The Rural Lanes In The Vicinity Began To Grow Into The
Bustle And Populousness Of Streets; In Short, With All The Habits Of
Rustic Life They Began To Find Themselves The Inhabitants Of A City.
Still, however, they maintained their hereditary character, and
Hereditary possessions, with all the tenacity of petty German princes
in the midst of the Empire.
Wolfert was the last of the line, and
succeeded to the patriarchal bench at the door, under the family tree,
and swayed the sceptre of his fathers, a kind of rural potentate in the
midst of a metropolis.
To share the cares and sweets of sovereignty, he had taken unto himself
a help-mate, one of that excellent kind called stirring women; that is
to say, she was one of those notable little housewives who are always
busy when there is nothing to do. Her activity however, took one
particular direction; her whole life seemed devoted to intense
knitting; whether at home or abroad; walking or sitting, her needles
were continually in motion, and it is even affirmed that by her
unwearied industry she very nearly supplied her household with
stockings throughout the year. This worthy couple were blessed with one
daughter, who was brought up with great tenderness and care; uncommon
pains had been taken with her education, so that she could stitch in
every variety of way; make all kinds of pickles and preserves, and mark
her own name on a sampler. The influence of her taste was seen also in
the family garden, where the ornamental began to mingle with the
useful; whole rows of fiery marigolds and splendid hollyhocks bordered
the cabbage-beds; and gigantic sunflowers lolled their broad, jolly
faces over the fences, seeming to ogle most affectionately the
passers-by.
Thus reigned and vegetated Wolfert Webber over his paternal acres,
peaceably and contentedly. Not but that, like all other sovereigns, he
had his occasional cares and vexations. The growth of his native city
sometimes caused him annoyance. His little territory gradually became
hemmed in by streets and houses, which intercepted air and sunshine. He
was now and then subject to the irruptions of the border population,
that infest the streets of a metropolis, who would sometimes make
midnight forays into his dominions, and carry off captive whole
platoons of his noblest subjects. Vagrant swine would make a descent,
too, now and then, when the gate was left open, and lay all waste
before them; and mischievous urchins would often decapitate the
illustrious sunflowers, the glory of the garden, as they lolled their
heads so fondly over the walls. Still all these were petty grievances,
which might now and then ruffle the surface of his mind, as a summer
breeze will ruffle the surface of a mill-pond; but they could not
disturb the deep-seated quiet of his soul. He would seize a trusty
staff, that stood behind the door, issue suddenly out, and anoint the
back of the aggressor, whether pig or urchin, and then return within
doors, marvellously refreshed and tranquillized.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 186 of 223
Words from 96020 to 96527
of 115667