登陆注册
14728500000015

第15章

So a vote was passed unanimously in favor of allowing the now popular Voost to join the party, if his parents would consent.

"Good night!" sang out the happy youngster, skating homeward with all his might.

"Good night!"

"We can stop at Haarlem, Jacob, and show your cousin the big organ," said Peter van Holp eagerly, "and at Leyden, too, where there's no end to the sights; and spend a day and night at the Hague, for my married sister, who lives there, will be delighted to see us; and the next morning we can start for home.""All right!" responded Jacob, who was not much of a talker.

Ludwig had been regarding his brother with enthusiastic admiration.

"Hurrah for you, Pete! It takes you to make plans! Mother'll be as full of it as we are when we tell her we can take her love direct to sister Van Gend. My, but it's cold," he added. "Cold enough to take a fellow's head off his shoulders. We'd better go home.""What if it is cold, old Tender-skin?" cried Carl, who was busily practicing a step he called the "double edge." "Great skating we should have by this time, if it was as warm as it was last December. Don't you know that if it wasn't an extra cold winter, and an early one into the bargain, we couldn't go?""I know it's an extra cold night anyhow," said Ludwig. "Whew!

I'm going home!"

Peter van Holp took out a bulgy gold watch and, holding it toward the moonlight as well as his benumbed fingers would permit, called out, "Halloo! It's nearly eight o'clock! Saint Nicholas is about by this time, and I, for one, want to see the little ones stare. Good night!""Good night!" cried one and all, and off they started, shouting, singing, and laughing as they flew along.

Where were Gretel and Hans?

Ah, how suddenly joy sometimes comes to an end!

They had skated about an hour, keeping aloof from the others, quite contented with each other, and Gretel had exclaimed, "Ah, Hans, how beautiful! How fine! To think that we both have skates! I tell you, the stork brought us good luck!"--when they heard something!

It was a scream--a very faint scream! No one else upon the canal observed it, but Hans knew its meaning too well. Gretel saw him turn white in the moonlight as he busily tore off his skates.

"The father!" he cried. "He has frightened our mother!" And Gretel ran after him toward the house as rapidly as she could.

The Festival of Saint NicholasWe all know how, before the Christmas tree began to flourish in the home life of our country, a certain "right jolly old elf,"with "eight tiny reindeer," used to drive his sleigh-load of toys up to our housetops, and then bounded down the chimney to fill the stockings so hopefully hung by the fireplace. His friends called his Santa Claus, and those who were most intimate ventured to say "Old Nick." It was said that he originally came from Holland. Doubtless he did, but, if so, he certainly, like many other foreigners, changed his ways very much after landing upon our shores. In Holland, Saint Nicholas is a veritable saint and often appears in full costume, with his embroidered robes, glittering with gems and gold, his miter, his crosier, and his jeweled gloves. Here Santa Claus comes rollicking along, on the twenty-fifth of December, our holy Christmas morn. But in Holland, Saint Nicholas visits earth on the fifth, a time especially appropriated to him. Early on the morning of the sixth, he distributes his candies, toys, and treasures, then vanishes for a year.

Christmas Day is devoted by the Hollanders to church rites and pleasant family visiting. It is on Saint Nicholas's Eve that their young people become half wild with joy and expectation. To some of them it is a sorry time, for the saint is very candid, and if any of them have been bad during the past year, he is quite sure to tell them so. Sometimes he gives a birch rod under his arm and advises the parents to give them scoldings in place of confections, and floggings instead of toys.

It was well that the boys hastened to their abodes on that bright winter evening, for in less than an hour afterward, the saint made his appearance in half the homes of Holland. He visited the king's palace and in the selfsame moment appeared in Annie Bouman's comfortable home. Probably one of our silver half-dollars would have purchased all that his saintship left at the peasant Bouman's; but a half-dollar's worth will sometimes do for the poor what hundreds of dollars may fail to do for the rich; it makes them happy and grateful, fills them with new peace and love.

Hilda van Gleck's little brothers and sisters were in a high state of excitement that night. They had been admitted into the grand parlor; they were dressed in their best and had been given two cakes apiece at supper. Hilda was as joyous as any. Why not? Saint Nicholas would never cross a girl of fourteen from his list, just because she was tall and looked almost like a woman. On the contrary, he would probably exert himself to do honor to such an august-looking damsel. Who could tell? So she sported and laughed and danced as gaily as the youngest and was the soul of all their merry games. Her father, mother, and grandmother looked on approvingly; so did her grandfather, before he spread his large red handkerchief over his face, leaving only the top of his skullcap visible. This kerchief was his ensign of sleep.

Earlier in the evening all had joined in the fun. In the general hilarity there had seemed to be a difference only in bulk between grandfather and the baby. Indeed, a shade of solemn expectation, now and then flitting across the faces of the younger members, had made them seem rather more thoughtful than their elders.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 花千骨之画骨一生

    花千骨之画骨一生

    倘若今生我还爱上你,是否表示,我们可以永远不分离?——非子洵。进入轮回,她失去记忆,没了一切。倒不如重新开始。轮回后的相遇,所有事情都显得那么匆忙,那男子唤为墨冰。初见时,他把她从众人的责骂声救赎出来,接着……他又再一次不辞而别。“墨大哥,你……究竟是什么人?”墨冰一笑,那笑容宛若寒冬的暖阳,“千骨姑娘,希望我是什么人呢?”
  • 《破狱道》

    《破狱道》

    他是一个杀手,报得师仇那一晚却突遭变故。他重生于异世,却骇然发现竟然是一具干尸……他如何化解困局?这是一个修真的世界,兴奋的同时却茫然无措。天穹开裂,万火降临,亿兆生灵屠灭……这是一个奇异的世界,又是一个弱肉强食的世界,有着数不尽的精彩,也充斥着无穷无尽的杀戮。
  • 万界网络直播间

    万界网络直播间

    白小杰意外进入万界直播间,成为史上最强主播,直播改变万千世界!给张小凡直播青云志,给中华小当家直播天天饮食,给曹操直播三国演义!天蓬元帅每日追更着春光灿烂猪八戒,杨戬带着哮天犬一起看起了宝莲灯,紫霞仙子最近迷上了大话西游,天天嚷嚷着要去找齐天大圣开始一段凄美的爱情故事。对此……猴哥表示不想理她并向她扔了一颗桃核。孙悟空一行人看着《龙珠》找“龙珠!”更有【粉丝线下聚会】【粉丝福利:主播驾到】【弹幕系统】【穿越系统】多种功能,逐步完善中……---------叮咚,法海打赏了一个金钵。叮咚,小智打赏了一颗精灵蛋。叮咚,龟仙人打赏了三条布玛的小短裤。【老司机开车,你值得拥有】
  • 武圣风云

    武圣风云

    十二年前,四大武林世家之首夏家一夜之间,被离奇灭门,“夏家奇案”究竟有何内幕?发现蛛丝马迹的熊凋后,又会查探出真相和内幕?一场十多年前的风雨,究竟为何延续至今?而谁才是这一切的幕后黑手?一家荒野酒肆,一把剑,一把叫“天煌剑”的绝世好剑。君十四的“天流十四刀”、瀛洲刺客的“无极剑法”、安臣在的“沧澜小飞刀”、熊凋的“一剑刺向太阳”……自此,天下高人纷纷震撼出场。神秘失踪的“天下第一杀手”,暗藏玄机的神秘杀手组织“暗河”,得到朝廷庇护的“九道山庄”,这一切似乎都指向一只真正的“黑手”。黑夜弥漫江湖,一片迷雾。熊凋带着一路人却是披荆斩棘、乘风破浪,他们能否冲破最终的黑暗,他们能否带来真正的“破晓”?
  • 从零开始的轮回人生

    从零开始的轮回人生

    人活着到底是为什么什么?死后又会发生什么?现实的残酷,人性的险恶。谁是对的,谁又是错的?错的是谁?这个世界真的应该存在吗?因为幻想美好的世界出现了二次元,在这里人们的幻想得到了寄托,美好二次元真的存在吗?
  • 重生空间异能

    重生空间异能

    被背叛,被陷害。带着绝望重生。再睁眼回到13岁,继母惺惺作态,爸爸是个人渣。看不起我?哼,我去找妈咪。想跟我单挑?右手异能秒杀你。被追杀?左手空间,躲进去,看你找不找得到看。一个女屌丝变身女神的狗血故事。希望大家喜欢哦!!!
  • 宇宙世纪

    宇宙世纪

    无尽的宇宙到底隐藏着怎样的秘密?神、佛、仙、魔到底是否存在。生命的诞生真的是偶然?域外文明是否真的存在?当人类真正解开这一切的时候,等待他们的又是什么?请记住,这不是虚幻,它是一个真实的世界!
  • 剑入江湖

    剑入江湖

    自小便失去父母双亲,被师傅抚养成人的宇飞,在学院被人暗算筋脉寸断,怒火与屈辱的混合催生出了恶念,宇飞偷练了禁术,从此一个魔王便诞生
  • 到底谁是主角

    到底谁是主角

    你猜得出到底谁是主角吗?真正的主角真的是“主角”吗?还是说真正的主角是某个“配角”。
  • 锦茶

    锦茶

    月下饮茶,念卿天涯.”裴锦熙,大女人不可一日无权,小女人不可以一日无钱,因为我是小女人,所以现在开始东宫太子府的账房你的金库通通交给我!哈哈哈~”“乖,晚上让我上床就行~”某太子朝某小女人抛了个媚眼。“太子妃娘娘,殿下去了沐夫人那里了”闻言楚若卿撩起袖子就准备出门,“娘娘您要去哪儿?”“风萧萧兮易水寒,壮士打狗兮,一去不复返。”某太子“天南地北,茶茶最美,上得了厅堂,出不了厨房。”某小女人脸上滑下三道黑线“裴锦熙你给我过来!本姑娘让你知道什么叫文武双全!”晚上。楚若卿翘起了二郎腿,见可怜兮兮的某太子,好心用手指了指“门在那边。”此生遇见你,余生都是你。