stories by modern american authors-第38节

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sat　all　day　long　in　the　chimney　corner；　picturing　to　himself　ingots

and　heaps　of　gold　in　the　fire。　　The　next　night　his　dream　was

repeated。　　He　was　again　in　his　garden　digging；　and　laying　open

stores　of　hidden　wealth。　　There　was　something　very　singular　in　this

repetition。　　He　passed　another　day　of　reverie；　and　though　it　was

cleaning　day；　and　the　house；　as　usual　in　Dutch　households；

completely　topsy…turvy；　yet　he　sat　unmoved　amidst　the　general

uproar。



The　third　night　he　went　to　bed　with　a　palpitating　heart。　　He　put　on

his　red　nightcap　wrong　side　outward；　for　good　luck。　　It　was　deep

midnight　before　his　anxious　mind　could　settle　itself　into　sleep。

Again　the　golden　dream　was　repeated；　and　again　he　saw　his　garden

teeming　with　ingots　and　money　bags。



Wolfert　rose　the　next　morning　in　complete　bewilderment。　　A　dream；

three　times　repeated；　was　never　known　to　lie；　and　if　so；　his

fortune　was　made。



In　his　agitation　he　put　on　his　waistcoat　with　the　hind　part　before；

and　this　was　a　corroboration　of　good　luck。＇1＇　　He　no　longer　doubted

that　a　huge　store　of　money　lay　buried　somewhere　in　his　cabbage

field；　coyly　waiting　to　be　sought　for；　and　he　repined　at　having　so

long　been　scratching　about　the　surface　of　the　soil　instead　of

digging　to　the　center。





＇1＇　It　is　an　old　superstition　that　to　put　on　one's　clothes　wrong

side　out　forebodes　good　luck。





He　took　his　seat　at　the　breakfast　table；　full　of　these

speculations；　asked　his　daughter　to　put　a　lump　of　gold　into　his

tea；　and　on　handing　his　wife　a　plate　of　slapjacks；　begged　her　to

help　herself　to　a　doubloon。



His　grand　care　now　was　how　to　secure　this　immense　treasure　without

its　being　known。　　Instead　of　his　working　regularly　in　his　grounds

in　the　daytime；　he　now　stole　from　his　bed　at　night；　and　with　spade

and　pickax　went　to　work　to　rip　up　and　dig　about　his　paternal　acres；

from　one　end　to　the　other。　　In　a　little　time　the　whole　garden；

which　had　presented　such　a　goodly　and　regular　appearance；　with　its

phalanx　of　cabbages；　like　a　vegetable　army　in　battle　array；　was

reduced　to　a　scene　of　devastation；　while　the　relentless　Wolfert；

with　nightcap　on　head　and　lantern　and　spade　in　hand；　stalked

through　the　slaughtered　ranks；　the　destroying　angel　of　his　own

vegetable　world。



Every　morning　bore　testimony　to　the　ravages　of　the　preceding　night

in　cabbages　of　all　ages　and　conditions；　from　the　tender　sprout　to

the　full…grown　head；　piteously　rooted　from　their　quiet　beds　like

worthless　weeds；　and　left　to　wither　in　the　sunshine。　　In　vain

Wolfert's　wife　remonstrated；　in　vain　his　darling　daughter　wept　over

the　destruction　of　some　favorite　marigold。　　〃Thou　shalt　have　gold

of　another…guess＇1＇　sort；〃　he　would　cry；　chucking　her　under　the

chin；　〃thou　shalt　have　a　string　of　crooked　ducats　for　thy　wedding

necklace；　my　child。〃　　His　family　began　really　to　fear　that　the　poor

man's　wits　were　diseased。　　He　muttered　in　his　sleep　at　night　about

mines　of　wealth；　about　pearls　and　diamonds；　and　bars　of　gold。　　In

the　daytime　he　was　moody　and　abstracted；　and　walked　about　as　if　in

a　trance。　　Dame　Webber　held　frequent　councils　with　all　the　old

women　of　the　neighborhood；　scarce　an　hour　in　the　day　but　a　knot　of

them　might　be　seen　wagging　their　white　caps　together　round　her

door；　while　the　poor　woman　made　some　piteous　recital。　　The

daughter；　too；　was　fain　to　seek　for　more　frequent　consolation　from

the　stolen　interviews　of　her　favored　swain；　Dirk　Waldron。　　The

delectable　little　Dutch　songs　with　which　she　used　to　dulcify　the

house　grew　less　and　less　frequent；　and　she　would　forget　her　sewing；

and　look　wistfully　in　her　father's　face　as　he　sat　pondering　by　the

fireside。　　Wolfert　caught　her　eye　one　day　fixed　on　him　thus

anxiously；　and　for　a　moment　was　roused　from　his　golden　reveries。

〃Cheer　up；　my　girl；〃　said　he　exultingly；　〃why　dost　thou　droop？

Thou　shalt　hold　up　thy　head　one　day　with　the　Brinckerhoffs；　and　the

Schermerhorns；　the　Van　Hornes；　and　the　Van　Dams。＇2＇　　By　St。

Nicholas；　but　the　patroon＇3＇　himself　shall　be　glad　to　get　thee　for

his　son！〃





＇1＇　A　corruption　of　the　old　expression　〃another…gates；〃　or　〃of

another　gate；〃　meaning　〃of　another　way　or　manner〃；　hence；　〃of

another　kind。〃



＇2＇　Names　of　rich　and　influential　Dutch　families　in　the　old　Dutch

colony　of　New　Amsterdam。



＇3＇　The　patroons　were　members　of　the　Dutch　West　India　Company；　who

purchased　land　in　New　Netherlands　of　the　Indians；　and　after

fulfilling　certain　conditions　imposed　with　a　view　to　colonizing

their　territory；　enjoyed　feudal　rights　similar　to　those　of　the

barons　of　the　Middle　Ages。





Amy　shook　her　head　at　his　vainglorious　boast；　and　was　more　than

ever　in　doubt　of　the　soundness　of　the　good　man's　intellect。



In　the　meantime　Wolfert　went　on　digging　and　digging；　but　the　field

was　extensive；　and　as　his　dream　had　indicated　no　precise　spot；　he

had　to　dig　at　random。　　The　winter　set　in　before　one　tenth　of　the

scene　of　promise　had　been　explored。



The　ground　became　frozen　hard；　and　the　nights　too　cold　for　the

labors　of　the　spade。



No　sooner；　however；　did　the　returning　warmth　of　spring　loosen　the

soil；　and　the　small　frogs　begin　to　pipe　in　the　meadows；　but　Wolfert

resumed　his　labors　with　renovated　zeal。　　Still；　however；　the　hours

of　industry　were　reversed。



Instead　of　working　cheerily　all　day；　planting　and　setting　out　his

vegetables；　he　remained　thoughtfully　idle；　until　the　shades　of

night　summoned　him　to　his　secret　labors。　　In　this　way　he　continued

to　dig　from　night　to　night；　and　week　to　week；　and　month　to　month；

but　not　a　stiver＇1＇　did　he　find。　　On　the　contrary；　the　more　he

digged　the　poorer　he　grew。　　The　rich　soil　of　his　garden　was　digged

away；　and　the　sand　and　gravel　from　beneath　was　thrown　to　the

surface；　until　the　whole　field　presented　an　aspect　of　sandy

barrenness。





＇1＇　A　Dutch　coin；　worth　about　two　cents；　hence；　anything　of　little

worth。





In　the　meantime；　the　seasons　gradually　rolled　on。　　The　little　frogs

which　had　piped　in　the　meadows　in　early　spring　croaked　as　bullfrogs

during　the　summer　heats；　and　then　sank　into　silence。　　The　peach

tree　budded；　blossomed；　and　bore　its　fruit。　　The　swallows　and

martins　came；　twittered　about　the　roof；　built　their　nests；　reared

their　young；　held　their　congress　along　the　eaves；　and　then　winged

their　flight　in　search　of　another　spring。　　The　caterpillar　spun　its

winding　sheet；　dangled　in　it　from　the　great　buttonwood　tree　before

the　house；　turned　into　a　moth；　fluttered　with　the　last　sunshine　of

summer；　and　disappeared；　and　finally　the　leaves　of　the　buttonwood

tree　turned　yellow；　then　brown；　then　rustled　one　by　one　to　the

ground；　and　whirling　about　in　little　eddies　of　wind　and　dust；

whispered　that　winter　was　at　hand。



Wolfert　gradually　woke　from　his　dream　of　wealth　as　the　year

declined。　　He　had　reared　no　crop　for　the　supply　of　his　household

during　the　sterility　of　winter。　　The　season　was　long　and　severe；

and　for　the　first　time　the　family　was　really　straitened　in　its

comforts。　　By　degrees　a　revulsion　of　thought　took　place　in

Wolfert's　mind；　common　to　those　whose　golden　dreams　have　been

disturbed　by　pinching　realities。　　The　idea　gradually　stole　upon　him

that　he　should　come　to　want。　　He　already　considered　himself　one　of

the　most　unfortunate　men　in　the　province；　having　lost　such　an

incalculable　amount　of　undiscovered　treasure；　and　now；　when

thousands　of　pounds　had　eluded　his　search；　to　be　perplexed　for

shillings　and　pence　was　cruel　in　the　extreme。



Haggard　care　gathered　about　his　brow；　he　went　about　with　a　money…

seeking　air；　his　eyes　bent　downward　into　the　dust；　and　carrying　his

hands　in　his　pockets；　as　men　are　apt　to　do　when　they　have　nothing

else　to　put　into　them。　　He　could　not　even　pass　the　city　almshouse

without　giving　it　a　rueful　glance；　as　if　destined　to　be　his　future

abode。



The　strangeness　of　his　conduct　and　of　his　looks　occasioned　much

speculation　and　remark。　　For　a　long　time　he　was　suspected　of　being

crazy；　and　then　everybody　pitied　him；　and　at　length　it　began　to　be

suspected　that　he　was　poor；　and　then　everybody　avoided　him。



The　rich　old　burghers　of　his　acquaintance　met　him　outside　the　door

when　he　called；　entertained　him　hospitably　on　the　threshold；

pressed　him　warmly　by　the　hand　at　parting；　shook　their　heads　as　he

walked　away；　with　the　kindhearted　expression　of　〃poor　Wolfert；〃　and

turned　a　corner　nimbly　if　by　chance　they　saw　him　approaching　as

they　walked　the　streets。　　Even　the　barber　and　the　cobbler　of　the

neighborhood；　and　a　tattered　tailor　in　an　alley　hard　by；　three　of

the　poorest　and　merriest　rogues　in　the　world；　eyed　him　with　that

abundant　sympathy　which　usually　attends　a　lack　of　means；　and　there

is　not　a　doubt　but　their　pockets　would　have　been　at　his　command；

only　that　they　happened　to　be　empty。



Thus　everybody　deserted　the　Webber　mansion；　as　if　poverty　were

contagious；　like　the　plagueeverybody　but　honest　Dirk　Waldron；　who

still