and was buried with great honours in the yard of
the little Dutch church in Garden-street, where his tombstone may
still be seen, with a modest epitaph in Dutch, by his friend Mynheer
Justus Benson, an ancient and excellent poet of the province.
The foregoing tale rests on better authority than most tales of the
kind, as I have it at second-hand from the lips of Dolph Heyliger
himself. He never related it till towards the latter part of his life,
and then in great confidence, (for he was very discreet,) to a few of
his particular cronies at his own table over a supernumerary bowl of
punch; and, strange as the hobgoblin parts of the story may seem,
there never was a single doubt expressed on the subject by any of his
guests. It may not be amiss, before concluding, to observe that, in
addition to his other accomplishments, Dolph Heyliger was noted for
being the ablest drawer of the long-bow in the whole province.
THE WEDDING.
No more, no more, much honour aye betide
The lofty bridegroom and the lovely bride;
That all of their succeeding days may say,
Each day appears like to a wedding-day.
--BRAITHWAITE.
Notwithstanding the doubts and demurs of Lady Lillycraft, and all the
grave objections that were conjured up against the month of May, yet
the wedding has at length happily taken place. It was celebrated at
the village church, in presence of a numerous company of relatives and
friends, and many of the tenantry. The Squire must needs have
something of the old ceremonies observed on the occasion; so, at the
gate of the church-yard, several little girls of the village, dressed
in white, were in readiness with baskets of flowers, which they
strewed before the bride; and the butler bore before her the
bride-cup, a great silver embossed bowl, one of the family relics from
the days of the hard drinkers. This was filled with rich wine, and
decorated with a branch of rosemary, tied with gay ribands, according
to ancient custom.
"Happy is the bride that the sun shines on," says the old proverb; and
it was as sunny and auspicious a morning as heart could wish. The
bride looked uncommonly beautiful; but, in fact, what woman does not
look interesting on her wedding-day? I know no sight more charming and
touching than that of a young and timid bride, in her robes of virgin
white, led up trembling to the altar. When I thus behold a lovely
girl, in the tenderness of her years, forsaking the house of her
fathers and the home of her childhood; and, with the implicit
confiding, and the sweet self-abandonment, which belong to woman,
giving up all the world for the man of her choice: when I hear her, in
the good old language of the ritual, yielding herself to him "for
better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to
love, honour and obey, till death us do part," it brings to my mind
the beautiful and affecting self-devotion of Ruth: "Whither thou goest
I will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge; thy people shall be my
people, and thy God my God."
The fair Julia was supported on the trying occasion by Lady
Lillycraft, whose heart was overflowing with its wonted sympathy in
all matters of love and matrimony. As the bride approached the altar,
her face would be one moment covered with blushes, and the next deadly
pale; and she seemed almost ready to shrink from sight among her
female companions.
I do not know what it is that makes every one serious, and, as it
were, awe-struck, at a marriage ceremony--which is generally
considered as an occasion of festivity and rejoicing. As the ceremony
was performing, I observed many a rosy face among the country girls
turn pale, and I did not see a smile throughout the church. The young
ladies from the Hall were almost as much frightened as if it had been
their own case, and stole many a look of sympathy at their trembling
companion. A tear stood in the eye of the sensitive Lady Lillycraft;
and as to Phoebe Wilkins, who was present, she absolutely wept and
sobbed aloud; but it is hard to tell, half the time, what these fond
foolish creatures are crying about.
The captain, too, though naturally gay and unconcerned, was much
agitated on the occasion; and, in attempting to put the ring upon the
bride's finger, dropped it on the floor; which Lady Lillycraft has
since assured me is a very lucky omen. Even Master Simon had lost his
usual vivacity, and had assumed a most whimsically solemn face, which
he is apt to do on all occasions of ceremony. He had much whispering
with the parson and parish-clerk, for he is always a busy personage in
the scene, and he echoed the clerk's amen with a solemnity and
devotion that edified the whole assemblage.
The moment, however, that the ceremony was over, the transition was
magical. The bride-cup was passed round, according to ancient usage,
for the company to drink to a happy union; every one's feelings seemed
to break forth from restraint. Master Simon had a world of bachelor
pleasantries to utter; and as to the gallant general, he bowed and
cooed about the dulcet Lady Lillycraft, like a mighty cock-pigeon
about his dame.
The villagers gathered in the church-yard, to cheer the happy couple
as they left the church; and the musical tailor had marshalled his
band, and set up a hideous discord, as the blushing and smiling bride
passed through a lane of honest peasantry to her carriage. The
children shouted, and threw up their hats; the bells rung a merry
peal, that set all the crows and rooks flying and cawing about the
air, and threatened to bring down the battlements of the old tower;
and there was a continual popping off of rusty fire-locks from every
part of the neighbourhood.
The prodigal son distinguished himself on the occasion, having hoisted
a flag on the top of the school-house, and kept the village in a
hubbub from sunrise, with the sound of drum and fife and pandean pipe;
in which species of music several of his scholars are making wonderful
proficiency. In his great zeal, however, he had nearly done mischief;
for on returning from church, the horses of the bride's carriage took
fright from the discharge of a row of old gun-barrels, which he had
mounted as a park of artillery in front of the school-house, to give
the captain a military salute as he passed.
The day passed off with great rustic rejoicing. Tables were spread
under the trees in the park, where all the peasantry of the
neighbourhood were regaled with roast-beef and plum-pudding and oceans
of ale. Ready-Money Jack presided at one of the tables, and became so
full of good cheer, as to unbend from his usual gravity, to sing a
song out of all tune, and give two or three shouts of laughter, that
almost electrified his neighbours, like so many peals of thunder. The
schoolmaster and the apothecary vied with each other in making
speeches over their liquor; and there were occasional glees and
musical performances by the village band, that must have frightened
every faun and dryad from the park. Even old Christy, who had got on a
new dress from top to toe, and shone in all the splendour of bright
leather breeches and an enormous wedding favour in his cap, forgot his
usual crustiness, became inspired by wine and wassel, and absolutely
danced a hornpipe on one of the tables, with all the grace and agility
of a manikin hung upon wires.
Equal gayety reigned within doors, where a large party of friends were
entertained. Every one laughed at his own pleasantry, without
attending to that of his neighbours. Loads of bride-cake were
distributed. The young ladies were all busy in passing morsels of it
through the wedding-ring to dream on, and I myself assisted a few
little boarding-school girls in putting up a quantity for their
companions, which I have no doubt will set all the little heads in the
school gadding, for a week at least.
After dinner, all the company, great and small, gentle and simple,
abandoned themselves to the dance: not the modern quadrille, with its
graceful gravity, but the merry, social, old country-dance; the true
dance, as the Squire says, for a wedding occasion, as it sets all the
world jigging in couples, hand in hand, and makes every eye and every
heart dance merrily to the music. According to frank old usage, the
gentlefolks of the Hall mingled for a tune in the dance of the
peasantry, who had a great tent erected for a ball-room; and I think I
never saw Master Simon more in his element, than when figuring about
among his rustic admirers, as master of the ceremonies; and, with a
mingled air of protection and gallantry, leading out the quondam Queen
of May, all blushing at the signal honour conferred upon her.
In the evening the whole village was illuminated, excepting the house
of the radical, who has not shown his face during the rejoicings.
There was a display of fire-works at the school-house, got up by the
prodigal son, which had well-nigh set fire to the building. The Squire
is so much pleased with the extraordinary services of this last
mentioned worthy, that he talks of enrolling him in his list of
valuable retainers, and promoting him to some important post on the
estate; per-adventure to be falconer, if the hawks can ever be brought
into proper training.
There is a well-known old proverb, that says "one wedding makes
many,"--or something to the same purpose; and I should not be
surprised if it holds good in the present instance. I have seen
several flirtations among the young people, that have been brought
together on this occasion; and a great deal of strolling about in
pairs, among the retired walks and blossoming shrubberies of the old
garden: and if groves were really given to whispering, as poets would
fain make us believe, Heaven knows what love tales the grave-looking
old trees about this venerable country-seat might blab to the world.
The general, too, has waxed very zealous in his devotions within the
last few days, as the time of her ladyship's departure approaches. I
observed him casting many a tender look at her during the wedding
dinner, while the courses were changing; though he was always liable
to be interrupted in his adoration by the appearance of any new
delicacy. The general, in fact, has arrived at that time of life when
the heart and the stomach maintain a kind of balance of power, and
when a man is apt to be perplexed in his affections between a fine
woman and a truffled turkey. Her ladyship was certainly rivalled,
through the whole of the first course, by a dish of stewed carp; and
there was one glance, which was evidently intended to be a point-blank
shot at her heart, and could scarcely have failed to effect a
practicable breach, had it not unluckily been directed away to a
tempting breast of lamb, in which it immediately produced a formidable
incision. Thus did this faithless general go on, coquetting during the
whole dinner, and committing an infidelity with every new dish; until,
in the end, he was so overpowered by the attentions he had paid to
fish, flesh, and fowl; to pastry, jelly, cream, and blanc-mange, that
he seemed to sink within himself: his eyes swam beneath their lids,
and their fire was so much slackened, that he could no longer
discharge a single glance that would reach across the table. Upon the
whole, I fear the general ate himself into as much disgrace, at this
memorable dinner, as I have seen him sleep himself into on a former
occasion.
I am told, moreover, that young Jack Tibbets was so touched by the
wedding ceremony, at which he was present, and so captivated by the
sensibility of poor Phoebe Wilkins, who certainly looked all the
better for her tears, that he had a reconciliation with her that very
day, after dinner, in one of the groves of the park, and danced with
her in the evening; to the complete confusion of all Dame Tibbets'
domestic politics. I met them walking together in the park, shortly
after the reconciliation must have taken place. Young Jack carried
himself gayly and manfully; but Phoebe hung her head, blushing, as I
approached. However, just as she passed me, and dropped a curtsy, I
caught a shy gleam of her eye from, under her bonnet; but it was
immediately cast down again. I saw enough in that single gleam, and in
the involuntary smile that dimpled about her rosy lips, to feel
satisfied that the little gipsy's heart was happy again.