Joy in the Cottage
Perhaps you were surprised to learn that Raff and his vrouw were
at the skating race. You would have been more so had you been
with them on the evening of that merry twentieth of December. To
see the Brinker cottage standing sulkily alone on the frozen
marsh, with its bulgy, rheumatic-looking walls and its slouched
hat of a roof pulled far over its eyes, one would never suspect
that a lively scene was passing within. Without, nothing was
left of the day but a low line of blaze at the horizon. A few
venturesome clouds had already taken fire, and others, with
their edges burning, were lost in the gathering smoke.
A stray gleam of sunshine slipping down from the willow stump
crept stealthily under the cottage. It seemed to feel that the
inmates would give it welcome if it could only get near them. The room under which it hid was as clean as clean could be. The very cracks in the rafters were polished. Delicious odors filled the air. A huge peat fire upon the hearth sent flashes of harmless lightning at the somber walls. It played in turn upon the great leather Bible, upon Gretel's closet-bed, the household things upon their pegs, and the beautiful silver skates and the flowers upon the table. Dame Brinker's honest face shone and twinkled in the changing light. Gretel and Hans, with arms entwined, were leaning against the fireplace, laughing merrily, and Raff Brinker was dancing!
I do not mean that he was pirouetting or cutting a pigeon-wing, either of which would have been entirely too undignified for the father of a family. I simply affirm that while they were chatting pleasantly together Raff suddenly sprang from his seat, snapped his fingers, and performed two or three flourishes very much like the climax of a highland fling. Next he caught his vrouw in his arms and fairly lifted her from the ground in his delight.
"Huzza!" he cried. "I have it! I have it! It's Thomas Higgs. That's the name! It came upon me like a flash. Write it down, lad, write it down!"
Someone knocked at the door.
"It's the meester," cried the delighted dame. "Goede Gunst! How things come to pass!"
Mother and children came in merry collision as they rushed to
open the door.
It was not the doctor, after all, but three boys, Peter van Holp, Lambert, and Ben.
"Good evening, young gentlemen," said Dame Brinker, so happy and
proud that she would scarcely have been surprised at a visit from
the king himself.
"Good evening, jufvrouw," said the trio, making magnificent
bows.
Dear me, thought Dame Brinker as she bobbed up and down like a
churn dasher, it's lucky I learned to curtsy at Heidelberg!
Raff was content to return the boys' salutations with a
respectful nod.
"Pray be seated, young masters," said the dame as Gretel
bashfully thrust a stool at them. "There's a lack of chairs as
you see, but this one by the fire is at your service, and if you
don't mind the hardness, that oak chest is as good a seat as the
best. That's right, Hans, pull it out."
By the time the boys were seated to the dame's satisfaction, Peter, acting as a spokesman, had explained that they were going to attend a lecture at Amsterdam, and had stopped on the way to return Hans's strap.
"Oh, mynheer," cried Hans, earnestly, "it is too much trouble. I am very sorry."
"No trouble at all, Hans. I could have waited for you to come to
your work tomorrow, had I not wished to call. And, Hans, talking
of your work, my father is much pleased with it. A carver by
trade could not have done it better. He would like to have the
south arbor ornamented, also, but I told him you were going to
school again."
"Aye!" put in Raff Brinker, emphatically. "Hans must go to
school at once--and Gretel as well--that is true."
"I am glad to hear you say so," responded Peter, turning toward
the father, "and very glad to know that you are again a well
man."
"Yes, young master, a well man, and able to work as steady as
ever, thank God!"
Here Hans hastily wrote something on the edge of a time-worn
almanac that hung by the chimney-place. "Aye, that's right, lad, set it down. Figgs! Wiggs! Alack! Alack!" added Raff in great dismay, "it's gone again!"